Landing gear warning apparatus and method for pilots approaching a runway with retracted landing gear

• US 5,745,053 A
• Filed: 12/08/1995
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoyt A Fleming
• Original Assignee: Hoyt A Fleming
• Inventors: Fleming, Hoyt A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/570,917
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 340/970, 340/960, 340/963, 340/968, 340/961, 364/424.012, 364/428, 364/424.06, 364/461, 364/424.03, 73/178 T, 244/102 R
• US Class Current: 340/970
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/28 with indicating or warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

A landing gear warning system for an aircraft with at least one retractable landing gear member comprising: (a) a landing gear indicator adapted for generating a signal representative of the position of the landing gear member; (b) an aircraft positioning system adapted for generating a signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation; (c) a pilot warning device; and (d) a computer system operatively coupled to the landing gear indicator, the aircraft positioning system, and the pilot warning device, wherein the computer system includes a database that contains the longitude and latitude, and elevation of a plurality of runways, and wherein the computer system is adapted for receiving the signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation, adapted for receiving the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member, and adapted for generating a pilot warning signal that activates the pilot warning device if the aircraft'"'"'s elevation is less than a predetermined value above the elevation of the closest runway in the database to the aircraft and the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member indicates that the retractable landing gear member is retracted.

Claims

1. A landing gear warning system for an aircraft with at least one retractable landing gear member comprising:

(a) a landing gear indicator adapted for generating a signal representative of the position of the landing gear member;

(b) an aircraft positioning system adapted for generating at least one signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation;

(c) a pilot warning device; and

(d) a computer system operatively coupled to the landing gear indicator, the aircraft positioning system, and the pilot warning device, wherein the computer system includes a database that contains the longitude and latitude, and elevation of a plurality of runways, and wherein the computer system is adapted for receiving the at least one signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation, adapted for receiving the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member, and adapted for generating a pilot warning signal that activates the pilot warning device if the aircraft'"'"'s elevation is less than a predetermined value above the elevation of the closest runway in the database to the aircraft and the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member indicates that the retractable landing gear member is retracted.

2. The landing gear warning system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes satellites to measure the aircraft'"'"'s position.

3. The landing gear warning system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes the Global Positioning System.

4. The landing gear warning system of claim 1, wherein the computer system generates the pilot warning signal only if the distance between the aircraft and the closest runway is less than a second predetermined value.

5. A landing gear warning system for an aircraft with at least one retractable landing gear member comprising:

(a) a landing gear indicator adapted for generating a signal representative of the position of the landing gear member;

(b) an aircraft positioning system adapted for generating at least one signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation;

(c) a pilot warning device; and

(d) a computer system operatively coupled to the landing gear indicator, the aircraft positioning system, and the pilot warning device, wherein the computer system includes a database that contains the longitude, latitude, and elevation of a plurality of runways, and wherein the computer system is adapted for receiving the at least one signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation, adapted for receiving the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member, and adapted for generating a pilot warning signal that activates the pilot warning device if the aircraft will descend to the elevation of the closest runway in the database in less than a predetermined time and the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member indicates that the retractable landing gear member is retracted.

6. The landing gear warning system of claim 5, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes satellites to measure the aircraft'"'"'s position.

7. The landing gear warning system of claim 5, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes the Global Positioning System.

8. A landing gear warning system for an aircraft with at least one retractable landing gear member comprising:

(a) a landing gear indicator adapted for generating a signal representative of the position of the landing gear member;

(b) an aircraft positioning system adapted for determining the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation, the aircraft positioning system having a computer system and a pilot warning device, the aircraft positioning system operatively coupled to the landing gear indicator, wherein the computer system includes a database that contains the longitude, latitude, and elevation of a plurality of runways, and wherein the aircraft positioning system is adapted for receiving the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member and is adapted for generating a pilot warning signal that activates the pilot warning device if the aircraft'"'"'s elevation is less than a predetermined value above the elevation of the closest runway in the database to the aircraft and the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member indicates that the retractable landing gear member is retracted.

9. The landing gear warning system of claim 8, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes satellites to measure the aircraft'"'"'s position.

10. The landing gear warning system of claim 8, wherein the aircraft positioning device utilizes the Global Positioning System.

11. The landing gear warning system of claim 8, wherein the aircraft positioning system displays the warning only if the distance between the aircraft and the closest runway is less than a second predetermined value.

12. A method of warning a pilot of an aircraft with at least one retractable landing gear member that an unsafe condition exists comprising the acts of:

(a) receiving a signal representative of the position of the landing gear member;

(b) receiving at least one signal representative of the aircraft'"'"'s latitude, longitude, and elevation;

(c) determining the closest runway to the aircraft;

(d) generating a pilot warning signal if the aircraft'"'"'s elevation is less than a predetermined value above the elevation of the closest runway in the database to the aircraft and the signal representative of the position of the landing gear member indicates that the retractable landing gear member is retracted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pilot warning signal is generated only if the distance between the aircraft and the closest runway is less than a second predetermined value.