Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for an unmanned aerial vehicle aerial survey. One of the methods includes receiving information specifying a location to be inspected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the inspection including the UAV capturing images of the location. Information describing a boundary of the location to be inspected is obtained. Inspections to be assigned to the location are determined, with the inspection legs being parallel and separated by a particular width. A flight pattern is determined based on a minimum turning radius of the UAV, with the flight pattern specifying an order each inspection leg is to be navigated along, and a direction of the navigation.

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for an unmanned aerial vehicle aerial survey. One of the methods includes receiving information specifying a location to be inspected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the inspection including the UAV capturing images of the location. Information describing a boundary of the location to be inspected is obtained. Inspections to be assigned to the location are determined, with the inspection legs being parallel and separated by a particular width. A flight pattern is determined based on a minimum turning radius of the UAV, with the flight pattern specifying an order each inspection leg is to be navigated along, and a direction of the navigation.

Methods, devices, and systems for aircraft taxi route generation are described herein. One device includes a memory, and a processor to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to receive a routing plan request for an aircraft, generate, in response to receiving the routing plan request, a taxi route for the aircraft through an airfield of an airport using a rule engine, and transmit the taxi route to the aircraft, and a user interface to display a map of the airfield and the taxi route on the map of the airfield.

A method and system for determining and displaying a turn to a heading entry for an aircraft has been developed. First, a preliminary heading selection and a preliminary turn direction are entered into an automated flight control system (AFCS) for an aircraft. The preliminary heading selection and the preliminary turn direction are displayed to a pilot of the aircraft. A subsequent heading selection is entered into the AFCS while the aircraft is engaged in turning to the preliminary heading selection in the preliminary turn direction. A shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is determined. A determination is made if the shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is the same direction and the preliminary turn direction and a notice is displayed to the pilot of the aircraft is the shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is not the same direction and the preliminary turn direction.

A method and system for determining and displaying a turn to a heading entry for an aircraft has been developed. First, a preliminary heading selection and a preliminary turn direction are entered into an automated flight control system (AFCS) for an aircraft. The preliminary heading selection and the preliminary turn direction are displayed to a pilot of the aircraft. A subsequent heading selection is entered into the AFCS while the aircraft is engaged in turning to the preliminary heading selection in the preliminary turn direction. A shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is determined. A determination is made if the shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is the same direction and the preliminary turn direction and a notice is displayed to the pilot of the aircraft is the shortest turn radius to the subsequent heading selection is not the same direction and the preliminary turn direction.

A current flight path of an aircraft is defined with respect to a two-dimensional mesh plane including a first plurality of nodes. Each node is associated with a pre-designated location. First, second, and third nodes that are the closest to a current aircraft location are identified. Neighboring aircraft data associated with neighboring aircraft disposed within a pre-defined distance of the aircraft is received. The neighboring aircraft data includes a neighboring aircraft location for each the neighboring aircraft. First, second, and third node weights are allocated to the first, second, and third nodes based in part on the pre-designated locations of the first, second, and third nodes with respect to the neighboring aircraft locations. A modified flight path based at least in part on the first, second, and third node weights is generated for display as a suggested flight path on an onboard display device.

A current flight path of an aircraft is defined with respect to a two-dimensional mesh plane including a first plurality of nodes. Each node is associated with a pre-designated location. First, second, and third nodes that are the closest to a current aircraft location are identified. Neighboring aircraft data associated with neighboring aircraft disposed within a pre-defined distance of the aircraft is received. The neighboring aircraft data includes a neighboring aircraft location for each the neighboring aircraft. First, second, and third node weights are allocated to the first, second, and third nodes based in part on the pre-designated locations of the first, second, and third nodes with respect to the neighboring aircraft locations. A modified flight path based at least in part on the first, second, and third node weights is generated for display as a suggested flight path on an onboard display device.

A system and method for transporting passengers via uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) receives passenger requests for transport between origin and destination points. Based on the request a transport plan is generated for each passenger, identifying the passenger, assigning a UAS and including a flight plan (which includes flight instructions and a communications plan for the UAS control system). Based on the transport plan one or more encoded flight plan datasets are generated. Each encoded dataset is downloadable to and displayable by the passenger's portable computing device, and scannable and decodable by reader devices at the origin and destination ports and aboard the UAS. Scanning an encoded dataset both grants the passenger access to the origin port and UAS and confirms the passenger's presence. Further, each assigned UAS downloads from the decoded flight plan data the necessary configuration data to fulfill its portion/s of the flight plan.

A system and method for transporting passengers via uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) receives passenger requests for transport between origin and destination points. Based on the request a transport plan is generated for each passenger, identifying the passenger, assigning a UAS and including a flight plan (which includes flight instructions and a communications plan for the UAS control system). Based on the transport plan one or more encoded flight plan datasets are generated. Each encoded dataset is downloadable to and displayable by the passenger's portable computing device, and scannable and decodable by reader devices at the origin and destination ports and aboard the UAS. Scanning an encoded dataset both grants the passenger access to the origin port and UAS and confirms the passenger's presence. Further, each assigned UAS downloads from the decoded flight plan data the necessary configuration data to fulfill its portion/s of the flight plan.

Example embodiments are directed to generating an optimized network of flight paths and an operations volume around each of these flight paths. A network system creates a source network of paths, whereby the source network comprises a set of possible paths between two locations. The network system assigns a cost for traversing each edge of each path of the source network and aggregates the cost for traversing each edge of each path to obtain a cost for each path of the source network. Based on the cost for each path, the network system identifies a path having the lowest cost, whereby the path having the lowest cost is the optimized route between the two locations. The network system then generates an operations volume for the optimized route. The operations volume represents airspace surrounding the optimized route. The operations volume is transmitted to a further system for use.