Abstract: A surface illumination system is provided that includes a lighting system mounted upon a vehicle body, such as an aircraft body. The lighting system is adapted to illuminate the surface beneath and around the periphery of the aircraft. For example, the lighting system is preferably adapted to illuminate the surface beneath at least one of the tail and distal ends of the wings. A further embodiment of the lighting system is adapted to illuminate the surface in a non-static manner. By increasing the illumination about the periphery of the aircraft, the surface illumination system draws increased attention to the aircraft and provides ground vehicles, taxiing aircraft, and landing aircraft advanced warning of the presence and position of obstacle aircraft on the ground, thereby reducing the possibility of collisions.

Abstract: A surface illumination system is provided that includes a lighting system mounted upon a vehicle body, such as an aircraft body. The lighting system is adapted to illuminate the surface beneath and around the periphery of the aircraft. For example, the lighting system is preferably adapted to illuminate the surface beneath at least one of the tail and distal ends of the wings. A further embodiment of the lighting system is adapted to illuminate the surface in a non-static manner. By increasing the illumination about the periphery of the aircraft, the surface illumination system draws increased attention to the aircraft and provides ground vehicles, taxiing aircraft, and landing aircraft advanced warning of the presence and position of obstacle aircraft on the ground, thereby reducing the possibility of collisions.

Abstract: A pitch limit symbol is generated at an aircraft attitude indicator which provides a pilot with display of a stall warning angle of attack margin which is referenced to an airplane symbol on the primary attitude indicator. The position of the pitch limit symbol relative to the aircraft symbol is a function of the difference in angle of attack between the current angle of attack at the aircraft, and a predetermined angle of attack at which the onset of stall warning occurs. Additional information is provided on the attitude indicator by a flight path angle symbol. The pitch limit symbol together with the flight path angle symbol provides the pilot with information to achieve a positive rate of climb during a pitch up maneuver while adjusting the pitch attitude of the aircraft to avoid a stall situation. The position of the pitch limit symbol may be compensated by various means to decrease the distance between the aircraft symbol and the pitch limit symbol.This is a continuation of application Ser. No.

Abstract: An integrated primary flight display apparatus for an aircraft provides coordinated information with minimum eye scan distances. Various cathode ray tube generated presentations are centered toward a common electronic attitude director indicator having indicia thereadjacent and pointers centrally directed. A moving altitude scale is utilized with a fixed vertical speed scale employed to select the correct vertical speed for leveling off at a given altitude. An arcuate shaped heading indication is expanded in angular extent to achieve enhanced sensitivity.