Adjusting load on tethered aircraft

A system to adjust a load including:

• an interface to receive wind information associated with a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft, wherein the plurality of aircraft includes a second aircraft, wherein the first aircraft and the second aircraft fly opposite from each other in an original elliptical trajectory;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• determine based at least in part on the wind information whether a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft tethered to a payload and flying initially in the original elliptical trajectory is flying upwind or downwind;
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying downwind, cause the first aircraft to fly further from a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory;
• and
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying upwind, cause the first aircraft to fly nearer to a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory.

A method for adjusting a load on a tethered aircraft, comprising:

• receiving wind information associated with a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft, wherein the plurality of aircraft includes a second aircraft, wherein the first aircraft and the second aircraft fly opposite from each other in an original elliptical trajectory;
• determining based at least in part on the wind information whether a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft tethered to a payload and flying initially in the original elliptical trajectory is flying upwind or downwind;
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying downwind, cause the first aircraft to fly further from a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory;
• and
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying upwind, cause the first aircraft to fly nearer to a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory.

A computer program product to adjust a load on a tethered aircraft, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

• receiving wind information associated with a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft, wherein the plurality of aircraft includes a second aircraft, wherein the first aircraft and the second aircraft fly opposite from each other in an original elliptical trajectory;
• determining based at least in part on the wind information whether a first aircraft included in a plurality of aircraft tethered to a payload and flying initially in the original elliptical trajectory is flying upwind or downwind;
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying downwind, cause the first aircraft to fly further from a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory;
• and
• in the event the first aircraft is determined to be flying upwind, cause the first aircraft to fly nearer to a vertical axis of the payload than a corresponding distance associated with the original elliptical trajectory.