Patent ID: 8226025

Claim:
An aircraft, comprising: (a) an aerodynamic lifting structure; (b) a soft docking system configured to soft dock said aircraft with a second aircraft; and (c) a hard docking system configured to hard dock said aircraft with the second aircraft; wherein the hard docking system comprises: (i) a first hard docking mechanism located at a first end of the aerodynamic lifting structure; and (ii) a second hard docking mechanism located at a second end of the aerodynamic lifting structure, wherein the first hard docking mechanism of said aircraft is configured to engage and removably attach to the second hard docking mechanism of the second aircraft, following soft docking and when said aircraft and the second aircraft are located at or less than a first predetermined distance; (d) a first airflow adjustment mechanism located at a first end of the aerodynamic lifting structure; and (e) a second airflow adjustment mechanism located at a second end of the aerodynamic lifting structure; wherein the first airflow adjustment mechanism of said aircraft is adjusted to substantially reduce air vortices at the first end of the aerodynamic lifting structure, and a second airflow adjustment mechanism of the second aircraft is adjusted to substantially reduce vortices at the second end of the aerodynamic lifting structure prior to soft docking of said aircraft to the second aircraft; wherein aerodynamic lifting structure air vortices existing around tip areas of the aerodynamic lifting structures are moved away from each respective aerodynamic lifting structure tip area.