Air traffic control (ATC) radio communications authentication

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an aircraft, an ATC voice communication from an air traffic control (ATC) facility;

receiving, by the aircraft, authentication data from the ATC facility substantially contemporaneously with the ATC voice communication, the authentication data being associated with the ATC voice communication, wherein the ATC voice communication and the authentication data are received in separate transmissions; and

authenticating the ATC voice communication using the authentication data to confirm to a pilot whether the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility or a source spoofing or impersonating the ATC facility, wherein the aircraft is controlled by the pilot in response to authenticating the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, providing an authentication indication to the pilot in response to the ATC voice communication being authenticated.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the authentication data comprises receiving a digital certificate.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the authenticating the ATC voice communication comprises authenticating the digital certificate as the digital certificate for the ATC facility that is supposed to be transmitting the ATC voice communication.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the authenticating the ATC voice communication comprises comparing the digital certificate received by the aircraft to a digital certificate stored by the aircraft for the ATC facility that is supposed to be transmitting the ATC voice communication.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

providing an authentication true or successful indication to the pilot in response to at least the digital certificate being determined to be authentic; and

providing an authentication false or failure indication to the pilot in response to at least the digital certificate being determined to not be authentic.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, storing, onboard the aircraft, authentication data for a plurality of ATC facilities.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the authentication data comprises receiving the authentication data at a different frequency from a frequency at which the ATC voice communication is received.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the authentication data comprises receiving a text message, wherein the text message comprises a translation of the ATC voice communication.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the authenticating the ATC voice communication comprises comparing the text message received to the ATC voice communication received from the ATC facility.

11. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by an air traffic control (ATC) facility, an ATC voice communication to an aircraft; and

transmitting, by the ATC facility, authentication data to the aircraft, the authentication data being associated with the ATC voice communication, wherein the ATC voice communication is authenticated by the aircraft using the authentication data to confirm to a pilot whether the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility or a source spoofing or impersonating the ATC facility, and wherein the ATC voice communication and the authentication data are transmitted in separate transmissions, wherein the aircraft is controlled by the pilot in response to authenticating the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transmitting the authentication data to the aircraft comprises transmitting a digital certificate of the ATC facility to the aircraft to authenticate the ATC voice communication by the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

translating the ATC voice communication to a text message;

digitally signing the text message, wherein the authentication data comprises the text message with a digital certificate; and

transmitting the text message with the digital certificate to the aircraft substantially contemporaneously with the ATC voice communication, wherein the aircraft uses the text message and the digital certificate to authenticate the ATC voice communication.

14. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory associated with the processor, the memory comprising computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a set of functions comprising:

receiving an air traffic control (ATC) voice communication from an ATC facility;

receiving authentication data from the ATC facility substantially contemporaneously with the ATC voice communication, the authentication data being associated with the ATC voice communication, wherein the ATC voice communication and the authentication data are received in separate transmissions; and

authenticating the ATC voice communication using the authentication data to confirm to a pilot whether the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility or a source spoofing or impersonating the ATC facility, wherein the aircraft is controlled by the pilot in response to authenticating the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the set of functions further comprises providing an authentication indication to the pilot in response to the ATC voice communication being authenticated.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the receiving the authentication data comprises receiving a digital certificate.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the authenticating the ATC voice communication comprises authenticating the digital certificate as the digital certificate for the ATC facility that transmitted the ATC voice communication.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory associated with the processor, the memory comprising computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a set of functions comprising:

directing an air traffic control (ATC) voice communication to an aircraft from an ATC facility; and

directing authentication data to the aircraft, the authentication data being associated with the ATC voice communication, wherein the aircraft uses the authentication data to authenticate the ATC voice communication to confirm to a pilot whether the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility or a source spoofing or impersonating the ATC facility, and wherein the ATC voice communication and the authentication data are transmitted in separate transmissions, wherein the aircraft is controlled by the pilot in response to authenticating the ATC voice communication is actually from the ATC facility.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the directing the authentication data to the aircraft comprises transmitting a digital certificate of an ATC facility to the aircraft to authenticate the ATC voice communication by the aircraft.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the set of functions further comprise:

translating the ATC voice communication to a text message; and

digitally signing the text message, wherein the authentication data comprises the text message with a digital certificate; and

transmitting the text message with the digital certificate to the aircraft substantially contemporaneously with the ATC voice communication, wherein the aircraft uses the text message and the digital certificate to authenticate the ATC voice communication.