The present invention provides an aircraft navigational system including a
graphical user interface that is capable of displaying navigational
information in a split-screen format. The split-screen format includes
displaying multiple graphical user panels, each depicting different
traffic information. For example, one of the panels displays a plurality
of air traffic symbols corresponding to airborne obstacles and another of
the panels simultaneously displays ground traffic symbols representing
ground obstacles. The obstacles can include other aircraft in the air and
on runways as the pilot's aircraft approaches for a landing. The
navigational system also is capable of switching between a single
graphical user panel and multiple panels in response to a triggering
event, such as a change in the course of the aircraft.