Wireless spread spectrum ground link-based aircraft data communication system with approach data messaging download

A system for exchanging information to and from an aircraft comprising:

• a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft and generates data messages to be downloaded, said ground data link unit comprising:
• a) an archival data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft and any data messages to be downloaded from the aircraft as the aircraft approaches a destination airport, and
• b) a spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said archival data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative to download the data messages over a spread spectrum communication signal as the aircraft approaches in proximity to a destination airport, and operative after the aircraft completes its flight and lands at an airport to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said archival data store during flight over the spread spectrum communication signal, and a receiver for receiving uploaded data messages over a second spread spectrum communication signal as the aircraft approaches the destination airport;
• an airport based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the data messages and flight performance data, and a transmitter that transmits data for uploading to the aircraft as the aircraft approaches the destination airport;
• and
• a ground based processor coupled to said airport based spread spectrum transceiver for receiving at least the data messages for subsequent processing.

A method of providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;
• accumulating and storing within an archival data store of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;
• generating data messages to be downloaded upon initial approach of the aircraft in proximity to an airport;
• downloading the data messages over a spread spectrum communication signal as the aircraft approaches in proximity to a destination airport to an airport based spread spectrum transceiver;
• after the aircraft lands at an airport at completion of the flight, downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the archival data store during the flight over a spread spectrum communication signal to the airport based spread spectrum receiver;
• demodulating the received spread spectrum signals to obtain the data messages and flight performance data;
• and
• forwarding the data messages to a ground based processor for further processing.

A method of exchanging data to and from an aircraft comprising the steps of:

• acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;
• accumulating and storing within an archival data store of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;
• generating data messages to be downloaded upon initial approach of the aircraft in proximity to a destination airport;
• downloading the data messages over a spread spectrum communication signal as the aircraft approaches in proximity to a destination airport to an airport based spread spectrum transceiver;
• uploading data messages over a second spread spectrum communication signal as the aircraft approaches the destination airport from the destination airport based spread spectrum transceiver;
• after the aircraft lands at the destination airport at completion of the flight, downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the archival data store during the flight over a spread spectrum communication signal to the airport based spread spectrum transceiver;
• demodulating the received spread spectrum signals to obtain the data messages and flight performance data;
• forwarding the data messages to a ground based processor for further processing.