Apparatus and method for directing an entry into an aircraft holding pattern

• US 20060020374A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul Kenner
• Original Assignee: Paul Kenner
• Inventors: Kenner, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/829,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration

Abstract

An aircraft aid and method for directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern are disclosed. The aircraft aid may be affixed over and in registry with a navigational instrument, displayed on and in registry with a navigational instrument, or placed over and in registry with a holding pattern entry diagram. The aircraft aid includes indicia for use in providing a visual for directing an optimal or proper entry into an aircraft holding pattern so that a pilot can have a pictorial view of the proper entry into a holding pattern. It is noted that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to ascertain quickly the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern comprising:

a transparent disc having a center and a first side, the transparent disc to be removably affixed to, concentric with, and in registry with a navigational instrument wherein the navigational instrument displays a heading of an aircraft and a plurality of radials from a holding pattern fix of the aircraft and wherein the transparent disc is superimposed over the navigational instrument for use in directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for removably affixing the transparent disc to the navigational instrument.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent disc includes:

at least two sections radially divided about the center; and

an index aligned with the heading displayed on the navigational instrument wherein the at least two sections include at least one section that identifies an optimal entry for the aircraft having the heading and entering the holding pattern to hold on one of the plurality of radials displayed on the navigational instrument within the at least one section whereby an aircraft pilot has a pictorial view of a proper entry into a holding pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transparent disc further includes a reverse side to be removably affixed to, concentric with, and in registry with the navigational instrument and wherein the transparent disc is reversible such that:

optimal entries into standard right hand holding patterns are identified via the first side of the transparent disc; and

optimal entries into non-standard left hand holding patterns are identified via the reverse side of the transparent disc.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transparent disc further includes a first label and a second label wherein the first label affixed to the first side indicates that optimal entries into standard right hand holding patterns are identified via the first side;

and wherein the second label affixed to the reverse side indicates that optimal entries into non-standard left hand holding patterns are identified via the reverse side.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the transparent disc distinguishes each of the at least two sections by at least one of a color, a letter, and a name of the optimal entry identified within each of the at least two sections.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of radials displayed within each of the at least two sections change as the heading of the aircraft changes and the navigational instrument accordingly changes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein optimal entries identified by the at least two sections comprise at least two of the following:

a parallel entry represented by one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 110 degrees from the index about the center of the of the transparent disc;

a direct entry represented by one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 180 degrees about the center of the transparent disc; and

a teardrop entry represented by one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 70 degrees from the index about the center of the transparent disc.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for removably affixing the transparent disc to the navigational instrument comprises a transparent electrostatic film removably adhering to the transparent disc and the navigational instrument.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent disc is made from at least one of plastic and electrostatic film.

11. A method for directing an entry into an aircraft holding pattern comprising:

providing a disc, wherein the disc is placed in registry with a navigational instrument that displays a heading of an aircraft and radials off of a holding pattern fix of the aircraft and wherein the disc includes indicia directing an entry into an aircraft holding pattern; and

directing an entry into at least one of a standard holding pattern entry and a non-standard holding pattern entry based on a position of a one of the radials, displayed on the navigational instrument and on which the aircraft will hold, in relation to the indicia of the disc whereby an aircraft pilot may have a pictorial view of an optimal entry into a holding pattern.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one of the radials on which the aircraft will hold is identified based on a navigational instruction received for the aircraft to enter the holding pattern and hold on the one of the radials.

13. The method of claim 11, in an on-the-ground training exercise, further comprising:

providing a holding pattern entry diagram including a circle having an indicator in the center of the circle representing a simulated holding pattern fix for an imaginary aircraft wherein the circle is divided into quadrants with a north direction represented at a zero degree mark of the circle and wherein the diagram further includes;

a first mark indicating a first angle representing a simulated radial on which the imaginary aircraft is to hold;

a second mark indicating a second angle representing a simulated heading at which the imaginary aircraft approaches the simulated holding pattern fix wherein the disc is placed over the circle such that one of a first side and a reverse side of the disc is presented and wherein the index is aligned with the second mark; and

directing an entry into at least one of a standard holding pattern and a non-standard holding pattern for the imaginary aircraft based on a position of the first mark in relation to the indicia whereby a pilot can easily make a transition from determining holding pattern entries during on the ground training to actual flight holding pattern entry determination.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the disc is transparent and wherein the indicia is superimposed over one of the navigational instrument and the holding pattern entry diagram and wherein the indicia is effective to:

radially divide the disc into at least two sections;

identify an index of the disc aligned with at least one of the heading of the aircraft displayed on the navigational instrument and the simulated heading selected; and

distinguish the at least two sections as representing at least one section within which an entry into aircraft holding patterns is identified for aircraft holding on at least one of;

the one of the radials displayed on the navigational instrument and over which the at least one section is superimposed; and

the simiulated radial selected on which the imaginary aircraft is to hold and over which the at least one section is superimposed; and

wherein the transparent disc is one of removably affixed to the navigational instrument and placed over the circle such that the transparent disc is concentric with one of the navigational instrument and the circle; and

wherein directing the entry into at least one of the standard holding pattern and the non-standard holding pattern for the imaginary aircraft based on the position of the first mark in relation to the indicia comprises presenting which at least one section is superimposed over the first mark; and

wherein directing the entry into at least one of the standard holding pattern and the non-standard holding pattern based on the position of the one of the radials, displayed on the navigational instrument and on which the aircraft will hold, in relation to the indicia of the disc comprises presenting which at least one section is superimposed over the one of the radials.

