Methods and Systems for Head Up Display (HUD) of Aerial Refueling Operation Status and Signaling

A system for providing information to a pilot of a receiver aircraft during a refueling operation, wherein a tanker aircraft includes a hose for supplying fuel to the receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose, the system comprising:

• a first transceiver located at the receiver aircraft and configured to receive refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft, wherein the refueling information comprises a length of the hose that has been deployed;
• a vision system located at the receiver aircraft and configured to collect image information indicative of the hose and the refueling coupler;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the first transceiver to receive the refueling information and in communication with the vision system to receive the image information, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to
• process the image information to determine a position of the receiver aircraft with respect to a fuel transfer zone (FTZ) based on the length of the hose that has been deployed and generate a visual representation of the position of the receiver aircraft with respect to the FTZ.

A non-transitory computer readable medium, having stored therein instructions, that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform functions for providing information to a pilot of a receiver aircraft during a refueling operation, wherein a tanker aircraft includes a hose for supplying fuel to the receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose, the functions comprising:

• receiving, from a first transceiver located at the receiver aircraft, refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft, wherein the refueling information comprises a length of the hose that has been deployed;
• receiving, from a vision system located at the receiver aircraft, image information indicative of the hose and the refueling coupler;
• processing the image information to determine a position of the receiver aircraft with respect to a fuel transfer zone (FTZ) based on the length of the hose that has been deployed;
• and
• generating, for display on a head up display (HUD) of the pilot of the receiver aircraft, a visual representation of the position of the receiver aircraft with respect to the FTZ.