초록 ▼

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for providing flight director guidance throughout a flare maneuver during landing operations. A pre-flare flight path to a runway may be received, and a flare engage altitude calculated. A flare command path may be calculated having

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for providing flight director guidance throughout a flare maneuver during landing operations. A pre-flare flight path to a runway may be received, and a flare engage altitude calculated. A flare command path may be calculated having a slope associated with a desired descent rate at a desired touchdown location on a runway. An aircraft flare trajectory may be calculated that transitions the aircraft from the flare engage altitude on the pre-flare flight path to the flare command path at the desired touchdown location. A flight director command may be provided during the flare maneuver that aligns a current flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A computer-implemented method for providing guidance during a flare maneuver of an aircraft, the method comprising: determining a pre-flare flight path to a runway;calculating a flare engage altitude along the pre-flare flight path;calculating a flare command path comprising a linear path interse

1. A computer-implemented method for providing guidance during a flare maneuver of an aircraft, the method comprising: determining a pre-flare flight path to a runway;calculating a flare engage altitude along the pre-flare flight path;calculating a flare command path comprising a linear path intersecting the runway at a desired touchdown location and having a slope associated with a desired altitude rate at the desired touchdown location, the calculation comprising: an intersection of an extrapolated aircraft flight path and the runway,the desired touchdown location, andthe desired altitude rate at touchdown;calculating an aircraft flare trajectory that transitions the aircraft from a location on the pre-flare flight path at the flare engage altitude to the flare command path at the touchdown location;receiving current aircraft flight parameters associated with a current aircraft flight path; andproviding a flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a pre-flare flight director command prior to activation of a flare mode that indicates a pitch rate associated with a flare maneuver. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pre-flare flight director command provides one or more pre-flare symbols on a flight deck display that move at a rate that corresponds with the pitch rate associated with the flare maneuver. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculation of the flare command path further comprises a length associated with the runway. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft flare trajectory comprises a substantially curvilinear flight path. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flare command path comprises a length that extends below the runway such that the flare command path represents a positive altitude prior to the desired touchdown location and a negative altitude beyond the desired touchdown location. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether a requested pitch attitude associated with the flight director command is outside of a determined pitch attitude range; andif the pitch attitude is outside of the determined pitch attitude range, adjusting the flight director command such that the requested pitch attitude is within the determined pitch attitude range. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether a requested flight path angle associated with the flight director command requests a positive climb rate for the aircraft; andif the requested flight path angle does request the positive climb rate, adjusting the flight director command such that the requested flight path angle does not request the positive climb rate. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory comprises: receiving a rate command offset and a position command offset;receiving an altitude command and an altitude rate command associated with the flare command path;receiving a current aircraft altitude and a current aircraft altitude rate;summing the current aircraft altitude and the altitude command to arrive at an altitude tracking error;summing the current aircraft altitude rate and the altitude rate command to arrive at a altitude rate tracking error;summing the altitude tracking error and the position command offset to arrive at an altitude error;summing the altitude rate tracking error with the rate command offset to arrive at an altitude rate error;combining the altitude error and the altitude rate error to arrive at a pitch attitude or flight path vector command; andsumming the pitch attitude or flight path vector command with a current aircraft pitch attitude or flight path vector to arrive at the flight director command representing a change in aircraft trajectory to align the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory. 10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: determine a pre-flare flight path for an aircraft to a runway;calculate a flare engage altitude along the pre-flare flight path;calculate a flare command path comprising a linear path intersecting the runway at a desired touchdown location and having a slope associated with a desired altitude rate at the desired touchdown location, the calculation comprising: an intersection of an extrapolated aircraft flight path and the runway, the desired touchdown location, andthe desired altitude rate at touchdown;calculate an aircraft flare trajectory that transitions the aircraft from a location on the pre-flare flight path at the flare engage altitude to the flare command path at the touchdown location;receive current aircraft flight parameters associated with a current aircraft flight path; andprovide a flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory. 11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the calculation of the flare command path further comprises a length associated with the runway. 12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the flare command path comprises a length that extends below the runway such that the flare command path represents a positive altitude prior to the desired touchdown location and a negative altitude beyond the desired touchdown location. 13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, comprising further computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to: determine whether a requested pitch attitude associated with the flight director command is outside of a determined pitch attitude range; andif the pitch attitude is outside of the determined pitch attitude range, adjust the flight director command such that the requested pitch attitude is within the determined pitch attitude range. 14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, comprising further computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to: determine whether a requested flight path angle associated with the flight director command requests a positive climb rate for the aircraft; andif the requested flight path angle does request the positive climb rate, adjust the flight director command such that the requested flight path angle does not request the positive climb rate. 15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein causing the computer to provide the flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory comprises causing the computer to: receive a rate command offset and a position command offset;receive an altitude command and an altitude rate command associated with the flare command path;receive a current aircraft altitude and a current aircraft altitude rate;sum the current aircraft altitude and the altitude command to arrive at an altitude tracking error;sum the current aircraft altitude rate and the altitude rate command to arrive at an altitude rate tracking error;sum the altitude tracking error and the position command offset to arrive at an altitude error;sum the altitude rate tracking error with the rate command offset to arrive at an altitude rate error;combine the altitude error and the altitude rate error to arrive at a pitch attitude or flight path vector command; andsum the pitch attitude or flight path vector command with a current aircraft pitch attitude or flight path vector to arrive at the flight director command representing a change in aircraft trajectory to align the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory. 16. A system for providing guidance during a flare maneuver of an aircraft, the system comprising: a processor;a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; anda program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine a pre-flare flight path for the aircraft to a runway;calculate a flare engage altitude along the pre-flare flight path;calculate a flare command path comprising a linear path intersecting the runway at a desired touchdown location and having a slope associated with a desired altitude rate at the desired touchdown location, the calculation comprising: an intersection of an extrapolated aircraft flight path and the runway,the desired touchdown location, andthe desired altitude rate at touchdown;calculate an aircraft flare trajectory that transitions the aircraft from a location on the pre-flare flight path at the flare engage altitude to the flare command path at the touchdown location;receive current aircraft flight parameters associated with a current aircraft flight path; andprovide a flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the calculation of the flare command path further comprises a length associated with the runway. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to: determine whether a requested pitch attitude associated with the flight director command is outside of a determined pitch attitude range; andif the pitch attitude is outside of the determined pitch attitude range, adjust the flight director command such that the requested pitch attitude is within the determined pitch attitude range. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to: determine whether a requested flight path angle associated with the flight director command requests a positive climb rate for the aircraft; andif the requested flight path angle does request the positive climb rate, adjust the flight director command such that the requested flight path angle does not request the positive climb rate. 20. The system of claim 16, wherein the program module causing the processor to provide the flight director command that aligns the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory comprises causing the processor to: receive a rate command offset and a position command offset;receive an altitude command and an altitude rate command associated with the flare command path;receive a current aircraft altitude and a current aircraft altitude rate;sum the current aircraft altitude and the altitude command to arrive at an altitude tracking error;sum the current aircraft altitude rate and the altitude rate command to arrive at an altitude rate tracking error;sum the altitude tracking error and the position command offset to arrive at an altitude error;sum the altitude rate tracking error with the rate command offset to arrive at an altitude rate error;combine the altitude error and the altitude rate error to arrive at a pitch attitude or flight path vector command; andsum the pitch attitude or flight path vector command with a current aircraft pitch attitude or flight path vector to arrive at the flight director command representing a change in aircraft trajectory to align the current aircraft flight path with the aircraft flare trajectory.