Method and a set of means for piloting an aircraft

A method for piloting an airborn aircraft in cooperation with a remote control station,

• wherein the aircraft comprises:
• aircraft piloting equipment for controlling operation of the aircraft;
• power drives;
• controlled joints having
• a first mode in which the controlled joints operably connect the aircraft piloting equipment to the power drives and
• a second mode in which the controlled drives disconnect the aircraft piloting equipment from the power drives;
• activators and deactivators operable to switch the controlled joints from the first mode to the second mode and operable to switch the controlled joints from the second mode to the first mode;
• a power drive control system operable to control the power drives;
• aircraft radio communication equipment;
• an on-board computer;
• a commands and signals input/output interface device;
• a satellite radio navigation system receiver;
• and
• instruments and sensors, and
• the remote control station comprises:
• control station radio communication equipment;
• control station hardware;
• a navigation and landing system,
• the method comprising:
• (a) receiving data related to devices, sensors, and control equipment through the command and signals input/output interface device;
• (b) receiving signals directly from the satellite radio navigation system
• (c) processing the data and signals to produce processed data and signals selected from the group consisting of precise coordinates of the aircraft location, spatial location and motion characteristics, instrumental readings, sensors and condition of the onboard equipment, and combinations thereof;
• (d) transmitting the processed data and signals through the aircraft radio equipment;
• in a remote piloting mode:
• (e) operating the activators and deactivators to switch the controlled joints to the first mode;
• (f) receiving the processed data and signals through control station radio communication equipment
• (e) conveying the processed data and signals to a control station operator
• (g) generating control station operator commands;
• (h) transmitting the control station operator commands with the control station radio communication equipment;
• (i) receiving the control station operator commands from the remote control station with the aircraft radio communication equipment;
• (j) conveying the control station operator commands from the aircraft radio equipment to the power drive control system, wherein the power drive control system activates the control equipment in accordance with the control station operator commands through power drives and controlled joints;
• (k) repeating (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) (j) or combinations thereof;
• in an automatic aircraft piloting mode:
• (l) operating the activators and deactivators to switch the controlled joints to the first mode upon commands of control station hardware;
• (m) receiving the processed data and signals through control station radio communication equipment;
• (n) conveying the processed data and signals to the control station hardware;
• (o) generating control station hardware commands using the processed data and signals;
• (p) transmitting the control station hardware commands with the control station radio communication equipment;
• (q) receiving the control station hardware commands from the remote control station with the aircraft radio communication equipment;
• (r) conveying the control station hardware commands from the aircraft radio equipment to the power drive control system, wherein the power drive control system activates the control equipment in accordance with the control station hardware commands through power drives and controlled joints;
• (s) repeating (a), (b), (c), (d), (l), (m), (n), (o), (p), (q), (r) or combinations thereof;
• in a free-running automatic aircraft mode:
• (t) operating the activators and deactivators to switch the controlled joints to the first mode;
• (u) generating onboard computer commands using the processed data and signals;
• (v) conveying the onboard computer commandsto the power drive control system through the commands and signals input/output interface device, wherein the power drive control system activates the control equipment in accordance with the onboard computer commands through power drives and controlled joints;
• (w) repeating (a), (b), (c), (d), (t), (u), (v) or combinations thereof;
• and
• in the remote piloting mode or the automatic aircraft piloting mode:
• (x) optionally landing the aircraft comprising:
• (i) generating landing commands through the navigation and landing system;
• (ii) transmitting the landing commands with the control station radio communication equipment;
• (iii) receiving the landing commands from the remote control station with the aircraft radio communication equipment;
• (iv) conveying the landing commands from the aircraft radio equipment to the power drive control system, wherein the power drive control system activates the control equipment in accordance with the control station hardware commands through power drives and controlled joints, wherein the aircraft is landed.