Patent ID: 8718933

Claim:
A method for aiding a flight management of an aircraft aimed at reaching a constrained point on a predetermined lateral trajectory, at a required time of arrival RTA to within an absolute tolerance, said method comprising the following steps: utilizing a processor to initialize a calculation required time of arrival RTAc to the required time of arrival RTA, and then causing the processor to iterate the following steps: calculating a flight plan to be followed aimed at compliance with said calculation required time of arrival RTAc at the constrained point to within an absolute tolerance, when the aircraft strays from the flight plan to be followed: determining a homing flight plan, homing in on the flight plan to be followed, calculating an estimated time of arrival ETA at the constrained point on the basis of the homing flight plan, calculating a time of arrival difference between the estimated time of arrival ETA and the calculation required time of arrival RTAc, comparing the time of arrival difference and the absolute tolerance, wherein when the time of arrival difference exceeds the absolute tolerance, performing the following steps: calculating a new calculation required time of arrival NRTAc at the constrained point dependent on the calculation required time of arrival RTAc and a function f dependent on the difference between the calculation required time of arrival RTAc and the estimated time of arrival ETA, the new calculation required time of arrival NRTAc being given by the following formula: NRTAc=f(RTAc−ETA)+RTAc, the new calculation required time of arrival NRTAc being different from the calculation required time of arrival RTAc; and replacing the calculation required time of arrival RTAc with the new calculation required time of arrival NRTAc.