A method for controlling an aerial vehicle includes determining a direction in which the aerial vehicle is traveling; determining, with reference to a table, an altitude range which corresponds to the determined direction and within which the aerial vehicle is caused to fly, the table indicating correspondences between directions in which the aerial vehicle is traveling and altitude ranges within which the aerial vehicle is to fly; obtaining, from an altimeter, a first altitude, which is a current altitude, at which the aerial vehicle is flying; determining whether the first altitude is included in the determined altitude range; and if it is determined that the first altitude is not included in the determined altitude range, changing an altitude at which the aerial vehicle is caused to fly from the first altitude to a second altitude included in the determined altitude range.

A method and apparatus for inspecting an aeronautical light using an aerial vehicle are disclosed. The method includes defining a first reference point based on a plurality of aeronautical lights installed on a runway surface, and defining a second reference point based on the first reference point, defining a flight path of the aerial vehicle taking off from the second reference point and heading to the first reference point, transmitting, to the ground, an image of the aeronautical lights photographed by the aerial vehicle, and inspecting and adjusting elevation angles of the aeronautical lights by analyzing the image of the aeronautical lights in real time.

A valve assembly for use with an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided and includes an inlet tube, a shuttle, a base plate, a screw assembly, and a spacer block. The shuttle is partially disposed within the inlet tube and is configured to be placed in a first position where the shuttle abuts the inlet tube and a second position where the outer surface is disposed in spaced relation to the inlet tube. The base plate extends between a first end portion that defines a cavity therein and a second end portion. The screw assembly is disposed within the cavity of the base plate and is coupled to a portion of the shuttle. The spacer block is interposed between the second end portion of the inlet tube and the first end portion of the base plate and is configured to maintain the inlet tube and the base plate in spaced relation.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a vehicle body, one or more propulsion units coupled to the vehicle body and configured to effect movement of the UAV, and one or more processors coupled to the one or more propulsion units and individually or collectively configured to receive one or more sets of altitude restrictions for the UAV, receive location information indicating a current location of the UAV, determine a priority of the one or more sets of altitude restrictions by which the UAV abides based on the location information, select a set from the one or more sets of altitude restrictions based on the determined priority, and generate control signals to control the one or more propulsion units such that the UAV is operated in compliance with the selected set of altitude restrictions.

A novel crash-resistant aircraft includes a fuselage and an aircraft base connected together via a movable fastener, and said fuselage comprises a cockpit, a cabin and an empennage. The aircraft base comprises a belly hold cargo bay, a fuel tank, an undercarriage, a power unit and wings. The empennage is also connected to the tail end of said fuselage via a movable fastener. A crash-resistant propeller system capable of bringing said fuselage upward is set up at the top of said cabin, a crash-resistant recoil devices set up beneath said cabin. The crash-resistant aircraft also comprises a control system disposed in said cockpit, and when said aircraft is in an accident in midair, said control system releases said movable fastener to abandon said aircraft base and said empennage. Also disclosed is a crash-resistant operation method of the crash-resistant aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle and a landing method for unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a positioning device and a processor. When the processor detects a fight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the processor obtains a current coordinate from the positioning device. According to the current coordinate, a predetermined route, and a plurality of emergency landing coordinates, the processor calculates a plurality of distances for the unmanned aerial vehicle moving from the current coordinate to each of the emergency landing coordinates along the predetermined route. According to a shortest distance among the plurality of distances, the processor obtains a target emergency landing coordinate. The processor controls the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the target emergency landing coordinate along the predetermined route.

In aspects herein, if GPS signals used as inputs into a GPS landing system become unreliable, an aircraft instead uses signals derived from radar data to operate the GPS landing system. Generally, GPS signals are unreliable if they cannot be received or if the signals are corrupted. Instead of using GPS signals, the landing system uses radar derived location data as inputs. In one example, the radar derived location data is generated using a radar system located at the intended landing site—e.g., an airport or aircraft carrier. The landing site transmits this data to the aircraft which processes the data using its GPS landing system that outputs control signals for landing the aircraft. Thus, even when GPS signals are unreliable, the aircraft can use the GPS landing system to land.

An automated aircraft recovery system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes an interface configured to receive sensor data; and a control mechanism configured to: perform automatically a recovery action that is determined based at least in part on the sensor data. In various embodiments, the control mechanism may determine an expected state of an aircraft, determine whether a state of the aircraft matches the expected state, and in the event the state of the aircraft does not match the expected state, perform the recovery action.

Innovative new methods in connection with lighter-than-air free floating platforms, of facilitating legal transmitter operation, platform flight termination when appropriate, environmentally acceptable landing, and recovery of these devices are provided. Especially, termination of radio transmissions and flight related to regional, governmental and international border requirements, regulations and laws. The new methods comprise specific criteria, detection of the criteria and elements of operation for reducing or preventing illegal transmissions, for producing rapid descend to the ground, for environmentally acceptable landing and for facilitating recovery all with improved safety and enhanced compliance with known regulations.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, a terminal, and a storage medium for elevation surrounding flight control. The method includes: obtaining surrounding parameter information of an unmanned aerial vehicle; determining, according to the surrounding parameter information, an elevation surrounding trajectory to be surrounded, where the elevation surrounding trajectory is a plane with the point of interest as a center and the surrounding radius as a radius, and the plane where the elevation surrounding trajectory is located is perpendicular to a horizontal plane; and obtaining a capture viewing angle mode; and controlling, according to the capture viewing angle mode, the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly along the elevation surrounding trajectory.