Minimum maneuverable altitude determination and display system and method

1. A method for determining and displaying a minimum maneuverable altitude for an aircraft to turn back, the method comprising the steps of:

automatically processing aircraft characteristic data, aircraft flight trajectory data, and environmental/airport services data, in a processing system, to determine a rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading;

processing at least the determined rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading, in the processing system, to determine the minimum maneuverable altitude in at least engine out conditions;

processing terrain data, in the processing system, to determine a terrain clearance height above which the minimum maneuverable altitude may be implemented; and

rendering, on a display device that is displaying an altitude tape and terrain, the minimum maneuverable altitude on the altitude tape and a pseudo gate that represents a height above the terrain that corresponds to the minimum maneuverable altitude.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

automatically transmitting, via a transmitter, the minimum maneuverable altitude to an air traffic control tower.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the aircraft characteristic data, the aircraft flight trajectory data, the airport data and the environmental/airport services data, in the processing system, to determine a required climb rate or descent rate; and

rendering, on the display device, the required climb rate or descent rate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the required climb rate is rendered when the minimum maneuverable altitude is above current aircraft altitude; and

the required descent rate is rendered when the minimum maneuverable altitude is below current aircraft altitude.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing at least the determined rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading, in the processing system, to determine a minimum maneuverable altitude range.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

rendering, on the display device that is displaying the altitude tape and the terrain, the minimum maneuverable altitude range on the altitude tape.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the minimum maneuverable altitude range comprises a minimum altitude value and a maximum altitude value; and

the minimum altitude value and the maximum altitude value are each rendered in different colors on the altitude tape.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the minimum maneuverable altitude range comprises at least three altitude values; and

each of the three altitude values is rendered in a different color on the altitude tape.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading (dh/dΨ) is determined by:

dh/d Ψ=( Cd* 4 W )/( Cl*Cl*ρ*S*g *sin 2φ)

where:

Ψ=aircraft yaw angle;

Φ=aircraft roll angle;

S=aircraft wing span area;

W=aircraft weight;

g=gravitational constant;

Cl=coefficient of lift;

Cd=coefficient of drag.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the minimum maneuverable altitude (MMA) is determined by:

MMA=( dh/d Ψ) for a 180° turn+MTE+MSA+20%,

where:

MTE=maximum terrain elevation determined from the terrain database, and

MSA=minimum safe altitude determined from a visual flight rules (VFR) chart.

11. A system for determining and displaying a minimum maneuverable altitude for an aircraft to turn back, comprising:

a display device responsive to image rendering display commands to render one or more images;

a terrain data source configured to supply terrain data;

an aircraft characteristic data source configured to supply data indicative of a plurality of physical characteristics of the aircraft;

an aircraft flight trajectory data source configured to supply information indicative of current aircraft flight trajectory;

an environmental/airport services data source configured to supply information indicative of a plurality of environmental/airport services conditions external to the aircraft; and

a processing system in operable communication with the display device, the terrain data source, the aircraft characteristic data source, the aircraft flight trajectory data source, and the environmental/airport services data source, the processing system configured to receive and process data from each of these data sources to thereby:

determine a rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading, to determine the minimum maneuverable altitude in at least engine out conditions,

determine a terrain clearance height above which the minimum maneuverable altitude may be implemented, and

supply image rendering display commands to the display device that cause the display device to render at least: an altitude tape, terrain, the minimum maneuverable altitude on the altitude tape, and a pseudo gate that represents a height above the terrain that corresponds to the minimum maneuverable altitude.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the processing system and configured to automatically transmit the minimum maneuverable altitude to an air traffic control tower.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to (i) determine a required climb rate or descent rate, and (ii) supply image rendering display commands to the display device that cause the display device to render the required climb rate or descent rate.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the processing system commands the display device to render the required climb rate when the minimum maneuverable altitude is above current aircraft altitude; and

the processing system commands the display device to render the required descent rate when the minimum maneuverable altitude is below current aircraft altitude.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing system is further configured to process at least the determined rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading to determine a minimum maneuverable altitude range.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing system is further configured to supply image rendering display commands to the display device that cause the display device to render the minimum maneuverable altitude range on the altitude tape.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

the minimum maneuverable altitude range comprises a minimum altitude value and a maximum altitude value; and

the minimum altitude value and the maximum altitude value are each rendered in different colors on the altitude tape.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

the minimum maneuverable altitude range comprises at least three altitude values; and

each of the at least three altitude values is rendered in a different color on the altitude tape.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing system determines the rate of change of aircraft maneuverable altitude with respect to change in aircraft heading (dh/dΨ) by:

dh/d Ψ=( Cd* 4 W )/( Cl*Cl*ρ*S*g *sin 2φ),

where:

Ψ=aircraft yaw angle;

Φ=aircraft roll angle;

S=aircraft wing span area;

W=aircraft weight;

g=gravitational constant;

Cl=coefficient of lift;

Cd=coefficient of drag.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the processing system determines the minimum maneuverable altitude (MMA) by:

MMA=( dh/d Ψ) for a 180° turn+MTE+MSA+20%,

where:

MTE=maximum terrain elevation determined from the terrain database, and

MSA=minimum safe altitude determined from a visual flight rules (VFR) chart.