AIR TAXI LOGISTICS SYSTEM
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention pertains generally to the way air travel is booked and 5carrier logistics managed for the air taxi industry. More specifically, it pertains to an air taxi logistics system wherein the system automatically manages logistics by dynamically assigning elements such as passengers, air crews, and source and destination airports based on factors such as, but not limited to: proximity to street addresses of origin and destination, air and ground delays, weather, additional bookings, and a multitude of Ooperational factors for the air carrier. In addition, ground transportation can be linked to this system, such that the system manages a passenger's ground transport from the origin street address to the aircraft and, after the flight, from the aircraft to the destination street address. 5
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Passengers think of their local airport as the commercial terminal populated by large airliners, and about 600 of these airports serve the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designates these airports as class Bravo and class Charlie 5airspace. There are two additional types of airports, the small towered airport, class Delta, and the un-towered or un-controlled airports in class Echo or Golf airspace. Most travelers are not aware of the local facilities closest to the starting point of their trip (hereafter, origin street address), and even pilots are hard pressed to identify the closest airport to their destination street address. There are more than 10,000 of these smaller lOfacilities.
[0003] The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks the on-time performance of domestic flights operated by large air carriers. In June 2006, fully 16% of these flights were late due to air carrier delays, 15including delays created by late arrivals. It is reasonable to expect that the delay percentage will jump substantially when higher security alert levels are in place. In addition, domestic security screening procedures require a three hour pre-flight check-in, adding six hours of round-trip airport wait time. 0Typical Routing for Air Taxi Operations
[0004] To better understand the problems faced by the emerging class of Very Light Jets, consider turbo prop aircraft that closely emulate Very Light Jets' performance
envelope. In particular, the TBM 700 has a maximum cruise of 300 kts, a service ceiling of 31 ,000 feet, and a range of 1500NM. The TBM is slightly slower, flies 10,000 feet lower, and has greater range and payload than Very Light Jets.
5 [0005] According to FlightAware ®, there were 5335 flights airborne at 6PM CDT on July 22nd, 2005. It is important to understand that both NASA's more aggressive model and the FAA's more conservative model show simultaneous flight numbers at least tripling over the next decade. What can make this possible is the use of the thousands of general aviation airports that will become part of the fabric of the Small lOAircraft Transportation System, which models the current Very Light Jets as a first generation of aircraft. Understanding the routing and flight levels that will be available to this new breed of aircraft, and responding dynamically to changes in this routing will be critical to the efficient operations of the Air Taxi operator; perhaps even to the survival of the carrier and its passengers.
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[0006] Both the TBM and the Very Light Jets are slower than the passenger jets flying at the same flight levels, and the difficulty of getting cleared even to Flight Level 310 (31 ,000 feet) in a TBM foreshadows the careful planning that will be required to safely operate the Very Light Jets at less than their most efficient projected cruising 0altitude. (Range calculations for the Very Light Jets are typically shown at the most efficient cruise altitude of 41,000 feet and will not reflect real world operations). The range and payload of the emerging Very Light Jets will be limiting factors, and must be carefully managed- a problem well suited to automation and data mining.
[0007] It is known in the art to operate an airline where pilots fly pre-set routes. It is also known to use software to keep track of available seats on a scheduled flight and assign available seats to particular passengers. However, in order to fully realize the 5promise of Air Taxi and make the most use of local airports, a new class of real time software capable of complex optimizations is required. The present inventor is not aware of any prior art system that seeks to dynamically optimize cost, safety, and total travel time by considering factors such as: distance and traffic conditions between each passenger's origination street address and prospective source airports; distance and traffic lOconditions between the destination airport and the destination street address; terrain, flight envelope, and difficulty of takeoff and landing at prospective airports under various conditions; pilots' flight experience at prospective source and destination airports; flight capabilities of available aircraft, including Very Light Jets; air traffic conditions; and weather conditions en route and at prospective airports.
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SUMMARY
[0008] An air travel optimization system comprising a program that dynamically selects source and destination airports by performing real time assessment of travel factors between a traveler's origination street address and prospective source airports andbetween prospective destination airports and said traveler's destination street address.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0009] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which: [0010] Fig. 1 shows a flow chart of the major steps and factors considered for 5determining air taxi logistics, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. [0011] Fig. 2 shows a table of the most common routes assigned between AIR PORT A and AIR PORT B indexed by altitude, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0012] Fig. 3 shows an automatic assignment algorithm based on fuel costs, in lOaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced 5without these specific details.
