A method for controlling a group of lighter-than-air aerial vehicles (201a, 201b; 216a, 216b; 211a, 211b, 211c) that are at least partially wind driven to meet a connectivity service objective, the method being performed by a computing device located remotely from the group of lighter-than-air aerial vehicles, the method comprising: causing two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles in the group to arrive at a target service area during a given arrival time window associated with the connectivity service objective, the connectivity service objective comprising a desired probability of service coverage of the target service area; calculating a probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period after the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles are expected to arrive at the target service area, wherein calculating the probability of service coverage includes: running single-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of each of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles or multi-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles to determine the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period, wherein the simulations are based on characteristics of the lighter-than-air aerial vehicles and forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, or based directly on forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, determining whether the forecasted wind patterns are favorable for station seeking thereby to infer the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period; determining whether the probability of service coverage meets a probability of coverage threshold; and when the probability of service coverage meets the probability of coverage threshold, causing the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles to each operate independently according to a station seeking flight policy during the first time period, wherein the station seeking flight policy outputs a) a set of actions for the lighter-than-air aerial vehicle to take in order to remain within or near the target service area for the first time period, and/or b) a set of commands configured to cause the lighter-than-air aerial vehicle to take one or more actions in order to remain within or near the target service area for the first time period. causing two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles in the group to arrive at a target service area during a given arrival time window associated with the connectivity service objective, the connectivity service objective comprising a desired probability of service coverage of the target service area; calculating a probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period after the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles are expected to arrive at the target service area, wherein calculating the probability of service coverage includes: running single-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of each of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles or multi-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles to determine the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period, wherein the simulations are based on characteristics of the lighter-than-air aerial vehicles and forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, or based directly on forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, determining whether the forecasted wind patterns are favorable for station seeking thereby to infer the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period; running single-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of each of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles or multi-vehicle simulations of the trajectories of the two or more lighter-than-air vehicles to determine the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period, wherein the simulations are based on characteristics of the lighter-than-air aerial vehicles and forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, or based directly on forecasted wind patterns for the first time period at the target service area, determining whether the forecasted wind patterns are favorable for station seeking thereby to infer the probability of service coverage of the target service area for the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles for a first time period; determining whether the probability of service coverage meets a probability of coverage threshold; and when the probability of service coverage meets the probability of coverage threshold, causing the two or more lighter-than-air aerial vehicles to each operate independently according to a station seeking flight policy during the first time period, wherein the station seeking flight policy outputs a) a set of actions for the lighter-than-air aerial vehicle to take in order to remain within or near the target service area for the first time period, and/or b) a set of commands configured to cause the lighter-than-air aerial vehicle to take one or more actions in order to remain within or near the target service area for the first time period.