Anita Domitrović

Aircraft performance monitoring from flight data

To ensure timely maintenance and efficient aircraft operations, it is necessary, to know and keep track of aircraft’s actual performance. Flight performance is determined by aircrafts physical characteristics. Theoretical aircraft performance, obtained after manufacturing and flight testing, are described in flight manual. Transport aircraft in operation is usually exposed to standard operational conditions. Despite the standard operational conditions and regular aircraft maintenance, structure aging and high dynamic loads due to high subsonic Mach number could lead to changes of main physical factors that determine flight performance. For this reason actual aircraft performance often differs from theoretical. Commercial airlines monitor true performance of aircraft in operation. This paper presents overview of existing performance monitoring methods as well as first indications for new research possibilities regarding physical characteristics determination for aircraft in operation using flight data.