Patent ID: 7295134

Claim:
A terrain avoidance method for an aircraft, the method comprising: adding a first command corresponding to an action on a control device carried out by a pilot to a second command having a first gradient corresponding to a predetermined value so as to produce a climb command, if the aircraft's automatic pilot is disengaged; producing a climb command that is equivalent to the second command if the automatic pilot is engaged; transmitting a caution and subjecting the aircraft automatically to the climb command when the aircraft risks having a collision with the terrain at the end of a first predetermined period of time if the aircraft maintains its current flight characteristics; transmitting a warning when the aircraft risks having a collision with the terrain at the end of a second predetermined period of time if the aircraft maintains its current flight characteristics, the second predetermined period of time being shorter than the first predetermined period of time; and automatically engaging the automatic pilot at the time of transmission of the warning so as to force the aircraft into a climb with the maximum gradient possible in the current flight conditions of the aircraft, wherein: if the caution is transmitted when the automatic pilot is engaged, the climb command is executed by a first function integrated within the automatic pilot, if the caution is transmitted when the automatic pilot is disengaged, the climb command is executed by a second function without engaging the automatic pilot, and the first and second functions implement the same type of piloting laws.