Method for managing the longitudinal position of a follower aircraft with respect to a leader aircraft

A system comprising:

• electronic circuitry configured to implement a management of the longitudinal position of a follower aircraft following a leader aircraft in a formation flight, the electronic circuitry implementing at least the following steps:
• (a) obtaining a position of the leader aircraft, a real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the leader aircraft, a speed Sl of the leader aircraft, and a speed Sf of the follower aircraft;
• (b) determining a target longitudinal position Xt of the follower aircraft with respect to the longitudinal position of the leader aircraft;
• (c) calculating a difference Xt−Xr between the target longitudinal position Xt of the follower aircraft with respect to the leader aircraft and the obtained real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the leader aircraft;
• (d) comparing a value of the difference Xt−Xr with at least one predefined threshold;
• (e) choosing a control law for controlling the speed of the follower aircraft (Af), from among at least two separate control laws, on the basis of the comparison;
• and,
• (f) applying the chosen control law so as to manage the real longitudinal position Xr of the follower aircraft with respect to the position of the leader aircraft.