Patent ID: 8217807

Claim:
An operational flight phase determination and indication system for an aircraft, comprising: a) input/output circuitry for receiving an operational flight phase selector output signal and aircraft sensor signals; b) a processor coupled to said input/output circuitry; c) a flight phase data table coupled to said processor, said flight phase data table including a list of the defined operational flight phases for the aircraft; d) a flight phase transition rules set coupled to said processor, said flight phase transition rules set including flight rules for defining flight phase transitions; e) program memory and working memory coupled to said processor, wherein said processor uses input from said input/output circuitry, said flight phase data table, said flight phase transition rules set, said program memory and said working memory to provide an operational mode signal indicating the operational mode of the aircraft; and, f) a display indicator driver coupled to said processor for providing display indicator driver signals to an operational flight phase indicator in accordance with said operational mode signal.