VIDEO-ASSISTED LANDING GUIDANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD

A system and method for aiding landing of an aircraft receives sequential frames of image data of a landing site from an electro-optic sensor on the aircraft; identifies a plurality of features of the landing site in multiple sequential frames of the image data; calculates relative position and distance data between identified features within multiple sequential frames of image data using a local coordinate system within the frames; provides a mathematical 3D model of the landing site in response to the calculated relative position and distance data from the multiple sequential frames; updates the 3D model by repeating the steps of collecting, identifying, and calculating during approach to the landing site by the aircraft; and uses the 3D model from the step of updating for landing the aircraft on the landing site.