Method and system for generating an alert for an aircraft potentially exceeding speed limits in restricted airspace

A system for generating an alert for an in-flight aircraft potentially exceeding speed limits in airspace with speed limitations, comprising:

• an electronic data storage medium that stores the flight plan for an in-flight aircraft;
• an electronic navigational database that stores data regarding airspace with speed limitations;
• a microprocessor located on board the in-flight aircraft, the microprocessor configured to,
• retrieve the flight plan for the in-flight aircraft from the electronic data storage medium,
• identify airspace with speed limitations along the flight plan by comparing the flight plan with data retrieved from the electronic navigational database,
• generate a predictive speed profile based on the in-flight aircraft's performance parameters,
• identify any predicted speed violations of the in-flight aircraft by comparing the predictive speed profile with the identified airspace with speed limitations along the flight plan,
• calculate a predictive time window that allows for the in-flight aircraft to decelerate sufficiently to comply with the speed limits of the airspace with speed limitations, where the predictive time window includes, a sufficient time period for the in-flight aircraft to reduce its airspeed based on a predetermined deceleration rate, and a reaction buffer time period to allow the aircrew of the in-flight aircraft sufficient time to comply with instructions to decelerate the in-flight aircraft, and
• generate an alert upon the in-flight aircraft entering the predictive time window;
• and
• a graphical display device that receives the alert from the microprocessor and displays the alert to the crew of the in-flight aircraft.

A method for generating an alert for an aircraft potentially exceeding speed limits in airspace with speed limitations, comprising:

• generating a predictive speed profile based on the in-flight aircraft's current position, speed and trajectory;
• identifying airspace with speed limitations with data retrieved from a navigational database;
• identifying any predicted speed violations by comparing the predictive speed profile with the identified airspace with speed limitations;
• calculating a predictive time window that allows for the in-flight aircraft to decelerate sufficiently to comply with the speed limits of the airspace with speed limitations, where the predictive time window includes,
• a sufficient time period for the in-flight aircraft to reduce its airspeed based on a predetermined deceleration rate, and
• a reaction buffer time period to allow the aircrew of the in-flight aircraft sufficient time to comply with instructions to decelerate the in-flight aircraft;
• and
• generating an alert for the crew of the in-flight aircraft upon entering the predictive time window, where the alert is displayed on a graphical display device on board the aircraft.