Method for checking the appropriateness of a mass value of an aircraft
AssigneeThales
InventorFrançois Coulmeau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for checking the appropriateness of an aircraft ground mass value Ms, communicated to a flight management system of the aircraft by a crew member of the aircraft or by an airline operating the aircraft, the communication taking place before a takeoff of the aircraft from a departure airport to a destination airport. The method includes two checking phases. A first direct appropriateness check, based on a cross-check of independent information related to the mass of the aircraft. A second indirect appropriateness check based on a comparison between values of performance parameters calculated on the basis of the mass value of the aircraft Ms and of the values of the same performance parameters provided by a manufacturer of the aircraft.
Claims21
A method of validating a predetermined aircraft ground mass value Ms of an aircraft prior to takeoff from a departure airport to a destination airport, comprising:
- performing a direct check of value Ms, comprising the steps of:
- determining a first estimation (EMC1) of a mass of fuel carried onboard the aircraft, by means of a fuel probe and computer;
- and
- determining a second estimation (EMC2) of the mass of fuel carried onboard the aircraft by evaluating a mass of fuel required to fly the aircraft from the departure airport to the destination airport;
- and
- performing an indirect check of value Ms, based on a comparison between values of performance parameters calculated on the basis of the mass value of the aircraft and of the values of the same performance parameters provided by a manufacturer of the aircraft;
- and
- triggering an alert based upon results of the direct check and the indirect check.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.