[Para 8] Fig. 1. Shaped button and knob Control Panel. Fig. 1. Shows an aircraft control panel, that could be used inside an aircraft or on the ground to control an airborne aircraft. The tabular predictive control system can be programmed into shaped buttons visually and iconographically describe the flight condition desired. The buttons can be recognized by touch in the dark or when the operator is looking at any video returns or if the operator is looking directly at the UAV and the target. Due to airspace conflicts it may only be possible to operate some UAVs if the operator has direct visual contact with the UAV. Due to bandwidth and frequency conflicts and jamming, no video returns may be possible, yet the UAV can still be used to drop bombs or drop rescue and resupply materiel. No pre-programming is required and no constant attention from the operator during flight. The simplified predictive tabular commands consume very little communications bandwidth and only have to be sent on occasionally as buttons are pressed. Therefore the UAV is more likely to be able to operate in areas of radio congestion. The operator is less likely to be radio located and attacked by the enemy. This conception of control shape and layout and function and algorithm could allow one infantry man to control the aircraft while simultaneously operating his firearm. The control panel could be mounted to the firearm and carried as a unit, allowing the infantryman to maintain simultaneous direct and indirect visual contact with the UAV and the surveillance area.
[Para 9] On the top left the buttons labeled circle command the aircraft into a circling position. "Smaller" and "Bigger" circle buttons widen and shrink the diameter of the circle the aircraft is flying. Below the "Circle Move" knob acts as a trim type joystick to nudge the circle over a different spot. Compensation for cross winds if it existed would be on the aircraft itself, otherwise in a simple low cost system the operator could compensate for conditions by occasional presses of the circle move button.
[Para 10] In the center of the top is a compass like control which can be rotated to communicate to the aircraft its desired magnetic heading, unless it is circling.
[Para 11] On the top right is an on/off switch that turns on any available system that detects the proximity of the ground or objects and climb above them.
[Para 12] The knob below the ground avoidance knob is the adjustment of the desired altitude above the ground that the ground avoidance system maintains.
[Para 13] In the middle left of the control panel there are two commands that create the climbing conditions well known as Vx and Vy. Below that there are level flight commands of the well known conditions of level flight, maximum cruise, maximum range, minimum fuel consumption, and minimum speed flight.
[Para 14] In the middle right of the control panel are three downward flight commands, maximum downward climb angle, maximum duration glide, maximum distance glide. Below that there is a different downward flight command, a "behind the power curve" command associated with the landing flare.
[Para 15] On the bottom of the control panel on the left is the bomb or supply drop button safety cover. In the middle is the radio shaped radio relay push to talk button. In this case the transmitter is on the aircraft and the sound is transmitted to the aircraft by a different means or frequency than the transmitter on the aircraft. This serves to strengthen the communication over long distances while helping to hide the direction and location of the operator from enemy detection. Below is a volume knob for the heard radio sound from the UAV that goes to the operators headset. On the right of the bottom of the control panel is a microphone shaped button which when pressed operates a bullhorn or public address system on the UAV which allows the operator to shout at persons on the ground. Below is a volume knob for the heard sound from the UAV that goes to the operators headset, if the UAV is quiet enough operate a microphone successfully, noise cancellation could be applied at the source and other means.