Flight deck display systems and methods for visually indicating low speed change conditions during takeoff and landing

1. A flight deck display system deployed onboard an aircraft, the flight deck display system comprising:

a cockpit display device;

a controller operatively coupled to the cockpit display device and configured to:

establish the speed trend of the aircraft over a predetermined time period;

generate a Primary Flight Display (“PFD”) on the cockpit display device including a speed trend vector graphic representative of the established speed trend when the speed of the aircraft varies over the predetermined time period; and

alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if a low speed change condition is detected during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing;

wherein the controller produces the speed trend vector graphic to have a fixed minimal length when the aircraft speed remains constant over the predetermined time period to retain the ability to generate a visual alert of the low speed change condition by altering the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic.

2. The flight deck display system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

establish a first speed change threshold; and

alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if the speed of the aircraft falls below the first speed change threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

3. The flight deck display system of claim 2 wherein the first speed change threshold is a speed change caution threshold, and wherein the controller is configured to change the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a predetermined caution color if the speed of the aircraft falls below the first speed change threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

4. The flight deck display system of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to:

establish a speed change warning threshold; and

change the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a predetermined warning color if the speed of the aircraft falls below the speed change warning threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

5. The flight deck display system of claim 2 wherein the first speed change threshold is a speed change warning threshold, and wherein the controller is configured to change the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a predetermined warning color if the speed of the aircraft falls below the first speed change threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

6. The flight deck display system of claim 1 wherein the speed trend vector graphic comprises an arrow.

7. The flight deck display system of claim 1 further comprising a sound generator coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is further reconfigured to cause the sound generator to generate an audible alert if a low speed change condition is detected during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

8. The flight deck display system of claim 7 wherein the audible alert comprises an aural messages stating that the speed change of the aircraft is behind schedule for the current takeoff and/or landing procedure.

9. The flight deck display system of claim 1 further comprising a memory, the controller operably coupled to the memory and further configured to:

recall a first speed change threshold from the memory prior to at least one of takeoff and/or landing; and

alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if the speed of the aircraft falls below the first speed change threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

10. The flight deck display system of claim 1 further comprising a memory storing a runway database, the controller operably coupled to the memory and configured to:

establish a first speed change threshold prior to at least one of takeoff and/or landing, the controller establishing the first speed change threshold based at least partially upon the length of a cleared for use by the aircraft, as indicated by the runway database; and

alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if the speed of the aircraft falls below the first speed change threshold during at least one of aircraft takeoff and landing.

11. A flight deck display system deployed onboard an aircraft, the flight deck display system comprising:

a cockpit display device;

a controller operatively coupled to the cockpit display device and configured to:

establish the speed trend of the aircraft over a predetermined time period;

generate a primary flight display on the cockpit display device including a speed trend vector graphic representative of the established speed trend when the speed of the aircraft varies over the predetermined time period;

during takeoff of the aircraft from a runway, determine whether the acceleration of the aircraft is less than a first acceleration threshold based, at least in part, on the relative position of the aircraft to the end of the designated runway; and

alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if the acceleration of the aircraft is less than the first acceleration threshold;

wherein the controller generates the speed trend vector graphic to have a fixed minimal length and to generally point in an upward direction when the aircraft speed remains substantially constant over the predetermined time period.

12. The flight deck display system of claim 11 wherein the controller is configured to change the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a predetermined caution color if the acceleration of the aircraft is less than the first acceleration threshold.

13. The flight deck display system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to alter the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a second predetermined manner if the acceleration of the aircraft is less than a second acceleration threshold.

14. The flight deck display system of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to change the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a predetermined warning color if the acceleration of the aircraft is less than the second acceleration threshold.

15. A method carried-out by a fight deck display system including a cockpit display device and deployed onboard an aircraft, the method comprising:

generating on the cockpit display device a graphical display including a speed trend vector graphic representative of an established speed trend of the aircraft;

establishing a first deceleration threshold at one or more junctures during landing of the aircraft; and

visually altering the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic in a first predetermined manner if the deceleration of the aircraft falls below the first deceleration threshold during landing of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein visually altering comprises changing the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a caution color if the deceleration of the aircraft falls below the first deceleration threshold during landing of the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

establishing a second deceleration threshold at one or more junctures during landing of the aircraft; and

changing the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a warning color if the deceleration of the aircraft falls below the second deceleration threshold.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

establishing a first acceleration threshold at one or more junctures during takeoff of the aircraft; and

changing the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a caution color if the acceleration of the aircraft falls below the first acceleration threshold.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

establishing a second acceleration threshold at one or more junctures during takeoff of the aircraft; and

changing the color of the speed trend vector graphic to a warning color if the acceleration of the aircraft falls below the second acceleration threshold.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the speed trend vector graphic is produced on the PFD when the aircraft speed remains constant over the predetermined time period to retain the ability to generate a visual alert of the low speed change condition by altering the appearance of the speed trend vector graphic.