A piloting system having a control stick configured to control the aircraft with respect to its three piloting axes, namely the pitch axis, the roll axis and the yaw axis, and an auxiliary control device configured to automatically control the aircraft during one of the following phases: a landing phase and a takeoff phase. The auxiliary control device automatically controls the aircraft with respect to at least one of the piloting axes, and the other piloting axes, which are not controlled automatically by the auxiliary control device, then being controlled manually by a pilot with the aid of the control stick.

A piloting system having a control stick configured to control the aircraft with respect to its three piloting axes, namely the pitch axis, the roll axis and the yaw axis, and an auxiliary control device configured to automatically control the aircraft during one of the following phases: a landing phase and a takeoff phase. The auxiliary control device automatically controls the aircraft with respect to at least one of the piloting axes, and the other piloting axes, which are not controlled automatically by the auxiliary control device, then being controlled manually by a pilot with the aid of the control stick.

A method of retrofitting a mechanically controlled aircraft with a fly-by-wire system includes removing a mechanical links between mechanical pilot inputs and actuators operable to drive flight surfaces. Electromechanical actuators are coupled between a plurality of vehicle management computers and the actuators. Each of the electromechanical actuators is operable to receive commands from the vehicle management computers and output a mechanical force to an input linkage of one of the actuators. Electromechanical pilot input modules are coupled to the mechanical pilot inputs. Each of the electromechanical pilot input modules is operable to convert a pilot-driven input force of an instance of the mechanical pilot inputs into an electronic signal indicative of the pilot-driven input force. At least one high performance computer is coupled to at least one of the vehicle management computers. The high performance computer executes one or more high level intelligence algorithms to selectively operate the aircraft autonomously.

Some aspects relate to systems and methods for fly-by-wire reversionary flight control including a pilot control, a plurality of sensors configured to: sense control data associated with the pilot control, and transmit the control data, a first actuator communicative with the plurality of sensors configured to receive the control data, determine a first command datum as a function of the control data and a distributed control algorithm, and actuate a first control element according to the first command datum.

Within examples, a system is described that includes a control lever for controlling operation of a device, a first actuator coupled to the control lever via a rod, and a resettable frangible link coupling a second actuator to the control lever via the rod. The resettable frangible link enables separation of coupling of the second actuator from the control lever based on an applied force to the rod by the first actuator.

Provided are a controller for controlling a drone that performs autonomous flight under computer control and a control program that runs on a tablet terminal. On a screen of the controller or the program, map information on an agricultural field over which the drone is to fly, route information on a route along which the drone is to fly, and an emergency stop button of the drone are displayed. A button for performing fine adjustment on an altitude may be displayed. It is desirable that the emergency stop button be translucent and be displayed such that the button is superimposed on the map information. It is desirable that emergency stop be performed only when a predetermined operation is performed on the emergency stop button a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined time period.

Provided are a controller for controlling a drone that performs autonomous flight under computer control and a control program that runs on a tablet terminal. On a screen of the controller or the program, map information on an agricultural field over which the drone is to fly, route information on a route along which the drone is to fly, and an emergency stop button of the drone are displayed. A button for performing fine adjustment on an altitude may be displayed. It is desirable that the emergency stop button be translucent and be displayed such that the button is superimposed on the map information. It is desirable that emergency stop be performed only when a predetermined operation is performed on the emergency stop button a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined time period.

An aircraft having an augmented reality flight control system integrated with and operable from the pilot seat and an associated pilot headgear unit, wherein the flight control system is supplemented by flight-assisting artificial intelligence and geo-location systems is presented. The present disclosure includes an augmented reality flight control system incorporating real-world objects with virtual elements to provide relevant data to a pilot during aircraft flight. A translucent substrate is disposed in the pilot's field of view such that the pilot can see therethrough, and observe virtual elements displayed on the substrate. The system includes a headgear that is worn by the pilot. A flight assistance module is configured to receive data related to the aircraft and provide predictive assistance to the pilot during flight based on the received data based in part on a pilot profile having preferences related to the pilot.

An aircraft having an augmented reality flight control system integrated with and operable from the pilot seat and an associated pilot headgear unit, wherein the flight control system is supplemented by flight-assisting artificial intelligence and geo-location systems is presented. The present disclosure includes an augmented reality flight control system incorporating real-world objects with virtual elements to provide relevant data to a pilot during aircraft flight. A translucent substrate is disposed in the pilot's field of view such that the pilot can see therethrough, and observe virtual elements displayed on the substrate. The system includes a headgear that is worn by the pilot. A flight assistance module is configured to receive data related to the aircraft and provide predictive assistance to the pilot during flight based on the received data based in part on a pilot profile having preferences related to the pilot.

Aviation method comprising performing a single-pilot flight of inter-continental duration T>tp=predetermined single-pilot maximal single pilot flight duration; including using pilot-in-command logic empower a single airborne pilot to pilot via an airborne man-machine interface (MMI), only for a time window W<tp, where W includes at least an initial climbing phase of duration t1 and a final descent phase of duration t3; and using pilot-in-command logic to pilot the aircraft during an intermediate cruising phase occurring between the initial climbing and final descent phases, without recourse to the airborne pilot except during an emergency, thereby to accomplish a single-pilot inter-continental flight of duration T>tp, while utilizing the human airborne pilot only for a time period W<tp.