Apparatus for touch screen avionic device

An apparatus for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

• a graphical touch screen operable to display graphics and detect the presence and location of a physical object on or in proximity to the screen;
• and
• a control device configured to output flight planning data and flight navigation data to the screen in response to input received from the screen,
• wherein the control device is configured to command the screen to display a first airway, a second airway, and flight route lines extending between a plurality of waypoints along the first airway in response to the object selecting a first point on the screen corresponding with a first waypoint located on a first airway, selecting a second point on the screen corresponding with any location along the first airway, and selecting a third point on the screen corresponding with any location along the second airway, wherein the plurality of flight route lines extend along the first airway from the first waypoint to a waypoint at an intersection of the first airway and the second airway.

A method for creating a flight plan utilizing a touch screen avionic device, the method comprising:

• displaying a plurality of airways on the avionic device;
• selecting a first one of the airways in response to detection of a touch associated with at least one point of the first airway;
• selecting a second one of the airways in response to detection of a touch associated with at least one point of the second airway;
• determining an intersection of the first airway and the second airway;
• adding the intersection to a flight plan associated with the first airway and the second airway;
• and
• displaying, on the avionic device, at least a portion of the flight plan,
• wherein each of the airways includes a plurality of points, the first airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the first airway, and the second airway is selected in response to detecting touching of any point associated with the second airway.