A system for both onboard piloting and remote piloting an aircraft having thereon at least one onboard pilot includes an aircraft having an onboard flight control system, onboard flight control devices, and onboard condition indicators mounted proximal the pilot seat. A remote flight control system, in electronic communication with the onboard flight control system, includes remote flight control devices and remote condition indicators. At least in a remote piloting mode, the onboard flight control system transmits flight and aircraft condition-related signals to the remote flight control system, receives flight control signals from the remote flight control system, and actuates, according to the flight control signals received from the remote flight control system, onboard actuators thereby remote piloting the aircraft. In the remote piloting mode, the aircraft may be cooperatively piloted by a remote pilot and at least one alert onboard pilot as another onboard pilot rests.

A resting area system and method for an internal cabin of a vehicle includes a monument, and a bed module coupled to the monument. The bed module includes one or more beds. The bed module is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position relative to the monument.

An aircraft is disclosed with a fuselage including a cabin delimited by a cabin floor and having crew quarters. The crew quarters include an upper portion above a floor plane defined by the cabin floor and a lower portion beneath the floor plane. The crew quarters include a seat adjustable between a sitting configuration and a berthing configuration. A method of transitioning a crew member of an aircraft to a berthing configuration in a crew quarters is also disclosed.

In one embodiment, a system to enhance in-flight controlled rest for a flight crew includes a pilot user interface, a co-pilot user interface, and a flight crew monitoring system. The flight crew monitoring system is configured to: (i) determine a physiological state of both a pilot and a co-pilot, (ii) selectively generate one or more alerts for the pilot and/or the co-pilot based on the determined physiological state, (iii) inhibit generating the one or more alerts for the pilot upon receipt of a first inhibit signal from the pilot user interface, (iv) inhibit generating the one or more alerts for the co-pilot upon receipt of a second inhibit signal from the co-pilot user interface, and (v) generate and store data indicating a time of day and a duration that the one or more alerts for the pilot or co-pilot, respectively, were inhibited.

A method and apparatus for managing lighting during a flight. Light is emitted from a lighting system comprised of light devices positioned within an interior of the aircraft. Operation of the lighting system is controlled to create a first light scene, a second light scene, and a third light scene. The first light scene has a first spectral distribution that includes first light having a first wavelength of between about 436 nanometers and about 486 nanometers. The second light scene has a second spectral distribution that includes second light having a second wavelength between about 606 nanometers to about 656 nanometers. The third light scene has a third spectral distribution that includes third light having a third wavelength between about 530 nanometers and about 580 nanometers. Creating different light scenes during different periods of flight improves an overall well-being and flight experience of persons onboard the aircraft during the flight.

An aircraft including a fuselage, a cockpit and a cabin, wherein the cockpit is situated below the cabin and outside the nose, such as a lancet-shaped nose, of the aircraft and may extend to a front end of the aircraft, and the viewing surfaces in the cockpit may be entirely formed of digital display screens.

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for allowing use of what has traditionally been a cargo area of a passenger aircraft to be used as a lower deck passenger cabin. Various modifications to the aircraft are described, as well as various features to be added in order to enhance the passenger experience. For example, there may be provided a lowered technical floor (32), stairs or other passageways (50) provided at both ends of the lower deck cabin, a window replacement technique, an alternative way of storing cabin luggage, or any combination thereof.

A stair closure mechanism is disclosed. In embodiments, the stair closure mechanism is attached to and deploys in concert with a door separating an overhead crew rest compartment and access stairway from the main cabin. As the door is closed, a closure panel mechanically pivots with the closing of the door into a horizontal deployed position. When in the deployed position, the closure panel conforms to the floor of the overhead compartment, securely blocking the free space between the stairway and the floor from persons in the overhead compartment who might otherwise step or stumble thereinto.

The present disclosure provides an aircraft monument housing a crew quarters positionable in an aircraft cabin adjacent a longitudinal aisle, and a combination including a passenger suite and an aircraft monument housing a crew quarters. The aircraft monument includes a transverse wall forming part of the monument and separating interior space within the monument from the adjacent passenger suite. The interior space of the monument is divided by a shelf into upper and lower compartments and the crew quarters is positioned in the upper compartment for resting and sleeping use by the cabin crew. The lower compartment may be used by the cabin crew or for locating galley components. The transverse wall may be contoured such that the interior space and the passenger suite nest to maximize density. A footwell serving the passenger suite may be recessed into the transverse wall.

A cockpit for an airplane having, in a plan view, an aft direction, a central longitudinal axis parallel to the aft direction and a rear axis perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. The cockpit as seen in the plan view comprises: a first seat having a first seating surface with a first seat rear edge passing through an intersection between the longitudinal and rear axes, the first seat being disposed within the cockpit and configured so as to allow a pilot sitting on the first seating surface to perform pre-determined primary pilot functions; and a second seat having a second seating surface with a second seat rear edge. The second seat has: an operational state, in which the second seat is disposed within the cockpit and configured so as to allow operational seating of a pilot on the second seating surface to perform pre-determined secondary pilot functions, the second seat rear edge being at an operational distance from the rear axis; and at least one non-operational state, in which the operational seating of the secondary pilot is disabled, the at least one non-operational state comprising a resting state in which the footprint of the second seat in plan view is longer in at least one dimension than the footprint of the second seat in the operational state, allowing a lying-down position of the secondary pilot.