A method of autonomous landing of an aircraft in a landing area includes receiving, with the processor, sensor signals related to the landing area via a sensor device; obtaining, with the processor, a template of the landing area in response to the receiving of the sensor signals; matching, with the processor, one or more features of the template with the features of the acquired images of the landing area; and controlling, with the processor, each of the sensor device and aircraft control system independently based on said matching.