15. An aircraft aid for directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern comprising:

a device including a first side and a center, the device at least one of removably affixed in registry with a navigational instrument and placed over in registry with a holding pattern entry diagram, the device including indicia providing a visual for directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern whereby a pilot can have a pictorial view of the proper entry into a holding pattern.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising means for removably affixing the device to the navigational instrument.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the means for removably affixing the device to the navigational instrument comprises an electrostatic film that removably adheres to the device and to the navigational instrument.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the first side is effective to present the indicia directing an optimal entry into a standard holding pattern entry further comprising an opposite side, the opposite side being effective to present the indicia directing an optimal entry into a nonstandard holding pattern.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the indicia is effective to:

divide the device into at least two sections about the center;

identify an index of the device to be aligned with at least one of the heading of an aircraft displayed on the navigational instrument and a simulated heading of an imaginary aircraft shown on the holding pattern entry diagram; and

distinguish the at least two sections as representing at least one section within which an optimal entry into aircraft holding patterns is identified for the aircraft holding patterns holding on at least one of;

a radial displayed on the navigational instrument and within a range of the at least one section; and

a simulated radial shown on the holding pattern entry diagram and within a range of the at least one section; and

wherein the index of the device is aligned with one of the heading of an aircraft displayed on the navigational instrument and the simulated heading shown on the holding pattern entry diagram.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the indicia distinguishes each of the at least two sections by at least one of a color, a letter, and a name of the optimal entry identified within each of the at least two sections.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the optimal entry comprises at least one of the following:

a parallel entry represented by a one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 110 degrees from the index about the center of the of the device;

a direct entry represented by a one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 180 degrees about the center of the device; and

a teardrop entry represented by a one of the at least two sections and spanning at least 70 degrees from the index about the center of the device.

22. A navigational aid for directing an optimal entry into an aircraft holding pattern comprising:

indicia displayed via a navigational instrument display wherein the navigational instrument display having a center identifies a heading of an aircraft and a plurality of radials including a radial on which the aircraft will hold while in the aircraft holding pattern and wherein the indicia comprises;

an index aligned with the heading of the aircraft identified on the navigational instrument display;

at least one section identifying the optimal entry for the aircraft having the heading and entering the holding pattern to hold on the radial identified by the navigational instrument display wherein the optimal entry identified is based on a position of the radial on which the aircraft will hold relative to the at least one section and whereby a pilot has a pictorial view of a proper entry into an aircraft holding pattern.

23. The navigational aid of claim 22, wherein the indicia distinguishes the at least one section by at least one of a color, a letter, and a name of the optimal entry identified within the at least one section.

24. The navigational aid of claim 22, wherein the navigational instrument display comprises one of a LCD and a VGA and wherein the position of the radial relative to the at least one section changes as the heading of the aircraft changes and the navigational instrument display accordingly updates the heading.

25. The navigational aid of claim 22, wherein the optimal entry identified by the at least one section comprises at least one of the following:

a parallel entry spanning at least 110 degrees from the index about the center of the of the navigational instrument display;

a direct entry spanning at least 180 degrees about the center of the navigational instrument display; and

a teardrop entry spanning at least 70 degrees from the index about the center of the navigational instrument display.

26. A method for directing an entry into an aircraft holding pattern comprising:

displaying indicia via a navigational instrument display to direct the entry into the aircraft holding pattern wherein the navigational instrument display identifies a heading of an aircraft and radials on which the aircraft can hold; and

directing the entry into the aircraft holding pattern based on a position of a one of the radials, identified on the navigational instrument display and on which the aircraft will hold, in relation to the indicia displayed.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein displaying the indicia comprises:

radially dividing the navigational instrument display into at least one section within which the entry into the aircraft holding pattern is identified;

identifying an index aligned with the heading identified on the navigational instrument display; and

distinguishing the at least one section by at least one of a letter, a color, and a name identifying the entry on the navigational instrument display; and

wherein directing the entry into the aircraft holding pattern based on the position of the one of the radials in relation to the indicia comprises;

rendering the one of the radials within the at least one section whereby a pilot has a pictorial view of a proper entry into an aircraft holding pattern.