Air traffic control
AssigneeNats (Services) Limited
InventorsAndy SHAND, John DYSON, Colin SMITH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air traffic control system, for use by a controller controlling multiple aircraft on landing or takeoff on a runway, comprising a processor, an input device and a display device, in which the separation between a first aircraft and a second aircraft immediately following it on the runway is determined taking into account the type of the first aircraft and its consequent impact on the landing beams used in poor visibility.
Claims20
An air traffic control system for determining separation between a plurality of aircraft (200a, 200b) taking off or landing sequentially on a runway, comprising:
- a landing beam generator (410) directing at least one landing beam along a runway to guide a landing aircraft 200a, and
- a processor (108) arranged to calculate a separation between the aircraft,
- characterised in that:
- the processor is arranged to receive an indication of the aircraft type of a first aircraft (200a), and
- the processor is arranged to calculate a separation between the first aircraft (200a) and a second aircraft (200b) which will immediately follow it on the runway, based on criteria which include said aircraft type of said first aircraft.
A system according to claim further comprising a receiver for receiving data allowing the determination of said aircraft or landing guidance type.
A computer program, preferably stored in non-transitory form, for causing the processor of a system according to any preceding claim to function as claimed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.