A method, executed by a processor, includes the processor receiving signals information from a device located on a departing airplane; verifying an identification of the airplane and identifying an expected departure sequence of aircraft surface states; monitoring and identifying additional signals information received from the mobile device, including comparing the additional signals information to known data; logging the additional signals information, and processing the additional signals information, and determining the logged data corresponds to events indicative of an aircraft surface state; sending an aircraft surface state reached message to Local and Center flight management; and executing a statistical routine and providing statistical data from the execution relating to an occurrence of upcoming aircraft surface state event and sending the statistical data with the aircraft surface state message.

A method of flight data prediction for an aircraft includes receiving, at a device, arrival input data for a flight of the aircraft to an arrival airport. The arrival input data includes flight plans for a plurality of aircraft expected to arrive at or depart from the arrival airport during an arrival time range, predicted weather information for the arrival airport during the arrival time range, and facilities data for the arrival airport. The method includes generating, at the device based on the arrival input data, one or more arrival sets for the aircraft. Each arrival set comprising a predicted gate arrival time for the aircraft at an arrival gate using a particular runway and a probability associated with the aircraft using the particular runway. The method also includes generating, at the device, an output based on at least one of the one or more arrival sets.

A method of providing an indication identifying a flight as including or not including a flight path deviation, the method includes receiving flight data associated with a flight, the flight data comprising a plurality of coordinates indicating a location of an aircraft at a plurality of times during the flight. The method also includes classifying a plurality of time intervals of the flight by applying a convolutional neural network algorithm to subsets of the plurality coordinates to determine that the time interval includes or does not include at least one flight path deviation. The method also includes identifying the flight as including at least one flight path deviation if at least one of the time intervals is classified as including the at least one flight path deviation and providing an indication identifying the flight as including at least one flight path deviation to a second computing system in response to identifying the flight as including at least one flight path deviation.

An electronic flight assistant device has a first processor coupled to a firmware memory containing machine readable instructions executable by the processor (Firmware) and a random access (RAM) memory; an electronic camera coupled to the processor; a visible-wavelength laser adapted to be gated and scanned by the processor; a switchable cockpit light; at least one digital radio coupled to the processor; and a housing containing the processor, electronic camera, laser, digital radio, and cockpit light; the firmware configured to perform optical reading of cockpit instruments, to determine error conditions, and to scan the laser to provide indications to a pilot of error conditions.

Methods and systems are provided for operating an electronic checklist for an aircraft. The system includes an aviation sub-system that is part of an aircraft, where the aviation subsystem is an item on the electronic checklist. Also included is a sensor that monitors the status of the aviation sub-system with reference to the electronic checklist. An onboard computer system monitors the electronic checklist and determines the status of the aviation sub-system as required by the electronic checklist along with the operational condition of the sensor that monitors the status of aviation sub-system. Finally, a graphical display shows the status of the aviation sub-system and the operational condition of the sensor.

A system and method for generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile for an aircraft includes transmitting a current flight plan from an onboard flight management system (FMS) to an off-board computing device. The optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft is computed, in the off-board computing device,. One or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile, are identified in the off-board computing device. The new waypoints or points of interest are transmitted from the off-board system to the onboard FMS. The current descent approach profile is updated, in the FMS, to include the new waypoints or points of interest, thereby generating an updated flight plan. The updated flight plan is implementing in the onboard FMS.

Disclosed is method for determining improved flight trajectory 208. The method comprises receiving one or more weather parameters to determine contrail forecast data; receiving one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft 204 to determine flight data thereof; receiving flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan 206 of at least one aircraft; analyzing at least one flight plan to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft; determining contrail likelihood associated with at least one aircraft; altering one or more flight parameters to determine improved flight trajectory for at least one flight plan; sending at least one flight plan including improved flight trajectory to at least one aircraft; and validating improved flight trajectory using imagery data, when at least one aircraft flies according to at least one flight plan including improved flight trajectory. Disclosed also is system 200 for determining improved flight trajectory.

Disclosed is a pilot aircraft system control input arrangement for a light aircraft having primary flight controls, the pilot aircraft system control input arrangement integrated into an armrest for a pilot's seat, the armrest providing forearm support for a pilot and having integrated therein or associated therewith a primary flight control and wherein the pilot aircraft system control input arrangement is disposed to be reached by fingers of a pilot with their forearm resting on the armrest, the pilot system control input arrangement comprising: a numerical keypad interface for inputting data; a rotatable selector for inputting data; a function selector operable to switch the pilot input arrangement between at least two input functions that each enable the pilot input arrangement to receive a different type of input, wherein the types of input for the at least two input functions are selected from at least two of the following input categories: a pressure setting for an altimeter; a transponder code for a transponder; a frequency for radio or navigation equipment; a course or heading for an autopilot or navigation equipment; an interfacing arrangement for communicating inputs to at least two aircraft systems selected from: an altimeter; a transponder; a radio; a navigation system; and an autopilot system.

A method is provided for supporting taxi operation of an aircraft. The method includes accessing information that describes a taxi operation of the aircraft at an airport, for a flight of the aircraft. The method includes determining a recommendation for reduced-engine taxi operation of the aircraft based on the information. The recommendation divides the reduced-engine taxi operation into steps including reduced-engine and all-engines steps. A route for the taxi operation is plotted on a diagram of the airport, the route is annotated with an indication of the recommendation for the taxi operation, and a graphical user interface (GUI) is generated that includes the diagram with the route and the indication of the recommendation. The indication of the recommendation includes indications of the steps into which the reduced-engine taxi operation is divided, and the route is annotated to indicate segments of the route over which the steps are performed.

Methods and systems are provided for operating an electronic checklist for an aircraft. The system includes an aviation sub-system that is part of an aircraft, where the aviation subsystem is an item on the electronic checklist. Also included is a sensor that monitors the status of the aviation sub-system with reference to the electronic checklist. An onboard computer system monitors the electronic checklist and determines the status of the aviation sub-system as required by the electronic checklist along with the operational condition of the sensor that monitors the status of aviation sub-system. Finally, a graphical display shows the status of the aviation sub-system and the operational condition of the sensor.