# US 8,784,107 B2 · Flight training system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,784,107 B2 - Document ID: US8784107B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/376,628 - Filed: 2006-03-14 - Published: 2007-04-05 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-14 - Assignees: Cubic Corporation - Applicants: Steven G. Testrake; Keith Shean; Robert Jeffrey Herbert; Gordon Ritchie - Inventors: Steven G. Testrake; Keith Shean; Robert Jeffrey Herbert; Gordon Ritchie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784107B2 ## CPC - G09B 9/08: for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract This disclosure describes novel systems, methods and software for providing flight training. In an aspect of some embodiments, flight data is collected during a training flight. That flight data then can be used to provide a review and/or simulation of the training flight. The student may be allowed to participate in the simulation by providing input from a set of controls. In some cases, an instructor (or another) might provide modified flight data, which can be used to modify the simulation. Advantageously, this allows for the analysis and simulation of a variety of hypothetical, “what-if” scenarios. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flight training system, comprising: an in-flight component comprising: (a) a first processor; and (b) a first computer readable medium in communication with the first processor and comprising a first set of instructions executable by the first processor, the first set of instructions comprising: (i) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during an in-flight training flight, wherein an in-flight training flight is a training flight that occurs in the air; and (ii) instructions to store the set of flight data on the first computer readable medium; and a ground component comprising: (a) a set of controls to provide control of a simulated aircraft; (b) a second processor in communication with the set of controls; (c) a second computer readable medium in communication with the second processor and comprising and a second set of instructions executable by the second processor, the second set of instructions comprising: (i) instructions to receive, from the in-flight component, the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (ii) instructions to provide a simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (iii) instructions to receive a set of control data from the set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the in-flight training flight; (iv) instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and (v) instructions to modify the simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data; wherein: the set of flight data comprises a set of free-body time, space and position information (“TSPI”), the set of TSPI comprises a set of altitude data, and the ground component further comprises instructions to correct the altitude data using a filter routine that is configured to identify a known runway elevation, receive altitude data from a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, and calculate, from the known runway elevation and the received altitude data, an actual altitude of the aircraft about ground level at a given point in time, based on a set of flight characteristics at the given point in time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of flight characteristics comprises one or more flight characteristics selected from the group consisting of: an airspeed, a ground speed, a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a sound pressure level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of flight characteristics comprises a latitude value, a longitude value, and an altitude value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter routine is further configured to receive barometric pressure data and incorporate a barometric pressure correction when calculating the actual elevation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter routine implements a Kalman filter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second set of instructions further comprises instructions to provide a pre-flight simulation implementing a set of training objectives. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions to provide a pre-flight simulation comprise instructions to receive a set of simulated flight data to simulate a hypothetical in-flight situation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the in-flight component comprises a personal digital assistant (“FDA”). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the ground component comprises a personal computer (“PC”). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the in-flight component is configured to establish communication with the ground component after the in-flight training flight has concluded, in order to transmit the set of flight data to the ground component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A flight training system as recited in claim 1, wherein the aircraft is a rotary-wing aircraft. ### Claim 13 A method of providing flight training, the method comprising collecting with an in-flight component a set of flight data about an aircraft during an in-flight training flight, wherein an in-flight training flight is a training flight that occurs in the air; and storing the set of flight data on a computer readable medium; receiving, at a ground component and from the in-flight component, the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; providing a simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; receiving a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the in-flight training flight; receiving a set of modified flight data; and modifying the simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data; wherein: the set of flight data comprises a set of free-body time, space and position information (“TSPI”), the set of TSPI comprises a set of altitude data, and the ground component further performs functions including correcting the altitude data using a filter routine that is configured to identify a known runway elevation, receiving altitude data from a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, and calculating, from the known runway elevation and the received altitude data, an actual altitude of the aircraft about ground level at a given point in time, based on a set of flight characteristics at the given point in time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as recited by claim 13, wherein a first computer comprises the in-flight component and a second computer comprises the ground component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A method as recited by claim 13, wherein the in-flight component and the ground component are integrated within a single computer. ### Claim 16 A computer software program embodied on one or more computer readable media, the computer software program comprising: a first component comprising: (a) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during an in-flight training flight, wherein an in-flight training flight is a training flight that occurs in the air; and (b) instructions to store the set of flight data on the a computer readable medium; and a second component comprising: (a) instructions to receive, from the first component, the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (b) instructions to provide a simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (c) instructions to receive a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the in-flight training flight; (d) instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and (e) instructions to modify the simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data; wherein: the set of flight data comprises a set of free-body time, space and position information (“TSPI”), the set of TSPI comprises a set of altitude data, and the second component further comprises instructions to correct the altitude data using a filter routine that is configured to identify a known runway elevation, receive altitude data from a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, and calculate, from the known runway elevation and the received altitude data, an actual altitude of the aircraft about ground level at a given point in time, based on a set of flight characteristics at the given point in time. ### Claim 17 A computer system for providing flight training, the computer system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer readable media comprising a set of instructions executable by the one or more processors, the set of instructions comprising: a first component comprising: (a) instructions to collect a set of flight data about an aircraft during an in-flight training flight; and (b) instructions to store the set of flight data on the a computer readable medium; and a second component comprising: (a) instructions to receive, from the first component, the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (b) instructions to provide a simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the set of flight data collected during the in-flight training flight; (c) instructions to receive a set of control data from a set of controls, to allow a student to participate in the simulation of the in-flight training flight; (d) instructions to receive a set of modified flight data; and (e) instructions to modify the simulation of the in-flight training flight, based on the received set of modified flight data, wherein: the in-flight training flight is a training flight that occurs in the air; the set of flight data comprises a set of free-body time, space and position information (“TSPI”), the set of TSPI comprises a set of altitude data, and the second component further comprises instructions to correct the altitude data using a filter routine that is configured to identify a known runway elevation, receive altitude data from a global positioning system (“GPS”) receiver, and calculate, from the known runway elevation and the received altitude data, an actual altitude of the aircraft about ground level at a given point in time, based on a set of flight characteristics at the given point in time.