Patent ID: 7024309

Claim:
A system for autonomously keeping an aircraft's station in a formation flight of a plurality of aircraft, the system comprising: a navigation system configured to determine a position of the aircraft; a data link configured to allow the aircraft to communicate data with at least one other aircraft in a formation flight of a plurality of aircraft; a sensor configured to sense position of the at least one other aircraft within a predetermined distance of the aircraft; and a processor configured to provide control signals to keep the aircraft at a predetermined station relative to the at least one other of the plurality of aircraft in the formation flight based upon the sensed position of the at least one other aircraft, the processor including: a first component configured to generate first control signals for performing a collision avoidance maneuver when the position of the aircraft is within a first predetermined threshold from the at least one other aircraft in the formation; and a second component configured to generate second control signals for performing a collision deconfliction maneuver when the position of the aircraft is within a second predetermined threshold from the at least one other aircraft in the formation, the second predetermined threshold being greater than the first predetermined threshold.