Aircraft instrument systems

Claim 1

An aircraft instrument system for a first aircraft comprising: means to identify when a possible collision with a second aircraft is likely; means for determining the evading action to be taken by the pilot of the first aircraft to avoid collision; means for providing a first signal when the evading action is to climb, and a second signal when the evading action is to descent; visual display means including a matrix array of electrically energizable elements; means mounting said visual display means in the peripheral field of view of the pilot when the pilot is looking forwardly through the aircraft window; means supplying said first and second signals to the visual display means to control the elements in said matrix array to provide a display image of upwardly moving signs and downwardly moving signs respectively such as to produce two alternative changing images on a single display that are visible to the pilot in the pilot's peripheral field of view and that are distinguishable form one another in the pilot's peripheral field of view, thereby to visually advise the pilot of the first aircraft to climb or descent without the need for the pilot to look directly at said visual display means.