Flight training system

• US 20070077540A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cubic Corporation
• Inventors: Herbert, Robert, Ritchie, Gordon, Testrake, Steven, Shean, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,784,107 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/37
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer

Abstract

This disclosure describes novel systems, methods and software for providing flight training. In an aspect of some embodiments, flight data is collected during a training flight. That flight data then can be used to provide a review and/or simulation of the training flight. The student may be allowed to participate in the simulation by providing input from a set of controls. In some cases, an instructor (or another) might provide modified flight data, which can be used to modify the simulation. Advantageously, this allows for the analysis and simulation of a variety of hypothetical, “what-if” scenarios.

Claims

1. A flight training system, comprising:

an in-flight component comprising;

(a) a first processor; and

(b) a first computer readable medium in communication with the first processor and comprising a first set of instructions executable by the first processor, the first set of instructions comprising;

(i) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during a training flight; and

(ii) instructions to store the set of flight data on the first computer readable medium; and

a ground component comprising;

(a) a set of controls to provide control of a simulated aircraft;

(b) a second processor in communication with the set of controls;

(c) a second computer readable medium in communication with the second processor and comprising and a second set of instructions executable by the second processor, the second set of instructions comprising;

(i) instructions to receive, from the in-flight component, the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(ii) instructions to provide a simulation of the training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(iii)instructions to receive a set of control data from the set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the training flight;

(iv)instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and

(v) instructions to modify the simulation of the training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data.

2. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of flight data comprises a set of free-body time, space and position information (“

TSPI”

).

3. A flight training system as recited in claim 2, wherein the set of TSPI comprises a set of altitude data, and wherein the ground component further comprises instructions to correct the altitude data using a filter routine that is configured to identify a known runway elevation, receive altitude data from a global positioning system (“

GPS”

) receiver, and calculate, from the known runway elevation and the received altitude data, an actual altitude of the aircraft about ground level at a given point in time, based on a set of flight characteristics at the given point in time.

4. A flight training system as recited in claim 3, wherein the set of flight characteristics comprises one or more flight characteristics selected from the group consisting of:

an airspeed, a ground speed, a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a sound pressure level.

5. A flight training system as recited in claim 3, wherein the set of flight characteristics comprises a latitude value, a longitude value, and an altitude value.

6. A flight training system as recited in claim 3, wherein the filter routine is further configured to receive barometric pressure data and incorporate a barometric pressure correction when calculating the actual elevation.

7. A flight training system as recited in claim 3, wherein the filter routine implements a Kalman filter.

8. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of instructions further comprises instructions to provide a pre-flight simulation implementing a set of training objectives for the training flight.

9. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions to provide a pre-flight simulation comprise instructions to receive a set of simulated flight data to simulate a hypothetical in-flight situation.

10. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the in-flight component comprises a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

).

11. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground component comprises a personal computer (“

PC”

).

12. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the in-flight component is configured to establish communication with the ground component after the training flight has concluded, in order to transmit the set of flight data to the ground component.

13. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft.

14. A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a rotary-wing aircraft.

15. A method of providing flight training, the method comprising:

collecting with an in-flight component a set of flight data about an aircraft during a training flight; and

storing the set of flight data on a computer readable medium;

receiving, at a ground component and from the in-flight component, the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

providing a simulation of the training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

receiving a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the training flight;

receiving a set of modified flight data; and

modifying the simulation of the training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data.

16. A method as recited by claim 15, wherein a first computer comprises the in-flight component and a second computer comprises the ground component.

17. A method as recited by claim 15, wherein the in-flight component and the ground component are integrated within a single computer.

18. A computer software program embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer software program comprising:

a first component comprising;

(a) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during a training flight; and

(b) instructions to store the set of flight data on the a computer readable medium; and

a second component comprising;

(a) instructions to receive, from the first component, the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(b) instructions to provide a simulation of the training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(c) instructions to receive a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the training flight;

(d) instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and

(e) instructions to modify the simulation of the training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data.

19. A computer system for providing flight training, the computer system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer readable media comprising a set of instructions executable by the one or more processors, the set of instructions comprising:

a first component comprising;

(a) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during a training flight; and

(b) instructions to store the set of flight data on the a computer readable medium; and

a second component comprising;

(a) instructions to receive, from the first component, the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(b) instructions to provide a simulation of the training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

(c) instructions to receive a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the training flight;

(d) instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and

(e) instructions to modify the simulation of the training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data.

20. A system, comprising:

means for collecting a set of flight data about an aircraft during a training flight; and

storage means for storing the set of flight data;

means for receiving the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

means for providing a simulation of the training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the training flight;

means for receiving a set of control data, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the training flight;

means for receiving a set of modified flight data; and

means for modifying the simulation of the training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data.