Flight planning and communication

A flight planning method for navigating an aircraft via a touch screen device, comprising:

• displaying on the touch screen device a real-time panoramic view external of the aircraft;
• overlaying a mapping interface over the real-time panoramic view on the touch screen device, wherein the touch screen device spans a cockpit of the aircraft and the mapping interface may be moved on the touch screen device such that both a pilot and a copilot are able to make touch selections on the mapping interface for flight planning while maintaining a heads-up view via the real-time panoramic view;
• receiving an indication of an origin and a destination from touch selections within one or more maps displayed via the mapping interface of the touch screen device;
• displaying a flight path on the one or more maps based on the indication of the origin and the destination;
• receiving an indication for a set of flight rules;
• updating the flight path based on the set of flight rules;
• receiving an indication for a desired altitude and a desired airspeed;
• calculating a remaining duration and a remaining distance to arrive at the destination based on the flight path, the desired altitude, and the desired airspeed;
• automatically displaying the remaining duration and the remaining distance via the mapping interface;
• displaying a virtual flight plan on the one or more maps, the virtual flight plan comprising:
• displaying a position of the aircraft on the one or more maps;
• moving the position of the aircraft along the flight path;
• simultaneously updating the remaining duration and the remaining distance in coordination with the position of the aircraft;
• and
• displaying a dynamic weather representation of forecasted weather that overlays the one or more maps and updating the dynamic weather representation as part of the virtual flight plan, such that the position of the aircraft moving along the flight path is illustrated dynamically encountering the forecasted weather representation.

A method for providing a flight plan on a touch screen device spanning a width of a cockpit instrument panel of an aircraft, comprising:

• displaying, on the touch screen device, a real-time panoramic view from a forward-facing camera mounted to the aircraft;
• displaying a menu overlaying the real-time panoramic view, the menu including an indicator for a mapping interface, wherein the menu may be moved on the touch screen device such that both a pilot and a copilot are able to make touch selections while maintaining a heads-up view via the real-time panoramic view;
• receiving a selection of the mapping interface and automatically displaying the mapping interface overlaying the real-time panoramic view;
• receiving an indication for a type of map for displaying via the mapping interface;
• receiving an indication for a set of flight rules via the mapping interface;
• receiving an indication for an origin and a destination via the mapping interface;
• displaying a flight path from the origin to the destination on a map of the type indicated based on the set of flight rules;
• receiving an indication for a desired altitude and a desired airspeed;
• calculating a remaining duration and a remaining distance to arrive at the destination based on the flight path, the desired altitude, and the desired airspeed;
• automatically displaying the remaining duration and the remaining distance via the mapping interface;
• displaying a virtual flight plan on the one or more maps, the virtual flight plan comprising:
• displaying a position of the aircraft on the one or more maps:
• moving the position of the aircraft along the flight path;
• simultaneously updating the remaining duration and the remaining distance in coordination with the position of the aircraft;
• and
• displaying a dynamic weather representation of forecasted weather that overlays the one or more maps and updating the dynamic weather representation as part of the virtual flight plan, such that the position of the aircraft moving along the flight path is illustrated dynamically encountering the forecasted weather representation.