Abstract: An aircraft includes a flight plan and contingency data including a plurality of contingency landing sites. An aircraft communication system communicates with a ground control station via a communication link and detects a lost communication scenario in response to degradation in the communication link. An aircraft flight control system controls the aircraft en route according to the flight plan. In response to detecting the lost communication scenario, the flight control system routes the aircraft back to a last known location in which the communication link was not degraded. In response to failure to re-establish the communication link, the flight control system selects a landing site based on a current aircraft location relative to a plurality of potential landing sites including an origin airport, a destination airport, and a first continency landing site. The flight control system controls the aircraft to approach and land at the selected landing site.

Abstract: A method includes selecting a landing waypoint on a runway and selecting a starting waypoint based on a location/heading of an aircraft relative to the runway. The method includes selecting additional waypoints between the starting waypoint and the landing waypoint. The starting and additional waypoints include latitude, longitude, and altitude variables. A sequence of waypoints from the starting waypoint to the landing waypoint via the additional waypoints indicates a desired location for the aircraft to traverse. The method includes generating location constraints for the starting and additional waypoints and generating an objective function for optimizing at least one of the variables. Additionally, the method includes generating a solution for the objective function subject to the location constraints. The solution includes latitude, longitude, and altitude values for the variables.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a display and an avoidance system. The avoidance system is configured to determine a first predicted trajectory of the aircraft, determine a second predicted trajectory of an additional aircraft, and determine a conflict zone volume based on an intersection between the first predicted trajectory and the second predicted trajectory. The conflict zone volume indicates a predicted volume of airspace in which the aircraft and the additional aircraft experience a loss of separation. The avoidance system is configured to render a conflict zone on the display based on the conflict zone volume. The rendered conflict zone graphically represents the conflict zone volume on the display.

Abstract: A method includes selecting a landing waypoint on a runway and selecting a starting waypoint based on a location/heading of an aircraft relative to the runway. The method includes selecting additional waypoints between the starting waypoint and the landing waypoint. The starting and additional waypoints include latitude, longitude, and altitude variables. A sequence of waypoints from the starting waypoint to the landing waypoint via the additional waypoints indicates a desired location for the aircraft to traverse. The method includes generating location constraints for the starting and additional waypoints and generating an objective function for optimizing at least one of the variables. Additionally, the method includes generating a solution for the objective function subject to the location constraints. The solution includes latitude, longitude, and altitude values for the variables.