Aircraft communications radio tuning aid system and method

1. A method of displaying air traffic control communication information in an aircraft having an aircraft communications radio, the method comprising:

processing data to determine one or more aircraft positions;

processing data to identify each air traffic control (ATC) communication station that is within a predetermined distance of the one or more aircraft positions;

processing data to determine which of the identified ATC communication stations are, or will be, within range of the aircraft communications radio;

rendering, on a display device, indicia representative of the identified ATC communication stations determined to be within the range of the aircraft communications radio; and

rendering a communication range graphic on the display device, the communication range graphic representative of the range of the aircraft communications radio.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing data to determine which of the identified ATC communication stations are active ATC communication stations and which are inactive ATC communication stations, wherein:

an active ATC communication station is one (i) that is or will be within the range of the aircraft communications radio and (ii) with which the aircraft communications radio may actively communicate, and

an inactive ATC communication station is one with which the aircraft communications radio may not communicate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

rendering on the display indicia representative of each active ATC communication station in accordance with a first display paradigm; and

rendering on the display indicia representative of each inactive ATC communication station in accordance with a second display paradigm.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

tuning the aircraft communications radio to one of the active ATC communication stations.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

rendering a movable cursor on the display device, the movable cursor responsive to a user interface to move over and select the indicia representative of an active ATC communication station; and

tuning the aircraft communications radio to the active ATC communication station that is represented by the indicia selected using the movable cursor.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

processing flight plan data to determine a current flight plan of the aircraft;

tuning the aircraft communications radio to one of the active ATC communication stations;

determining a switchover distance, the switchover distance being a distance from the current aircraft position to an aircraft position at which a next one of the identified ATC communication stations on the current flight plan will become an active ATC communication station; and

rendering, on the display device, at least the switchover distance.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

rendering, on the display device, at least a portion of the current flight plan, the active ATC communication station, and the next one of the identified ATC communication stations.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

processing flight plan data to determine a current flight plan of the aircraft;

tuning the aircraft communications radio to one of the active ATC communication stations;

determining a switchover time, the switchover time being a time it takes to get from the current aircraft position to an aircraft position at which a next one of the identified ATC communication stations on the current flight plan will become an active ATC communication station; and

rendering, on the display device, at least the switchover time.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

rendering, on the display device, at least the current flight plan, the active ATC communication station, and the next one of the identified ATC communication stations.

10. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

processing flight plan data to determine a current flight plan of the aircraft, the current flight plan including a plurality of legs on which the aircraft will fly;

determining if the current flight plan includes one or more uncontrolled airspace sections, an uncontrolled airspace section being at least a portion of one or more of the plurality of legs of the current flight plan that, when flown by the aircraft, will include no active ATC communication stations; and

rendering, on the display device, the one or more uncontrolled airspace sections.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein those portions of the current flight plan that are not uncontrolled airspace sections are controlled airspace sections, and wherein the method further comprises:

rendering, on the display device, the controlled airspace sections in accordance with a first display paradigm; and

rendering, on the display device, the uncontrolled airspace sections in accordance with a second display paradigm.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a distance to void, the distance to void being a distance from the current aircraft position to an uncontrolled airspace section; and

rendering, on the display device, the distance to void.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining if an alternate flight plan for the aircraft will eliminate one or more uncontrolled airspace sections and, if so, rendering the alternate flight plan on the display.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia includes graphical information and textual information.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication range graphic is rendered as a user interactive field within which a user to may enter a value for the range of the aircraft communications radio.

16. A method of displaying air traffic control communication information in an aircraft having an aircraft communications radio, the method comprising:

processing flight plan data to determine a current flight plan of the aircraft, the current flight plan including a plurality of legs;

processing data to identify air traffic control (ATC) communication stations that will be within a predetermined distance of each of the plurality of legs;

processing data to determine which of the identified ATC communication stations are active ATC communication stations and which are inactive ATC communication stations;

determining if the current flight plan includes one or more uncontrolled airspace sections, an uncontrolled airspace section being at least a portion of one of more of the plurality of legs of the current flight plan that, when flown projected to be flown by the aircraft, will include no active ATC communication stations;

determining a distance to void, the distance to void being a distance from an aircraft position to an uncontrolled airspace section;

rendering, on the display device, the distance to void;

rendering, on the display device, those portions of the current flight plan that are not uncontrolled sections in accordance with a first display paradigm; and

rendering, on the display device, the one or more uncontrolled airspace sections in accordance with a second display paradigm,

wherein:

an active ATC communication station is one (i) within the predetermined distance of one of the plurality of legs and (ii) with which the aircraft communications radio may actively communicate, and

an inactive ATC communication station is one with which the aircraft communications radio may not communicate.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining if an alternate flight plan for the aircraft will eliminate one or more uncontrolled airspace sections and, if so, rendering the alternate flight plan on the display.

18. A method of displaying air traffic control communication information in an aircraft having an aircraft communications radio, the method comprising:

processing flight plan data to determine a current flight plan of the aircraft;

processing data to determine one or more aircraft positions;

processing data to identify each air traffic control (ATC) communication station that is within a predetermined distance of the one or more aircraft positions;

processing data to determine which of the identified ATC communication stations are, or will be, within range of the aircraft communications radio;

processing data to determine which of the identified ATC communication stations are active ATC communication stations and which are inactive ATC communication stations,

tuning the aircraft communications radio to one of the active ATC communication stations;

determining a switchover time, the switchover time being a time it takes to get from the current aircraft position to an aircraft position at which a next one of the identified ATC communication stations on the current flight plan will become an active ATC communication station;

rendering, on a display device, indicia representative of the identified ATC communication stations determined to be within the range of the aircraft communications radio; and

rendering, on the display device, at least the switchover time,

wherein:

an active ATC communication station is one (i) that is or will be within the range of the aircraft communications radio and (ii) with which the aircraft communications radio may actively communicate, and

an inactive ATC communication station is one with which the aircraft communications radio may not communicate.