US 12,486,042 B2
Holding pattern detection and management
Marko Zoricic, Dreieich (DE); Andreas Sindlinger, Weinheim (DE); and David Scarlatti, Madrid (ES)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by THE BOEING COMPANY, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Jan. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/161,881.
Prior Publication US 2024/0253810 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 45/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/54 (2025.01)
CPC B64D 45/00 (2013.01) [G08G 5/54 (2025.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
detecting, by a device and from flight data for an aircraft, that the aircraft has traveled at least a predefined distance along a flight path for the aircraft;
identifying, by the device and from the flight data, that the aircraft has performed a first turn;
identifying, by the device and from the flight data, that the aircraft has performed a leg traverse after performing the first turn;
identifying, by the device and from the flight data, that the aircraft has performed a second turn in a direction circuitous to the first turn after performing the leg traverse;
determining, by the device and from the flight data, a difference between an altitude of the aircraft during the first turn and an altitude of the aircraft during the second turn based on a vicinity distance being below a vicinity threshold;
indicating, by the device and from flight data, that the aircraft is in a racetrack pattern based on the difference being above an altitude change threshold; and
causing, by the device, the aircraft to align to a landing path at a destination airport based on the indication that the aircraft is in the racetrack pattern.