System and method for modifying validated routes for an aircraft

A method comprising, at a route generation system onboard an aircraft and configured to generate validated routes for autonomous flight:

• while an aircraft is autonomously traversing a primary trajectory from an origin location to a destination location, the primary trajectory defined by a primary route:
• receiving an input from an inceptor, the input including a direction and a magnitude;
• automatically mapping the direction and magnitude of the input to a predetermined flight maneuver;
• computing, based on the input, a modified route, the modified route configured to cause the aircraft to:
• initiate the predetermined flight maneuver at a predetermined first location along the primary route
• resume a portion of the primary route by rejoining the primary route at a second location along the primary route, the modified route defining a modified trajectory for the aircraft;
• and
• validating the modified route, including determining whether the modified route intersects known obstacles;
• in response to the validation of the modified route failing, disregarding the input from the inceptor and maintaining the primary route;
• and
• in response to the validation of the modified route succeeding, causing the aircraft to autonomously traverse the modified trajectory using a flight controller, wherein the flight controller is configured to manipulate a propulsion system of the aircraft and a flight control surface of the aircraft in order to autonomously traverse the modified trajectory.

An aircraft comprising:

• a propulsion system;
• a set of flight control surfaces;
• a flight controller operatively coupled to the propulsion system and the set of flight control surfaces;
• an inceptor;
• and
• an aircraft computing system configured to:
• receive, from a ground station, a primary route, the primary route defining a primary trajectory, for the aircraft, from an origin location to a destination location;
• cause the aircraft to autonomously traverse the primary trajectory using the flight controller, the flight controller configured to automatically control the set of flight control surfaces of the aircraft and the propulsion system of the aircraft to traverse the primary trajectory;
• while the aircraft is autonomously traversing the primary trajectory, receive an input from the inceptor, the input including a direction and a magnitude;
• automatically map the direction and magnitude of the input to a predetermined flight maneuver;
• compute, based on the input, a modified route, the modified route configured to cause the aircraft to:
• initiate the predetermined flight maneuver at a first location along the primary route;
• resume a portion of the primary route by rejoining the primary route at a predetermined second location along the primary route, the modified route defining a modified trajectory for the aircraft;
• and
• validate the modified route, including determining whether the modified route intersects known obstacles;
• in response to the validation of the modified route failing, disregard the input from the inceptor and maintain the primary route;
• and
• in response to the validation of the modified route succeeding, cause the aircraft to autonomously traverse the modified trajectory using the flight controller.