Abstract: Method and system for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements.

Abstract: Method and system for determining chemical composition of a single-component or multiple-component gas, using a discharge holdoff mechanism. A voltage difference V between two spaced apart electrodes is brought to a selected value and held, the holdoff time interval ?t(V;ho) required before gas discharge occurs is measured, and the associated electrical current or cumulative electrical charge is measured. As the voltage difference V increases, the time interval length ?t(V;ho) decreases monotonically. Particular voltage values, V? and V0, correspond to initial appearance of discharge (?t??) and prompt discharge (?t?0). The values V? and V0 and the rate of decrease of ?t(V;ho) and/or the rate of increase of current or cumulative charge with increasing V are characteristic of one or more gas components present.