Patent ID: 7611098

Claim:
A flight management process for landing an aircraft at an airport, said aircraft comprising aerodynamic wing flaps that are movable between a fully retracted position and a fully extended position while transitioning through intermediate positions, wherein said process for landing comprises four consecutive linear descent flight paths and the steps of: following a first linear descent flight path during which said aircraft decelerates from a begin descent speed and a begin descent altitude of the aircraft, wherein said first linear descent flight path has a first flight path angle and lasts until said aircraft reaches a predetermined speed, and wherein during said first linear descent flight path, said flaps transition from the fully retracted position to a first intermediate position, following a second linear descent flight path during which said aircraft maintains a substantially constant speed, wherein said second linear descent flight path has a second flight path angle that is different from said first flight path angle, following a third linear descent flight path during which said aircraft decelerates, wherein said third linear descent flight path has a third flight path angle that is different from said second flight path angle and continues until said aircraft reaches a glide slope interception position, extending the flaps to assume said first intermediate position, when transitioning from the second to the third linear descent flight paths; and following a fourth linear descent flight path from said glide slope interception position, wherein during said fourth linear descent flight path, said aircraft follows a glide slope for said airport.