Automated director light system for aerial refueling operations

A director light apparatus in operative relation to a first aircraft for providing a pilot in a second aircraft visual information regarding the second aircraft's position relative to the first aircraft;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a 3-D camera system for generating a real time 3-D video image of the second aircraft;
• a first memory for storing at least one geometric model of at least one aircraft;
• a selecting means for selecting a stored geometric model based a the 3-D video image of the second aircraft;
• a display device for displaying said generated real time 3-D video image and said selected geometric model;
• a matching means for matching the displayed geometric model to said displayed real time 3-D video image;
• a second memory for storing predefined zone information;
• a processor for determining the position of the second aircraft relative to said stored zone information according to said matched geometric model and generating control signals according to said determined second aircraft position;
• and
• director lights mounted on the outside of the first aircraft for displaying position information visible to the pilot of the second aircraft according to said generated control signals.