Video: When Aerial Refueling Goes Bad

"Eunometic" wrote:

If one accepts your point that autonomous probe movement will upset the pilots
ability to mate with the probe there is then still scope to 'stabilize' the
probe or rather to smooth its behavior when there are gusts around.

Sure. However, dynamic "smoothing" will likely get the basket out of synch with
the airplanes just like unintended autopilot or unbriefed boomer inputs. Static
smoothing methods, e.g., "tuning" of the hose characteristics, might work
better.


What about shifting the paradigm a little. The aircraft automatically or
manually formates at an appropriate spot behind and below the tanker and then
remains stationary while the probe flies itself to the drogue.

I think that automatic stationkeeping would work better with the AF version,
especially with UAVs.

After all, the current concept IS to fly on the tanker, NOT on the drogue! It's
when the pilot tries to fly formation on the drogue that he begins to "chase" it
as the pilot did in the video. When pilots new to air refueling finally "get
it," they wonder why it was so hard in the first place!