Total Flight Management Systems: Pilot Weather Advisor and Beyond 931260

Many new companies are pushing state-of-the-art technology to bring a revolution in the cockpits of General Aviation (GA) aircraft. The vision, according to Dr. Bruce Holmes - the Assistant Director for Aeronautics at National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Langley Research Center, is to provide such an advanced flight control system that the motor and cognitive skills you use to drive a car would be very similar to the ones you would use to fly an airplane. We are currently developing a system called the Pilot Weather Advisor (PWxA), which would be part of such an advanced technology flight management system. We also discuss several ideas that can be incorporated into the PWxA, and new systems on the horizon that will push towards the development of a low cost Total Flight Management Systems for the GA industry.