Method and system for piloting an aircraft

A system for aiding the piloting of an aircraft to climb to a safety altitude situated above an existing low-height flight trajectory, in which the safety altitude is a made safe altitude that avoids collision of the aircraft with surrounding terrain, said system comprising:

• a data processing device for determining the low-height flight trajectory, wherein the determination of the low-height flight trajectory by the data processing device includes determining:
• a lateral trajectory in a horizontal plane,
• a vertical trajectory in a vertical plane, and
• a maximum slope for the vertical trajectory;
• a guidance device configured to guide the aircraft along the lateral flight trajectory determined by the data processing device, and to guide the aircraft to the safety altitude during a climb mode to the safety altitude;
• and
• a setpoint actuation and selection device configured to control the guidance device, upon a climb command, to bring the aircraft to attain the safety altitude by subjecting the aircraft to the climb mode in a vertical plane according to a climb slope which is always greater than the maximum slope of the vertical trajectory of said low-height flight trajectory, wherein the aircraft is along a climb trajectory in the climb mode in which the aircraft is always above the vertical trajectory of the low-height flight trajectory determined by the data processing device, while following the lateral path of the lateral trajectory of the low-height flight trajectory.

A method for aiding the piloting of an aircraft to climb to a safety altitude situated above an existing low-height flight trajectory, in which the safety altitude is a made safe altitude that avoids collision of the aircraft with surrounding terrain, the method comprising:

• a) determining, by a data processing device, the low-height flight trajectory, wherein the determination of the low-height flight trajectory by the data processing device includes determining:
• a lateral trajectory in a horizontal plane,
• a vertical trajectory in a vertical plane, and
• a maximum slope for the vertical trajectory;
• b) guiding the aircraft, by a guidance device, along the low-height flight trajectory determined by the data processing device;
• and
• c) controlling the guidance device by a setpoint actuation and selection device, upon a climb command, to bring the aircraft to attain the safety altitude by subjecting the aircraft to a climb mode in a vertical plane according to a climb slope, determined by the data processing device, which is always greater than the maximum slope of the vertical trajectory of said low-height flight trajectory, wherein the aircraft is guided along a climb trajectory in the climb mode in which the aircraft is always above the vertical trajectory of the low-height trajectory determined by the data processing device, while following the lateral path of the lateral trajectory of the low-height flight trajectory,
• wherein the aircraft's existing altitude is compared with an auxiliary altitude, which is defined on the basis of the low-height flight trajectory and which represents the altitude of the flight trajectory at a lateral position corresponding to the existing lateral position of the aircraft, and if the existing altitude is less than or equal to the auxiliary altitude, flying the aircraft at the auxiliary altitude along the low-height flight trajectory.