System and Method for Rotorcraft Height Control

A flight control system for a rotorcraft comprising:

• a plurality of radio height sensors;
• a plurality of barometric altitude sensors;
• and
• a flight control computer (FCC) operable to control one or more flight control devices of the rotorcraft, comprising:
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, the program including instructions for providing control of the rotorcraft, the instructions for providing control of the rotorcraft including instructions for:
• receiving measured height data from the plurality of radio height sensors;
• receiving measured altitude data from the plurality of barometric altitude sensors;
• and
• controlling one or more flight control elements of the rotorcraft and maintaining a vertical position of the rotorcraft, wherein the controlling is based on the measured height data when the measured height data indicates a rotorcraft height at or below a threshold value.

A rotorcraft comprising:

• a flight control computer (FCC);
• a first radio height sensor coupled to the FCC;
• a second radio height sensor coupled to the FCC;
• and
• one or more flight control devices coupled to the FCC and operable to control a flight parameter of the rotorcraft in response to a flight control device control signal received from the FCC;
• wherein the FCC is operable to receive a first indication of height from the first radio height sensor and a second indication of height from the second radio height sensor, to generate the flight control device control signal according to the lesser of the two heights indicated by the first indication of height and the second indication of height, and to send the flight control device control signal to the one or more flight control devices.