Safe sonic altitude generation

A flight control system, comprising:

• a source of weather data;
• a flight management system (FMS) comprising a flight plan for an ownship;
• a source of neighbor traffic data;
• and
• a control module coupled to the source of weather data, the FMS, and the source of neighbor traffic data, the control module configured to:
• generate a complete neighbor traffic flight trajectory;
• generate a sonic altitude for the ownship based on the flight plan, the neighbor traffic flight trajectory, aircraft specific parameters, and weather data;
• transmit the sonic altitude to ATC;
• receive, from ATC, an assignment to the sonic altitude;
• and
• notify a pilot of the ownship of the assignment to the sonic altitude.

A flight control method for a supersonic ownship, the method comprising:

• at a control module comprising aircraft specific parameters:
• receiving an ownship flight plan;
• receiving a planned neighbor traffic flight plan from air traffic control (ATC);
• generating a complete flight path trajectory of the ownship;
• generating a complete flight path trajectory of a neighbor traffic;
• collecting weather data;
• processing the ownship flight path trajectory, the neighbor traffic flight path trajectory, aircraft-specific parameters, and weather data, to generate therefrom a sonic altitude;
• transmitting a request for an assignment to the updated sonic altitude to ATC;
• receiving an assignment to the updated sonic altitude from ATC;
• and
• notifying a pilot of the assignment to the updated sonic altitude.