Patent ID: 7636619

Claim:
A device for aiding the guidance of a follower aircraft, said device which is mounted on said follower aircraft and which allows said follower aircraft to follow a main lead aircraft during a patrol flight, comprising: first means for producing first position deviations between the follower aircraft and the main lead aircraft; a calculation unit for determining, as a function of a predetermined main patrol configuration and of said first position deviations, a first trajectory which corresponds to a flight trajectory allowing the follower aircraft to follow said main lead aircraft in accordance with said main patrol configuration; and guidance means which receive the trajectory determined by said calculation unit and which are formed to aid the guidance of the follower aircraft along said trajectory received, wherein said device moreover comprises: second means for producing second position deviations between the follower aircraft and a predetermined auxiliary lead aircraft: recording means for recording said second position deviations and another trajectory corresponding to said auxiliary lead aircraft; and a control device for directing the transmission of said second position deviations to said calculation unit when said control device is actuated by a pilot of said follower aircraft; and wherein said calculation unit is formed: to calculate as a function of said second position deviations received, of said another trajectory corresponding to said auxiliary lead aircraft and of an auxiliary patrol configuration, a second trajectory which corresponds to a flight trajectory allowing the follower aircraft to follow the auxiliary lead aircraft in accordance with said auxiliary patrol configuration; and to transmit this second trajectory to said guidance means, in place of said first trajectory.