Formation flight system design concept

IBM recently completed a baseline design study for a formation flight system to be used for rendezvous, join-up, and formation flight of US Air Force helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The baseline system uses a Global Positioning System/inertial navigation system (GP/INS) relative navigation concept with backup data link range measurement as the basis of the precise position location for all aircraft both within the formation and among the separate formations. Part of the study included development of flight guidance algorithms for rendezvous of helicopters with tankers, joinup of individual aircraft into existing formations, and station-keeping within formation flight. The situational awareness display, guidance algorithms, and flight control cues have been demonstrated in a pilot-in-the-loop simulator and pilot comments have been favorable