A method is described for aiding the piloting of an airplane by ensuring availability of an automatic pilot that is normally controlled as a function of speed information of the airplane when the speed information is lost. The method includes detecting a loss of the speed information of the airplane. In response to the detection of the loss of the speed information, the method includes determining flight data of the airplane being independent from the speed information of the airplane, determining control parameters from the flight data, and controlling the automatic pilot based on the control parameters and without the speed information of the airplane. The automatic pilot includes an automatic piloting system or a flight director.