NAVIGATIONAL AID AUTOPILOT

A navigational aid and autopilot in which informational data pertaining to the physical operating conditions of the craft, the external characteristics relevant to the operation of the craft, and a chart mapping a selected portion of the surface of the earth in which the craft is operating are combined into a single communication correlating such data in a manner assisting an operator of the craft in the performance of his duties. The navigational aid measures external physical conditions such as radio transmissions, radar soundings, sonar soundings, and the like, as well as the physical state of the craft such as fuel flow, list of the craft, and speed of the motor. By monitoring these characteristics in association with an electronic chart, the system correlates and combines the total informational content in a comprehensive form so as to relieve the operator pilot of the necessity of integrating and correlating data from a plurality of different sources. The autopilot operation accepts two types of data command, the first being a destination, the second being a bearing and time duration. Through the use of a position determining means, such as a Loran-C receiver, the system controls the craft and its movement to the destination. With the help of the external physical condition monitors, the system provides course direction so that the craft will not collide with another boat nor run aground. The autopilot additionally plots the course for the craft.