Certain vehicles, such as aircraft, can be operated in an autopilot mode, in which an autopilot system controls various systems of the aircraft to control the path of the aircraft under the supervision of a pilot. In certain instances, the autopilot system may be used to direct the vertical trajectory of the aircraft, such as a vertical descent of the aircraft for landing. Generally, the vertical trajectory of an aircraft is defined as a function of altitude with associated speed constraints along the aircraft lateral distance to the end point of the leg. While controlling the vertical descent of the aircraft, the autopilot system may encounter conditions where the aircraft may deviate from the planned vertical path due to varying wind conditions or incorrect energy management in descent or approach. Given the pilot's generally high workload during descent and approach for landing, the pilot may not be able to easily discern the new path of the aircraft taken by the autopilot system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved systems and methods for providing situational awareness of the current and the future state of a vehicle, such as an aircraft, during an autopilot mode, by displaying the current and the future state on a display associated with the vehicle to enable the pilot to discern the current and future path of the vehicle. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.