[0014] Private air taxi can provide substantial per trip time savings. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, minimized ground travel to the closer airport, streamlined security and check in procedures, flawless direct luggage transfer, and lOreduced aircraft taxi and clearance times will save hours over airline travel, and these savings will be calculated and displayed versus airliner schedules. Time savings will be most dramatic when a private air taxi system can eliminate the need for interconnection on regional flights, or when the system's schedule flexibility allows a day trip rather than an overnight stay.
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[0015] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, many airline travelers who would otherwise fly from one of the approximately 600 major airports to another major airport can instead use thousands of smaller airports nearer their origin street addresses and destination street addresses. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, an embodiment 0could use an air travel logistics system that has a decision logic comprising means for selecting at least one optimized flight route based on travelers' origin/destination address data pairs and said system could function dynamically and make choices based on changing conditions and requests.
[0016] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could include decision logic that evaluates ground travel criteria such as:
Prospective airports' proximity to the traveler's origin and destination street addresses
5 Estimated traffic delays
Fastest route Most direct route Available mass transit
[0017] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could interface lOwith ground transportation on both sides of the flight such as: Limo service dispatched to pick up the customer
Limo service dispatched to the destination airport and updated for flight delays and expected arrival times
[0018] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could evaluate 15 operational criteria such as:
Available aircraft's proximity to a prospective source airport Available air crews' proximity to a prospective source airport Links to other flights in the air taxi operator's dynamic routing system Anticipated delays at a prospective airport 0 Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) impacting a prospective airport
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) impacting a prospective airport Availability of aircraft maintenance
[0019] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could include decision logic that evaluates safety criteria such as: Wind direction Runway conditions Weather
Minimum standards for weather conditions set by the air taxi carrier and enforced by the system (e.g. if weather ceilings are less than 300', the carrier may opt not to allow operations to that airport)
Whether passengers or crew are listed on a terrorist watch list
[0020] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could optimize the in-flight routing and altitudes based on factors such as: Predicted winds Preferred traffic routes Safety margins
[0021] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could plan fuel stops to minimize cost to the air taxi operator based on:
Landing Fees Fuel cost
Any specific discount programs for the operator
[0022] According to a further feature in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could evaluate interconnection options such as:
Feeds to other airline and air taxi systems
Feeds to other ground transport systems (e.g. a light rail transport system)
[0023] According to a further feature in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system could automatically send reminders or notify travelers of any change in schedule or route:
By Pager By Voicemail
By Email
Via wireless PDA and WAP based interface
Via browser
[0024] In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method may comprise the following steps, as shown by way of example in Figure 1 :
(a) A traveler enters origin address, destination address, and time data.
(b) The system begins to run an algorithm to optimize route for factor(s) such as cost, time, and safety.
(c) The system considers: a. Origin and destination addresses' proximity to prospective airports;
b. Interconnection/Feeds to other airline and air taxi systems and other ground transportation transport systems c. Operational factors such as: i. Proximity of available air crews ii. Dynamic routing for links to other flights iii. Airport delays iv. NOTAMs impacting an airport v. TFRs impacting an airport vi. Maintenance availability d. Safety factors such as: i. Wind direction ii. Runway conditions iii. Weather and air taxi carrier's minimum standards e. Air Taxi operator cost factors such as: i. Landing fees ii. Fuel costs iii. Discount programs
(d) The system determines source and destination airports;
(e) The system displays source and destination airports and schedule along with a Summary of Time Saved by using the system to select alternate airports rather than use main airports.
(f) Booking is confirmed.
(g) The system coordinates with external entities as follows:
a. The system arranges ground transportation (such as a limo service) before and after the flight and keeps the ground transportation service updated for flight delays and expected arrival times. b. The system optimizes the in flight routing and altitudes based on predicted winds, preferred traffic routes, and safety margins. c. The system optimizes any required fuel stop(s) for the flight based on: i. Air taxi operator cost ii. Landing fees iii. Fuel cost iv. Discount programs v. Safety vi. Wind direction vii. Runway conditions viii. Weather and the air taxi carrier's minimum weather condition standards enforced by the system d. System notifies the traveler of any changes to origination or destination airport by pager, voicemail, email, wireless PDA and WAP based interface, or browser. e. The system handles operational concerns such as: i. Proximity of available air crews ii. Dynamic routing for links to other flights iii. Airport delays iv. NOTAMs impacting an airport
v. TFRs impacting an airport vi. Maintenance availability
The Air Taxi Optimization Problem 5
[0025] The successful air taxi operator will need a real time system that, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, can minimize Non Revenue Flight Miles (NRFM), Non Revenue Flight Operations (NRFO), Landing Fees, Fuel Surcharges, and Flight Delays while optimizing the passenger experience. As illustrated in Figure 3, lOan algorithm in accordance with an embodiment of the invention could receive origin and destination address input from a user, and then automatically evaluate relevant criteria to determine optimal aircraft selection and return results to the user.
