Patent ID: 8108085

Claim:
A system for controlling flight of an aircraft comprising: a sensor system disposed on the aircraft for sensing a position of the aircraft and an inertial movement of the aircraft, the sensor system being adapted to communicate sensed data representing the position and the inertial movement of the aircraft; a receiver disposed on the aircraft and adapted to receive transmitted reference data communicating a position and movement of a reference vehicle; commanded data representing a selected velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle; and a control system disposed on the aircraft for calculating a calculated velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle using the sensed data and the reference data and for controlling flight-control devices on the aircraft, such that the aircraft attains and maintains a selected velocity relative to the reference vehicle corresponding to the commanded data; wherein the commanded data is inputted prior to flight of the aircraft, into the control system communicating a selected position and velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle.