Method and apparatus for editing electronic flight plans

1. A computer implemented method for managing a flight plan for an aircraft, the computer implemented method comprising:

displaying a set of projected flight plan parameters associated with a waypoint presented on a display of an aircraft data processing system;

receiving user input to form a set of actual flight plan parameters; and

displaying a set of variances between the set of projected flight plan parameters and the set of actual flight plan parameters on a map in association with the waypoint.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the set of actual flight plan parameters on the display.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an actual location of the aircraft when the user input is received;

calculating a distance between the actual location of the aircraft and a location of the waypoint; and

identifying the set of variances caused by the distance.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 further comprising:

determining whether a change in the flight plan is needed based on the set of variances.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the change is selected from one of a change in speed, a change in arrival time, a change in a leg in the flight plan, and a change in a destination.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing all sets of actual flight plan parameters in the flight plan on a computer readable medium.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending the flight plan with all stored sets of actual flight plan parameters to a remote data processing system after completion of a flight using the flight plan.

8. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program code to display a set of projected flight plan parameters associated with a waypoint presented on a display of an aircraft data processing system; receive user input to form a set of actual flight plan parameters; and display a set of variances between the set of projected flight plan parameters and the set of actual flight plan parameters on a map in association with the waypoint.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor unit further executes the program code to display the set of actual flight plan parameters on the display.

10. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor unit further executes the program code to determine an actual location of an aircraft when the user input is received; calculate a distance between the actual location of the aircraft and a location of the waypoint; and identify the set of variances caused by the distance.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 , wherein the processor unit further executes the program code to determine whether a change in a flight plan is needed based on the set of variances.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the change is selected from one of a change in speed, a change in arrival time, a change in a leg in the flight plan, and a change in a destination.

13. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the processor unit further executes the program code to store all sets of actual flight plan parameters in the flight plan on a computer readable medium.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the processor unit executes the program code to send the flight plan with all stored sets of actual flight plan parameters to a remote data processing system after completion of a flight using the flight plan.

15. A computer program product for managing a flight plan for an aircraft, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for displaying a set of projected flight plan parameters associated with a waypoint presented on a display of an aircraft data processing system;

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for receiving user input to form a set of actual flight plan parameters; and

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for displaying a set of variances between the set of projected flight plan parameters and the set of actual flight plan parameters on a map in association with the waypoint.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for displaying the set of actual flight plan parameters on the display.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for storing all sets of actual flight plan parameters in the flight plan on a computer readable medium.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for determining an actual location of the aircraft when the user input is received;

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for calculating a distance between the actual location of the aircraft and a location of the waypoint; and

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for identifying the set of variances caused by the distance.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable medium, for determining whether a change in the flight plan is needed based on the set of variances.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the change is selected from one of a change in speed, a change in arrival time, a change in a leg in the flight plan, and a change in a destination.