A method for displaying to an operator a rectangular image having a wide field of view of a scene, includes forming a virtual cylinder from the rectangular image, as if it was first printed on a transparent sheet such that it is visible from both sides of the sheet, and then rolled to form the cylinder. A perspective view of the cylinder is provided, vertically dividing the cylinder into two halves. One of the cylinder halves is vertically shifted until there is no overlap between the two halves. The ellipse which is formed between the two halves following the shifting step is defined as an orientation plane.