ONBOARD MAP DISPLAY OF POSITIONS OF OTHER AIRCRAFT FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL AIRCRAFT

Onboard an individual aircraft, a map showing aircraft flying in the vicinity of the individual aircraft is displayed on a monitor. Navigation satellite technology, such as GPS, onboard the individual aircraft is used to determine the position of the individual aircraft. Via a communications network, position-indication signals indicating the determined positions of the individual aircraft and other aircraft flying in the vicinity of the individual aircraft are sent between the different aircraft. Onboard the individual aircraft, a computer processes the position-indication signals to provide display signals that enable a monitor onboard the individual aircraft to display a map showing the positions of other aircraft flying in the vicinity of the individual aircraft in relation to the position of the individual aircraft. In one embodiment, a website that communicates with the different aircraft via the Internet facilitates communication of the position-indication signals between the different aircraft.