초록 ▼

A vertical lift aircraft, such as a helicopter, can land in an area with impaired visibility such as fog. Around the landing area is a plurality of laser beam emitters. The emitters project a pattern of laser beams skyward. The helicopter finds the general area by spot-lights pointing up through the

A vertical lift aircraft, such as a helicopter, can land in an area with impaired visibility such as fog. Around the landing area is a plurality of laser beam emitters. The emitters project a pattern of laser beams skyward. The helicopter finds the general area by spot-lights pointing up through the fog, or by navigation. As the helicopter approaches, it sends a radio signal, which is detected on the ground. The spot-lights are switched off and the laser emitters are switched on. The helicopter is positioned within the pattern so that the laser beams reflect off of a portion of the aircraft, such as the rotor blades. This forms a visual cue, which the pilot uses to maintain the position of the helicopter relative to the landing area and descends thereto.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a) projecting a pattern of focused nonintersecting discrete light beams from the landing zone skyward;b) skyward of the landing zone, positioning the aircraft within the pattern;c) illuminating simultaneously with at least a plurality of the light beams the rotary wing of t

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a) projecting a pattern of focused nonintersecting discrete light beams from the landing zone skyward;b) skyward of the landing zone, positioning the aircraft within the pattern;c) illuminating simultaneously with at least a plurality of the light beams the rotary wing of the aircraft with the pattern so as to form a visual cue of the position of the aircraft relative to the landing zone.