A method of limiting an aircraft to a pitch axis envelope, the method comprising: determining aircraft state limits of multiple pitch axis variables of an aircraft , wherein the pitch axis variables include at least an angle of attack of the aircraft, a load factor of the aircraft, a pitch attitude of the aircraft , and a calibrated airspeed of the aircraft , wherein the aircraft state limits define a limit pitch axis envelope of the aircraft, and wherein the aircraft state limits are either pre-determined constant values or values calculated from other aircraft state limits; determining predicted aircraft states based on current pitch axis variables of the aircraft and rates of the current pitch axis variables, wherein the predicted aircraft states are indicative of aircraft states at a future time; comparing the predicted aircraft states to the aircraft state limits to produce aircraft state errors for each of the multiple pitch axis variables, wherein the errors are used for identifying how close the aircraft is to exceeding the limit pitch axis envelope; translating the aircraft state errors into a set of positive and negative limit elevator commands, wherein a respective limit elevator command represents an elevator position of a flight control surface of the aircraft that will prevent exceedance of the respective aircraft state limits; comparing the set of positive limit elevator commands to each other and selecting a highest priority positive limit elevator command; comparing the set of negative limit elevator commands to each other and selecting a highest priority negative limit elevator command; limiting a primary pitch axis control law elevator command of the aircraft to a value that is less than or equal to the highest priority positive limit elevator command and greater than or equal to the highest priority negative limit elevator command; and controlling the aircraft according to the primary pitch axis control law elevator command limited to the value. determining aircraft state limits of multiple pitch axis variables of an aircraft , wherein the pitch axis variables include at least an angle of attack of the aircraft, a load factor of the aircraft, a pitch attitude of the aircraft , and a calibrated airspeed of the aircraft , wherein the aircraft state limits define a limit pitch axis envelope of the aircraft, and wherein the aircraft state limits are either pre-determined constant values or values calculated from other aircraft state limits; determining predicted aircraft states based on current pitch axis variables of the aircraft and rates of the current pitch axis variables, wherein the predicted aircraft states are indicative of aircraft states at a future time; comparing the predicted aircraft states to the aircraft state limits to produce aircraft state errors for each of the multiple pitch axis variables, wherein the errors are used for identifying how close the aircraft is to exceeding the limit pitch axis envelope; translating the aircraft state errors into a set of positive and negative limit elevator commands, wherein a respective limit elevator command represents an elevator position of a flight control surface of the aircraft that will prevent exceedance of the respective aircraft state limits; comparing the set of positive limit elevator commands to each other and selecting a highest priority positive limit elevator command; comparing the set of negative limit elevator commands to each other and selecting a highest priority negative limit elevator command; limiting a primary pitch axis control law elevator command of the aircraft to a value that is less than or equal to the highest priority positive limit elevator command and greater than or equal to the highest priority negative limit elevator command; and controlling the aircraft according to the primary pitch axis control law elevator command limited to the value. <EOS>