Abstract: A method of assisting the piloting of an aircraft (60) at low altitude over terrain (S), in which method, during a first stage, a framework (10) is constructed from at least one main segment (40) and during a second stage a setpoint flight path (50) is constructed. More precisely, during the first stage, said main segment (40) is subdivided automatically into a plurality of secondary segments (41, 42, 43), each of said secondary segments (41) being situated at the same setpoint height above the highest point of the underlying terrain, with two adjacent secondary segments (41) being in alignment or connected together by a bar (44) that extends vertically in a vertical section.

Abstract: A method of detecting obstacles on board an aircraft while in the vicinity (44) of a touchdown point (27, 42), includes the following operations: selecting/determining a path (41) to be followed by the aircraft overflying the touchdown point; the aircraft overflying the touchdown point following the overflight path, and during the overflight recording signals/data delivered by an on-board rangefinder observing a portion of space extending below the aircraft; analyzing the rangefinder data to detect the presence of obstacles and to determine their positions in a terrestrial frame of reference, where appropriate to determine their dimensions; and recording the detected obstacle position data, and dimensions, if any, in a memory.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining an estimated speed of an aircraft relative to ground being overflown by the aircraft, in which use is made of the sum of an acceleration measurement of the aircraft plus a difference value, the difference value being obtained from observation data or signals relating to a region of the ground.

Abstract: In a method of the invention for assisting the piloting of an aircraft, a guard curve (CGS) is determined as a function of the resources of the aircraft, the position of an obstacle (O) or a terrain point situated in front of the aircraft is measured by telemetry, the distance D between the guard curve and the obstacle (O) or the terrain point is calculated, and a pull-down order or a pull-up order is produced as a function of the distance D.

Abstract: A method of detecting the presence of a suspended filamentary object in view of a telemeter on an aircraft includes: i) calculating terrestrial coordinates of points corresponding to telemeter echoes, and selecting candidates; ii) searching a horizontal plane for straight line segments close to vertical projections of candidate points; and iii) searching each vertical plane containing one of the straight line segments for portions of catenaries close to candidate points. In step iii), for each considered vertical plane and each triplet of candidate points close to the considered vertical plane, calculating values of three parameters of a catenary containing the projections on the vertical plane of the three points of the considered triplet, and determining presence of at least one suspended filamentary object as a function of the distribution of values of catenary parameters calculated for all of the triplets of candidate points close to the vertical plane under consideration.

Abstract: A method of detecting the presence of a suspended filamentary object in view of a telemeter on an aircraft includes: i) calculating terrestrial coordinates of points corresponding to telemeter echoes, and selecting candidates; ii) searching a horizontal plane for straight line segments close to vertical projections of candidate points; and iii) searching each vertical plane containing one of the straight line segments for portions of catenaries close to candidate points. In step iii), for each considered vertical plane and each triplet of candidate points close to the considered vertical plane, calculating values of three parameters of a catenary containing the projections on the vertical plane of the three points of the considered triplet, and determining presence of at least one suspended filamentary object as a function of the distribution of values of catenary parameters calculated for all of the triplets of candidate points close to the vertical plane under consideration.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting obstacles on board an aircraft while in the vicinity (44) of a touchdown point (27, 42), the method comprising the following operations: selecting/determining a path (41) to be followed by the aircraft overflying the touchdown point; the aircraft overflying the touchdown point following the overflight path, and during the overflight recording signals/data delivered by an on-board rangefinder observing a portion of space extending below the aircraft; analyzing the rangefinder data to detect the presence of obstacles and to determine their positions in a terrestrial frame of reference, where appropriate to determine their dimensions; and recording the detected obstacle position data, and dimensions, if any, in a memory.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of determining an estimated speed of an aircraft relative to ground being overflown by the aircraft, in which use is made of the sum of an acceleration measurement of the aircraft plus a difference value, the difference value being obtained from observation data or signals relating to a region of the ground.

Abstract: In a method of the invention for assisting the piloting of an aircraft, a guard curve (CGS) is determined as a function of the resources of the aircraft, the position of an obstacle (O) or a terrain point situated in front of the aircraft is measured by telemetry, the distance D between the guard curve and the obstacle (O) or the terrain point is calculated, and a pull-down order or a pull-up order is produced as a function of the distance D.