System and method for transmitting reports from autoland activated aircraft

A method of transmitting an aircraft report (AIREP) from a first aircraft having an enabled aircraft autoland system, the method comprising the steps of:

• retrieving, via a first processing system, standard AIREP data from one or more avionic systems within the first aircraft, the standard AIREP data including standard AIREP reporting information;
• retrieving, via the first processing system, autoland enablement data that indicates whether the autoland system was manually or automatically enabled;
• retrieving, via the first processing system, autoland information data from the one or more avionics systems, the autoland information data including current aircraft state data and current flight plan data, the autoland information data being different from the standard AIREP data;
• appending, via the first processing system, the autoland information data to the standard AIREP data to generate an AIREP-autoland message;
• and
• transmitting, via a transmitter onboard the first aircraft, the AIREP-autoland message.

A system for communicating an aircraft report (AIREP) from a first aircraft having an enabled aircraft autoland system to a second aircraft, comprising:

• a transmitter disposed within the first aircraft and coupled to receive a transmit command, the transmitter configured, in response to receiving the transmit command, to selectively transmit one or more messages;
• a first processing system disposed within the first aircraft, the first processing system in operable communication with the transmitter and configured to:
• retrieve standard AIREP data from one or more avionic systems disposed within the first aircraft, the standard AIREP data including standard AIREP reporting information,
• retrieve autoland enablement data that indicates whether the autoland system was manually or automatically enabled,
• retrieve autoland information data from the one or more avionics systems, the autoland information data including current aircraft state data and current flight plan data, the autoland information data being different from the standard AIREP data,
• append the autoland information data to the standard AIREP data to generate an AIREP-autoland message,
• supply the AIREP-autoland message to the transmitter, and
• command the transmitter to transmit the AIREP-autoland message;
• a receiver disposed within the second aircraft and configured to receive the AIREP-autoland message transmitted by the first aircraft;
• a second processing system disposed within the second aircraft and in operable communication with the receiver, the second processing system coupled to receive the AIREP-autoland message from the receiver and configured to:
• process the AIREP-autoland message to determine if the first aircraft represents a potential conflict with the second aircraft, and
• when the first aircraft represents the potential conflict, command a display device to render a warning icon indicating that the potential conflict exists.