METHOD AND DEVICE OF ASSISTING IN THE PILOTING OF AN AIRCRAFT IN A SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION

1 . A method of assisting in the piloting of an aircraft (A) in a search and rescue mission,

wherein:

a) a check is carried out to see if the following flight conditions are simultaneously satisfied:

a1) the aircraft (A) is flying along a search path (TR) in accordance with a flight plan;

a2) the aircraft (A) is automatically guided by an automatic pilot device ( 2 ) in a managed mode; and

a3) valid information concerning the actual position (P 0 ) of the aircraft (A) is available on board;

b) the piloting of the aircraft (A) is monitored so as to be able to detect a disengagement of said managed mode; and

c) if said flight conditions are simultaneously satisfied, when a disengagement of said managed mode is detected, the following operations are carried out automatically:

c1) the current actual position (P 0 ) of the aircraft (A) is determined;

c2) this actual position (P 0 ) is recorded; and

c3) said actual position (P 0 ) is inserted into said flight plan.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein, furthermore, in a step c4), said actual position (P 0 ) is automatically displayed on at least one display screen ( 12 ) of the aircraft (A).

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein, in the step b), a disengagement of the managed mode is detected on detecting one of the following events:

an action by the pilot on a flight control means of the aircraft (A);

a disconnection of the automatic pilot device (2), performed on a flight control unit of the aircraft (A); and

an actuation by the pilot on a heading control means which is provided on said flight control unit.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein, if, following a disengagement of the managed mode, the pilot orders a return to said search path (TR):

a return path (T 2 ) of the aircraft (A) is automatically determined, enabling it to return to said recorded actual position (P 0 ); and

the aircraft (A) is automatically guided along this return path (T 2 ).

5 . A device for assisting in the piloting of an aircraft in a search and rescue mission,

which comprises:

means ( 5 ) for checking whether the following flight conditions are simultaneously satisfied:

the aircraft (A) is flying along a search path in accordance with a flight plan;

the aircraft (A) is automatically guided by an automatic pilot device ( 2 ) in a managed mode; and

valid information concerning the actual position (P 0 ) of the aircraft (A) is available on board;

a monitoring system ( 4 ) able to detect a disengagement of said managed mode;

means ( 6 ) for determining the current actual position (P 0 ) of the aircraft (A);

means ( 7 ) for recording this actual position (P 0 ) on detection of a disengagement of said managed mode, if said flight conditions are simultaneously satisfied; and

means ( 8 ) for inserting said actual position (P 0 ) into said flight plan.

6 . The device as claimed in claim 5 ,

which comprises, in addition, means ( 11 ) for displaying said actual position (P 0 ) on at least one display screen ( 12 ).

7 . The device as claimed in claim 5 ,

wherein said monitoring system ( 5 ) comprises:

means ( 13 ) that are able to detect an action by the pilot on a flight control means of the aircraft (A);

means ( 14 ) that are able to detect a disconnection of the automatic pilot device ( 2 ), which is performed on a flight control unit of the aircraft (A); and

means ( 15 ) that are able to detect an actuation by the pilot of a heading control means that is provided on said flight control unit.

8 . An aircraft,

which comprises a device ( 1 ) able to implement the method specified under claim 1 .

9 . An aircraft,

which comprises a device ( 1 ) like the one specified under claim 5.