Automatically reconfiguring an electronic landing display that includes a flight path vector (FPV) symbol and a rising runway symbol combined with a digital altitude value that merge at low aircraft altitudes is disclosed. During approach, when the aircraft descends below a predetermined minimum altitude, e.g., 200 feet, the FPV symbol is removed. When the aircraft is on the ground and during takeoff, the rising runway symbol is removed. Removing one or the other of the merging symbols prevents the symbols from overlapping. Thus, the potential for pilot error due to one of the merging symbols occluding the other is avoided.
The invention relates to a process for the display on a screen on board an aircraft of flying aid symbols. On the basis of information supplied by an inertial system and ground beacons processed by an on board computer, the process consists of displaying on an on board screen (EV) symbols more particularly representing the wings of the aircraft (A1, A2), the model of the aircraft (CP), its speed (V), the tendency to acceleration and deceleration (AD1, AD2), a flight path prediction (PT), the artificial horizon (H), the roll angle (.phi.), the sideslip (AL) and the total energy (ET1, ET2). It also consists of displaying the flight path to be followed in perspective (P1, P2, S3, S4, S5) and in projection (S'1 to S'5) on the plane of the runway. Any flight path segment during passage, as well as the segment following the latter are displayed in parallelepipedic form (P1, P2) in perspective. A final segment preceding the touchdown point of the wheels on the runway is displayed in the form of a pyramid (P3) in perspective. A display also takes place of the runway (P) and a grid (M1, M2, PE1, PE2) superimposed on said runway, in perspective.
The disclosed optoelectronic device is designed to facilitate the piloting of an aircraft under conditions of poor visibility, notably during landing at the stage when the aircraft approaches a runway. It consists of a collimator which displays, in addition to the artificial skyline, miniature aircraft index and attitude bars, a slope scale positioned across and on either side of the artificial skyline, at the position of the selected course chosen by the pilot. This slope scale, depicted in the form of a line of dots spaced out at one slope degree, enables the pilot to be presented simultaneously with information on selected course and slope and enables the determining of pitch attitude with high precision.
An aircraft display communicates three dimensional lateral information to a pilot of the aircraft. An extended course centerline symbol and lateral deviation marks indicate lateral deviation from a desired course along with approximate altitude and distance-to-go information to the pilot. The course centerline extends toward a vanishing point near the horizon line of the display. The centerline symbol swings laterally across the display responsive to changes in lateral deviation of the aircraft such that an intuitive perspective view is provided to the pilot. Lateral deviation marks provide precise lateral deviation information to the pilot. The display is adaptable to all phases of flight, but is particularly useful during the approach phase of flight. The preferred embodiment is on a head-up display for instrument flight conditions.
A flight path display apparatus provided in a cockpit of an aircraft has a head-up display unit. An image combining panel of the head-up display unit displays a flight path image projected from projecting system which is superimposed on the outside view. Computing system for calculating the image to be projected to the image combining panel calculates a display position of the target flight path based on data from storage system in which predetermined flight paths are stored and from aircraft flight data measuring system for measuring the position and attitude of the aircraft. When the display position of the target flight path is outside a display area of the image combining panel, a target mark indicative of a direction toward the flight path from the center of the display area blinks on the image combining panel. With the above construction, a flight path display apparatus which allows a pilot to keep sight on a target flight path is realized.
A swath planning system accepts curved path information to synthesize and generate parallel curved paths. The swath planning system terminates the generation of parallel curved paths which exceed physical limitations of the associated machinery. The swath planning system provides an operator with significant advance information to create a more efficient and relaxed product application. The swath planning system further provides environmental advantages to all through enhanced resource management by eliminating or significantly reducing ground and/or water contamination and by eliminating or significantly reducing product waste due to more precise and accurate placement of resources.
