Patent ID: 7367526

Claim:
A method for assisting a pilot to fly an airplane to intercept a flight path, the method comprising the steps of: calculating a ground speed vector of the airplane; displaying on a display screen in the airplane a representation of the flight path; displaying on the display screen a first symbol representing a position of the airplane relative to the flight path; displaying on the display screen a first indicator that is attached to said first symbol and that is a straight line with an angular orientation corresponding to a direction of the ground speed vector and with a length that varies and corresponds to a magnitude of the ground speed vector when the magnitude exceeds a predetermined value and that is constant and proportional to the predetermined value when the magnitude is less than or equal to the predetermined value; displaying on the display screen a second indicator that is attached to said first indicator and that is a straight line whose direction represents an initial part of a future approach path for the airplane to intercept the flight path and whose length adjusts as the position of the airplane changes relative to the flight path; and displaying on the display screen a third indicator that extends tangentially from said second indicator and that is connected tangentially to the flight path, said third indicator being a curved line representing a final part of the future approach path for intercepting the flight path, wherein the flight path to be intercepted and the first, second, and third indicators are displayed on the screen at the same time.