A method of estimating an elevation angle of an aerial refueling boom on an aerial refueling aircraft, wherein a hoist cable is coupled between a hoist on the aerial refueling aircraft and the aerial refueling boom, the method comprising the steps of: collecting measured data signals from a hoist-cable length sensor, a plurality of aerial refueling boom position sensors (332, 334), and a dynamic pressure sensor; generating a first database of measured data corresponding to the collected measured data signals; optimizing the measured data of the first database to create a second database of optimized data corresponding to the measured data, wherein the measured data includes measured aerial refueling boom elevation data and wherein the optimized data includes optimized aerial refueling boom elevation estimation data; comparing the optimized data to the measured data to determine a difference between the optimized aerial refueling boom elevation estimation data and the measured aerial refueling boom elevation data to determine an elevation data error; determining if the elevation data error is greater than a predetermined threshold value; updating the optimized data if the elevation data error is greater than the predetermined threshold value; and utilizing the optimized data to determine the elevation angle of the aerial refueling boom; wherein optimizing the measured data is performed by defining and minimizing the following error function relationship: e θ B = f q ̃ ψ B θ B l hoist − T cable min e θ B subject to θ B ∈ R wherein θ B is the aerial refueling boom elevation angle, q̃ is the dynamic pressure exerted on the aerial refueling boom, Ψ B is the aerial refueling boom azimuth angle, l hoist is the hoist-cable length and T cable is the hoist-cable tension, which is maintained constant. collecting measured data signals from a hoist-cable length sensor, a plurality of aerial refueling boom position sensors (332, 334), and a dynamic pressure sensor; generating a first database of measured data corresponding to the collected measured data signals; optimizing the measured data of the first database to create a second database of optimized data corresponding to the measured data, wherein the measured data includes measured aerial refueling boom elevation data and wherein the optimized data includes optimized aerial refueling boom elevation estimation data; comparing the optimized data to the measured data to determine a difference between the optimized aerial refueling boom elevation estimation data and the measured aerial refueling boom elevation data to determine an elevation data error; determining if the elevation data error is greater than a predetermined threshold value; updating the optimized data if the elevation data error is greater than the predetermined threshold value; and utilizing the optimized data to determine the elevation angle of the aerial refueling boom; wherein optimizing the measured data is performed by defining and minimizing the following error function relationship: e θ B = f q ̃ ψ B θ B l hoist − T cable min e θ B subject to θ B ∈ R wherein θ B is the aerial refueling boom elevation angle, q̃ is the dynamic pressure exerted on the aerial refueling boom, Ψ B is the aerial refueling boom azimuth angle, l hoist is the hoist-cable length and T cable is the hoist-cable tension, which is maintained constant.