System and method for navigating an aircraft
A system for navigating an aircraft, comprising a flight planning system configured to prepare a set of at least three different trajectories for a flight from a departure point to a destination point, a flight verification system configured to verify each trajectory of the set of trajectories, an onboard flight management system to be installed at an aircraft and having a storage unit for storing the set of trajectories, wherein the flight management system is configured to select one of the trajectories from the set of trajectories as an active trajectory for a current flight of the aircraft, wherein the flight management system includes a replanning unit configured to change, during the current flight, the active trajectory by selecting a second trajectory from the set of trajectories as the active trajectory for the current flight, such as to continue the current flight based on the second trajectory t.
1. A system for navigating an aircraft, comprising:
a flight planning system comprising a computer running a suitable software, configured to prepare a set of at least three different trajectories (t 1 -t 5 ) for a flight from a departure point (A) to a destination point (B),
a flight execution supervision system in communication with the flight planning system and comprising an official aviation authority or any other local authority responsible for approving intended flight trajectories or handling flight schedules, configured to receive and verify each trajectory of the set of trajectories,
an onboard flight management system comprising a computer executing a plurality of software modules to be installed at an aircraft and having a storage unit for storing the set of at least three different trajectories (t 1 -t 5 ), wherein the flight management system is configured to select one of the trajectories from the set of trajectories as an active trajectory for a current flight of the aircraft, and wherein the set of at least three different trajectories (t 1 -t 5 ) for the flight are prepared, verified, and stored in the storage unit of the onboard flight management system pre-flight,
wherein one of the flight management system software modules includes a replanning unit configured to change, during the current flight, the active trajectory (t 3 ) by selecting a second trajectory (t 2 ) from the set of trajectories as the active trajectory for the current flight, such as to continue the current flight based on the second trajectory (t 2 ),
wherein at a time of changing navigation of the aircraft to the second trajectory the current position of the aircraft is on both the first trajectory and the second trajectory,
wherein selecting a second trajectory comprises:
determining a plurality of trajectory candidates from among the set of trajectories such that the current position of the aircraft is on each of the trajectory candidates, wherein each trajectory candidate of the plurality of trajectory candidates has been verified before the flight,
determining a ranking for each trajectory candidate based on trajectory evaluation data associated to each of the trajectory candidates,
sequentially submitting, in an order according to their ranking, trajectory candidates to the onboard flight management system of the aircraft for validation processing, until a validated trajectory candidate is determined by the validation processing, and
selecting the validated trajectory candidate as the second trajectory and switching navigation of the aircraft such as to continue the flight based on the second trajectory.
2. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit further stores trajectory evaluation data for each trajectory of the set of trajectories, and wherein the replanning unit is configured to select the second trajectory based on the trajectory evaluation data.
3. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flight management system is adapted to update the trajectory evaluation data during flight based on flight data collected by a flight computer of the aircraft during the current flight.
4. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises a pilot input unit comprising a plurality of control elements and input elements for receiving a pilot re-routing command from a pilot, and wherein the replanning unit is configured to change the active trajectory upon receiving a pilot re-routing command through the pilot input unit.
5. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein another of the flight management system software modules comprises an obstruction condition determination unit for determining an obstruction condition for a trajectory based on flight data collected by a flight computer of the aircraft during the current flight, and wherein the replanning unit is configured to change the active trajectory when the obstruction condition determination unit determines that the obstruction condition is fulfilled for the active trajectory.
6. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said obstruction condition for a trajectory is at least one condition selected from:
detection of an obstacle within the trajectory,
detection of a change in weather condition,
detection of a technical failure of the aircraft,
reception of a re-routing command from an external entity.
7. The system for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 5 , wherein another of the flight management system software modules comprises a notification unit for notifying the pilot about the obstruction condition.
8. A method for navigating an aircraft, comprising the steps of
a) using a flight planning system to prepare a set of at least three different trajectories for a flight from a starting point to a destination point, said flight planning system comprising a computer running a suitable software,
b) using a flight execution supervision system to receive and verify each trajectory of the set of trajectories, said flight execution supervision system in communication with the flight planning system and comprising an official aviation authority or any other local authority responsible for approving intended flight trajectories or handling flight schedules,
c) after completion of step b, starting the flight from the starting point towards the destination point based on a first trajectory selected from the set of trajectories, and
d) during the flight, operating an onboard flight management system comprising a computer executing a plurality of software modules of the aircraft to select a second trajectory from the set of trajectories and to switch navigation of the aircraft such as to continue the flight based on the second trajectory,
wherein at the time of switching navigation of the aircraft to the second trajectory the current position of the aircraft is on both the first trajectory and the second trajectory,
wherein the set of at least three different trajectories for the flight are prepared, verified, and stored in a storage unit of the onboard flight management system pre-flight, and
wherein the step of selecting a second trajectory comprises:
determining a plurality of trajectory candidates from among the set of trajectories such that the current position of the aircraft is on each of the trajectory candidates, wherein each trajectory candidate of the plurality of trajectory candidates has been verified before the flight,
determining a ranking for each trajectory candidate based on trajectory evaluation data associated to each of the trajectory candidates,
sequentially submitting, in an order according to their ranking, trajectory candidates to the onboard flight management system of the aircraft for validation processing, until a validated trajectory candidate is determined by the validation processing, and
selecting the validated trajectory candidate as the second trajectory and switching navigation of the aircraft such as to continue the flight based on the second trajectory.
9. The method for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising storing the set of trajectories on a storage unit of the flight management system after completion of step b.
10. The method for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each trajectory of the set of trajectories is associated to trajectory evaluation data, wherein, in step d, the second trajectory is selected based on the trajectory evaluation data.
11. The method for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 8 , wherein navigation of the aircraft is switched to the second trajectory upon a pilot re-routing command received through a pilot control device comprising a plurality of control elements and input elements of the aircraft.
12. The method for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 8 , wherein navigation of the aircraft is switched to the second trajectory after determination of an obstruction condition for the first trajectory based on flight data collected during the flight.
13. The method for navigating an aircraft as claimed in claim 8 , wherein validation processing of a trajectory candidate by the flight management system comprises at least one of
determining an obstruction condition for the trajectory candidate based on flight data collected by a flight computer of the aircraft during the current flight, or receiving a pilot authorization command for the trajectory candidate through a pilot control device comprising a plurality of control elements and input elements of the aircraft,
wherein the validation process determines that a trajectory candidate is a validated trajectory candidate, if the obstruction condition is not fulfilled and/or if the pilot authorization command is received.