Patent ID: 8010241

Claim:
A method for assisting in the piloting of an aircraft in a flight along a flight path comprising a plurality of successive rectilinear segments, each of said rectilinear segments presenting a particular constant gradient and the gradients being different from one segment to another, whereby there is presented on a display screen of a head-up display device and superimposed on the environment seen at the front of the aircraft in conformal projection a gradient scale and, on this gradient scale, a gradient symbol illustrating the current gradient of the aircraft, wherein the following series of successive steps is carried out automatically and repetitively: a) determining the respective gradients of a plurality of successive rectilinear segments of said flight path and change information that makes it possible to determine changes of gradient; b) determining, from said gradients and from said change information, for each of said rectilinear segments, a characteristic angle which represents the gradient angle by which the corresponding rectilinear segment is seen by the pilot of the aircraft, from the current position of said aircraft; and c) presenting, on said display screen of the head-up display device, superimposed on the environment seen at the front of the aircraft and in conformal projection, characteristic signs which respectively depend on said characteristic angles and which are positioned on the gradient scale so as to display differences in gradient relative to said gradient symbol, each duly displayed difference in gradient presenting on the gradient scale a gradient that is equal to the corresponding characteristic angle determined in the step b).