ABSTRACT
This chapter considers aircraft automation proposed or already developed for use in future aircraft. Satellite-based position determination systems are rapidly reaching a level of maturity that can permit them to serve as the primary basis for aircraft navigation. Navigation functions will be revolutionized during the next decade by the use of global navigation satellite systems for guidance and automatic dependent surveillance for flight following. Digital data link, combined with satellite communication, has been under evaluation in civil aviation for several years. Data link may eventually enable nearly all routine communication between air traffic control and aircraft to be carried out without recourse to voice contact, leaving voice for urgent messages and nonroutine transactions between pilot and controller. The 777 control-display unit is the first airline unit to use a color screen in flight management syste; colors correspond to those used to highlight specific data on the navigation display, which is generated from the flight management computer when routes are programmed.
