Flight deck display systems and methods for generating in-trail procedure windows including aircraft flight path symbology

A method carried-out by a flight deck display system onboard a host aircraft, the flight deck display system including a cockpit display, a wireless communication module, and a processor operatively coupled to the cockpit display and to the wireless communication module, the method comprising:

• generating a vertical In-Trail Procedure (ITP) window on the cockpit display, the vertical ITP window including graphics representative of the position of the host aircraft, the position of an intruder aircraft, and a plurality of flight levels;
• receiving via the wireless communication module Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) data from the intruder aircraft describing the current flight vector thereof;
• providing the ADS-B data indicative of the current flight path of the intruder aircraft to the controller;
• and
• updating the vertical ITP window, as generated on the cockpit display by the controller, to include flight path symbology comprising a line segment extending from the graphic representative of the current position of the intruder aircraft and forming an angle with a horizontal line indicating the current flight path of the intruder aircraft.

A flight deck display system for deployment onboard a host aircraft, the flight deck display system comprising:

• a cockpit display;
• a pilot interface;
• a wireless communication module;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the cockpit display, to the wireless communication module, and to the pilot interface, the controller configured to:
• generate a vertical In-Trail Procedure (ITP) window on the cockpit display, the vertical ITP window including graphics representative of the current position of the host aircraft, the current position of an intruder aircraft when present within a predetermined distance of the host aircraft, and a plurality of flight levels;
• receive pilot input via the pilot interface selecting a new flight level cleared for the host aircraft to occupy;
• receive via the wireless communication module data from which the current flight path of the intruder aircraft can be derived;
• periodically update the vertical ITP window to include flight path symbology indicative of the current flight path of the intruder aircraft;
• estimate the flight level intercept point at which the host aircraft will enter the new flight level based, at least in part, on the current position of the host aircraft and the flight path thereof;
• generate on the vertical ITP window a symbol identifying the flight level intercept point;
• and
• generate a warning on the vertical ITP window if the distance between the flight level intercept point and an intruder aircraft is less than a predetermined threshold value.

A flight deck display system for deployment onboard a host aircraft, the flight deck display system comprising:

• a cockpit display;
• a wireless communication module;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the cockpit display and to the wireless communication module, the controller configured to:
• generate a vertical In-Trail Procedure (ITP) window on the cockpit display, the vertical ITP window including graphics representative of the current position of the host aircraft, the current position of an intruder aircraft when present within a predetermined distance of the host aircraft, and a plurality of flight levels;
• receive via the wireless communication module data from which the current flight path of the intruder aircraft can be derived;
• periodically update the vertical ITP window to include flight path symbology indicative of the current flight path of the intruder aircraft and comprising a line segment extending from the graphic representative of the current position of the intruder aircraft;
• and
• periodically update the vertical ITP window, while varying the length of the line segment as a function of changes in the air speed of the intruder aircraft.