Patent ID: 8599046

Claim:
A system for informing a pilot of an aircraft about a topographical condition of a runway, the system comprising: a processor configured to be operatively coupled with an electronic data storage unit, a position determining unit, and a display unit, the processor configured to: (i) obtain a geographical location of the aircraft from the position determining unit, (ii) identify a runway of a plurality of runways that the aircraft is approaching based on the geographical location of the aircraft and location information stored in the electronic data storage unit, the runway having a runway surface, (iii) obtain a subset of topographical condition information relating to the runway from the electronic data storage unit, the topographical condition information comprising an actual topographical condition of the runway surface that may affect the aircraft during takeoffs and landings, and (iv) command the display unit to simultaneously display: (a) an aircraft symbol, (b) a vertical profile of the runway that includes a graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition, and (c) a touchdown point graphic representative of a location on the runway where the aircraft is expected to make contact with the runway, wherein: the aircraft symbol, the runway, and the graphic depiction of the actual topographical condition are simultaneously displayed on the display unit at positions that are representative of actual positional relationships between the aircraft, the runway, and the actual topographical condition.