초록 ▼

In the present invention, an imaginary aircraft, called the "shadow aircraft," flies the original flight plan and, in turn, causes the true aircraft to fly the offset course. The offset course has the same number of legs as the original course, and for each leg of the original course, there is a cor

In the present invention, an imaginary aircraft, called the "shadow aircraft," flies the original flight plan and, in turn, causes the true aircraft to fly the offset course. The offset course has the same number of legs as the original course, and for each leg of the original course, there is a corresponding parallel leg of the offset course. Except for an initial waypoint and a final waypoint, the locations of offset course waypoints are defined to be the intersections of the straight lines parallel to the original legs at the specified offset distance. The range and bearing to the offset course initial waypoint are chosen to be the same as the range and bearing to the next waypoint. For the interior legs of the flight plan, the lengths of the offset course legs vary from the corresponding "true" course leg. A maximum offset distance, a minimum offset course leg length, and an allowable region of transition are defined in the offset course system in order to be able to acquire and track a "flyable" offset course. The resulting system enables an aircraft to fly an offset course that is offset laterally from the true aircraft position without computing and storing offset course geometry in the form of latitude and longitude of the offset waypoints.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aircraft navigation system, comprising:means for establishing an original course; means for establishing an offset course, said offset course offset by a predetermined distance from said original course; and a shadow aircraft to follow said original course while an actual aircraft follows said

1. An aircraft navigation system, comprising:means for establishing an original course; means for establishing an offset course, said offset course offset by a predetermined distance from said original course; and a shadow aircraft to follow said original course while an actual aircraft follows said shadow aircraft, said actual aircraft maintaining said offset distance from said shadow aircraft.