Boom load alleviation using visual means

A mobile platform imaging system, comprising:

• an extendable refueling tube;
• a plurality of light imageable targets positionable along an external surface of the tube;
• each of the light imageable targets convertible into a pixel image;
• and
• each said pixel image being assignable to a coordinate system.

An aircraft imaging system, comprising:

• an aircraft having an extendable refueling tube;
• at least one camera mountable on the aircraft having a line of sight encompassing at least a portion of the refueling tube, the camera operably creating one of a plurality of digital images and a plurality of video images;
• and
• a computer system in communication with the camera operable to store any of the digital images and the video images as one of a plurality of pixel images;
• wherein one of the pixel images corresponding to at least one refueling tube surface point is comparable by the computer system to a corresponding surface point null position to operably determine a refueling tube deflection.

A system for supplying a fluid to a moving mobile platform from a fluid supply source, comprising:

• a conduit for supplying the fluid from the fluid supply to the mobile platform;
• at least one targeting sight positionable on the conduit;
• and
• at least one digital camera for imaging the targeting sight and for converting images of the targeting sight into a plurality of pixel images for assisting in positioning the conduit relative to the mobile platform.

A positioning system used to refuel a mobile platform via a conduit while the mobile platform is moving, from a fluid supply source in communication wit the conduit, the positioning system comprising:

• at least one target for identifying a specific location along the conduit;
• at least one camera for imaging the target;
• and
• a controller for both entering an image of the target into a coordinate system and for signaling a corrected position of the conduit by comparing the specific location along the conduit to the coordinate system.