Patent ID: 7483790

Claim:
A method for constructing an offset with a capture path, a parallel path at an offset distance from a flight plan, and a return path, the flight plan having a plurality of legs and plurality of waypoints, the method comprising the steps of: constructing the capture path, including: selecting a capture path start point on a first leg of the flight path and selecting a first capture path angle from the first leg; determining whether a first capture path segment extending from the capture path start point on the first leg at the first capture path angle first intersects a) a first bisector extending from a first waypoint between the first leg and a second leg or b) a first bisector backcourse extending from the first bisector parallel to the first leg at the offset distance; establishing, if the first capture path segment first intersects the first bisector backcourse, the first capture path segment as the capture path; establishing, if the first capture path segment first intersects the first bisector, the intersection as a first point; determining one or more subsequent capture path segments until the one or more subsequent capture path segments first intersect a subsequent bisector backcourse instead of a subsequent bisector; and establishing the first capture path segment and the one or more subsequent capture path segments as the capture path; constructing the parallel path from the end of the capture path; and constructing the return path from the end of the parallel path to the flight plan, wherein the constructed offset path is followed by an aircraft.