Patent ID: 7899613
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
1. A method to ensure safety of low-altitude flight of an aircraft being guided along a low-altitude flight trajectory, comprising: (a) determining a lateral trajectory and a vertical trajectory of the low-altitude flight trajectory using a trajectory determining unit; (b) guiding the aircraft along the determined low-altitude flight trajectory using a guidance system which is connected by a link to the trajectory determining unit and which receives a transmission of the low-altitude flight trajectory from the trajectory determining unit via the link; (c) recording at least one part of the lateral trajectory of the flight trajectory situated ahead of a current position of the aircraft along the low-altitude flight trajectory using a recording unit integrated into said guidance system; (d) monitoring the transmission using a monitoring unit to detect a loss of the lateral trajectory caused by an error in the transmission; and (e) guiding the aircraft up to a safe altitude, taking into account said at least one part of the lateral trajectory recorded by said recording unit, in response to, in step (d), detecting the loss of the lateral trajectory, wherein: the aircraft is guided automatically in order to be taken up to said safe altitude.