Patent ID: 7412324

Claim:
A method for creating space between an aircraft and a target aircraft; comprising: identifying a target aircraft and a time of arrival of said target aircraft at a waypoint, said target aircraft beginning a landing approach after passing said waypoint, said time of arrival at said waypoint being determined from information received from said target aircraft across an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast communication link, said automatic dependent surveillance broadcast communication link including position, speed, heading and altitude information of said target aircraft; receiving a heading for said aircraft from air traffic control; retrieving spacing information between said target aircraft and said aircraft from at least one of air traffic control or said aircraft, said spacing information referring to a period of time; determining a location for a rejoin turn to said waypoint; navigating said rejoin turn to said waypoint automatically when said aircraft arrives at said location for said rejoin turn to said waypoint, said aircraft beginning said landing approach after passing said waypoint; and displaying said location for said rejoin turn to said waypoint, wherein said location of rejoin turn to said waypoint causing aircraft to reach said waypoint after said target aircraft by a delay of said spacing information, wherein said automatic dependent surveillance broadcast communication link is a direct link between said target aircraft and said aircraft.