Abstract: A flight management system which has access to customized information concerning the actual characteristics of a specific airplane or a specific fleet of airplanes of the same model when computing a predicted flight profile and associated trip prediction parameters. This up-to-date airplane-specific or fleet-specific information is digital data configured as a separately loadable database called a “customized performance database”. This customized performance database contains a smaller set of performance data—such as fuel flow correction, drag coefficient correction, and re-optimized speed/altitude tables—than is contained in the baseline performance database. The flight management system will continue to use a baseline performance database as a “limit” on the numbers computed using the customized performance database. The customized performance database can include tables or curves that are customizable by airlines.

Abstract: A flight management system which has access to customized information concerning the actual characteristics of a specific airplane or a specific fleet of airplanes of the same model when computing a predicted flight profile and associated trip prediction parameters. This up-to-date airplane-specific or fleet-specific information is digital data configured as a separately loadable database called a “customized performance database”. This customized performance database contains a smaller set of performance data—such as fuel flow correction, drag coefficient correction, and re-optimized speed/altitude tables—than is contained in the baseline performance database. The flight management system will continue to use a baseline performance database as a “limit” on the numbers computed using the customized performance database. The customized performance database can include tables or curves that are customizable by airlines.

Abstract: An improved aircraft flight management system includes a flight management computer (FMC), left and right control display units (CDU's) and a backup CDU. A triple redundant digital databus links the FMC and three CDU's. Upon detecting a failure in either the left or right CDU, the FMC utilizes reconfiguration rules stored in a look-up table to automatically cause the backup CDU to replace the failed CDU in operation, thereby relieving the flight crew of the burden of interfacing to the FMC through only one CDU. Upon detection of a failed databus, the system similarly utilizes structured data routing to reconfigure around the failed databuses. In addition, if any two CDU's have failed in a three CDU system, automatic data rerouting is implemented to the non-failed CDU to insure FMC to CDU communication.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for choosing which flight management computer (FMC) of two FMCs will function as a master FMC (11) and which will function as a spare FMC (13) in maintaining data commonalty and synchronization between the master FMC (11) and the spare FMC (13) is disclosed. The status of a control switch (15) having FMC select and auto positions is scanned to determine the state of the switch. If the switch (15) is in an FMC select position, the related FMC is chosen to be the master FMC and the other FMC is chosen to be the spare FMC. If the switch is in the auto position, the failure status of the FMCs is evaluated. If one of the FMCs has failed, the other is chosen to be the master FMC. If the FMCs are both operating, the health of the FMCs is evaluated. If both FMCs are healthy, one is chosen to be the master FMC and the other is chosen to be the spare FMC, in accordance with a predetermined protocol. If the health of one of the FMCs has degraded, the other FMC is chosen to be the master FMC.