[0026] There is a need for a system that can, in accordance with an embodiment of 15the invention, dynamically assign aircraft and flight crews based on an ever changing landscape, including new customer bookings, unusual airport delays, maintenance events, fuel cost updates, ATC routing changes, aircraft weight and balance, air crew experience and familiarity with particular airports, air crew fatigue, and weather systems. 0[0027] No airline in existence today has faced a dynamic routing problem of this scale: potentially thousands of jets with crew assignments, manifests and routing assigned in response to passenger bookings and changing conditions. The present inventor believes that the science of telecom traffic engineering represents the closest real world
model to this problem: the real time routing and optimization programming employed to manage the nation's largest telecom networks holds a key to capacity planning, route optimization, and dynamic re-routing/route-around for optimal traffic flow. [0028] Telecom network traffic engineering systems provide least cost routing 5support for billions of transactions per month. These systems demonstrate the scalability and fault tolerance required to manage large scale air carrier class operations based on fleets of Very Light Jets. The telecom numbers dwarf the calculations required to optimize air taxi operations; however, as the number of passenger bookings, Very Light Jets in service, and airline crews grows, the optimization problem does get more Ocalculation intensive (grows logarithmically), while the responsiveness of real time dispatch must never be compromised. The best approach to managing this is the high speed parallel processing that has been deployed in the telecom space.
Driving Safety for Very Light Jets in the National Air Space System 5
[0029] The primary safety differences between Air Taxi Operations and Carrier Operations involve the experience of airline crews with a set of familiar route destinations, and the oversight of dedicated flight planning departments. 0[003O] Safety in the Air Taxi paradigm will involve the prioritization of selection of airline crews that have familiarity with the airports being served and the alternate airports on a given flight. The importance of this safety initiative is compounded by the greater number of airports available to the Air Taxi system and the lack of standardization of
approaches, precision approaches, lighting systems, and runway environments at these airports. It is highly likely that an aircrew will be approaching an unfamiliar airport with sub standard approach lighting, safety overruns and terrain clearance, if familiarity with the destination airport is not factored in during the crew assignment process. 5
[0031] Weather issues further compound the need for sophisticated flight planning, and familiarity with the source, destination and en-route environments. Low ceilings, turbulence and terrain combine with the lack of precision approaches to create a much higher risk profile. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, to enhance Osafety the system should prioritize air crews with prior experience at an air field over those who do not. Evaluation should be based on how many times and how recently a pilot has used an airfield. The system could even enforce a rule that at least one of the pilots must have already flown into an airfield before a plane can be dispatched. Experience at alternate airports could also be considered. 5
[0032] A method for an automated review of flight plans with regard to risk factors will be crucial to the safe operation of Very Light Jets, to aid in Critical Decision Making. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, each flight can be scored based on flight crew (experience, familiarity, and crew rest), weather (en route, source0and destination) and destination (precision approach, circling approach) metrics, and high risk operations can be flagged for review by the Air Taxi Operator. The review can include checking for sufficient fuel and NBAA IFR reserves, proper weight and balance,
creation of seating charts, and any required fuel loading changes based on customers with over gross weight profiles (luggage or passengers).
[0033] Finally, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an automated security check against homeland security watch lists can be conducted on each crew member and passenger prior to each flight. Optional criminal database checks may also be incorporated. Currently this is not implemented in Air Taxi operations, which represent a growing risk factor for terrorism.
Driving Efficiency for Very Light Jets in the National Air Space System
[0034] Route optimization depends on knowledge of the routes most likely to be assigned between airport city pairs. The use of direct flight miles is insufficient for routeoptimization purposes.
[0035] To illustrate by way of example how factors may be evaluated by a system that is an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 shows a table of the most common routes assigned between AIR PORT A and AIR PORT B indexed by altitude.Note the ability to fly more direct at 40,000 feet than at lower altitudes. Most passenger jets cannot climb directly to the 41,000 foot service ceiling of the Very Light Jets; conversely a Very Light Jet can make this climb without intermediate stops to burn fuel. Understanding and modeling these performance characteristics can drive savings in fuel
and time. Conversely the typical Very Light Jet will not be able to fly directly from AIR PORT A to AIR PORT B with sufficient fuel reserves, and the time required to climb to altitude must be set against the need for a fuel stop and the second climb/descent. 5
1 [0036] In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusive indicator of what is the invention, and is intended by the applicant to be the invention, is the set of claims that issue from this lOapplication, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction. Any definitions expressly set forth herein for terms contained in such claims shall govern the meaning of such terms as used in the claims. Hence, no limitation, element, property, feature, advantage or attribute that is not expressly recited in a claim should limit the scope of such claim in any way. The specification and drawings are,
15accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.