Patent ID: 8596579
Filing Date: 2013-12-03
Classification: B64D

Abstract:
1. A procedure to optimize a quantity of fuel transferred on an aircraft during at least one in-flight transfer of fuel between said aircraft and an auxiliary aircraft, at at least a first flight point of a flight plan of said aircraft, wherein, during the flight of the aircraft according to said flight plan, said procedure comprises: a) making a prediction to determine a first quantity corresponding to the quantity of fuel remaining on board the aircraft at said first flight point taking into account: (1) the current status of the aircraft, (2) the current flying conditions,(3) the geometry of said flight plan of said aircraft, and (4) performance models of said aircraft; b) making an estimation to determine a second quantity corresponding to the quantity of fuel enabling the aircraft to fly from said first flight point to a second flight point later in said flight plan; c) determining from said first and second quantities, a third quantity, corresponding to the quantity of fuel to be transferred at said first flight point; and d) presenting, by a display screen, said third quantity determined in step c), to at least one pilot of the aircraft, wherein: said sequence of successive steps a) to d) is performed repetitively during the flight of the aircraft, each time taking into account the current status of the aircraft and the current flying conditions in step a), the current status comprises said current speed, current mass, and current altitude of said aircraft, the current flying conditions comprise the wind and temperature, and to make said estimation of said second quantity in step b), an auxiliary prediction is made using a quantity Q the quantity Q for each iteration, the quantity Q wherein, said aircraft is a refueled aircraft and said auxiliary aircraft is a refueling aircraft, and in a plurality of fuel transfers, said steps a) to d) are applied to determine and to present, for each flight point at which a transfer is made, the minimum quantity of fuel that the aircraft must receive to reach the next flight point at which a transfer is also made or, where appropriate, the destination.