Method for determining the positioning of a following aircraft with respect to a leading aircraft flying in front of the following aircraft, the method being implemented by the following aircraft, and comprising the following steps implemented iteratively: - a step of acquisition of an image, in which the leading aircraft is visible; - a step of checking for the presence or the absence of a preceding iteration, and for the value of a parameter, called score, matched with each preceding iteration; - if an absence of preceding iteration or a preceding iteration matched with a score above a predetermined threshold is detected, an initialization step comprising: a) a substep of detection (E24A) of the leading aircraft on the image, b) a substep of extraction (E24B) of the outline of said detected aircraft and c) a substep of determination (E24C) of a profile of the leading aircraft from a three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft stored in a database and of an initial position of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft; - if a preceding iteration matched with a score below a predetermined threshold is detected, a continuation step, following an initialization step of a preceding iteration, and comprising a substep of extraction (E26A) of the outline of the leading aircraft; - in all cases, an adjustment step consisting in implementing an outline registration algorithm, to determine an optimized profile from a comparison of the outline of the leading aircraft with its profile and in calculating a value of the score of the iteration from the deviation between said compared outline and profiles; - if the value of the score is below the predetermined threshold, a step of determination of the positioning of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft, from the optimized profile and from the three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft. - a step of acquisition of an image, in which the leading aircraft is visible; - a step of checking for the presence or the absence of a preceding iteration, and for the value of a parameter, called score, matched with each preceding iteration; - if an absence of preceding iteration or a preceding iteration matched with a score above a predetermined threshold is detected, an initialization step comprising: a) a substep of detection (E24A) of the leading aircraft on the image, b) a substep of extraction (E24B) of the outline of said detected aircraft and c) a substep of determination (E24C) of a profile of the leading aircraft from a three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft stored in a database and of an initial position of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft; a) a substep of detection (E24A) of the leading aircraft on the image, b) a substep of extraction (E24B) of the outline of said detected aircraft and c) a substep of determination (E24C) of a profile of the leading aircraft from a three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft stored in a database and of an initial position of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft; - if a preceding iteration matched with a score below a predetermined threshold is detected, a continuation step, following an initialization step of a preceding iteration, and comprising a substep of extraction (E26A) of the outline of the leading aircraft; - in all cases, an adjustment step consisting in implementing an outline registration algorithm, to determine an optimized profile from a comparison of the outline of the leading aircraft with its profile and in calculating a value of the score of the iteration from the deviation between said compared outline and profiles; - if the value of the score is below the predetermined threshold, a step of determination of the positioning of the following aircraft with respect to the leading aircraft, from the optimized profile and from the three-dimensional model of the leading aircraft.