AIRCRAFT WAKE SENSING

A wake produced by a leader aircraft and experienced by a follower aircraft is sensed by repetitively carrying out the following operations in an iterative manner. Measurements carried out by the follower aircraft are estimated based on a simulated response of the follower aircraft to an estimated aerodynamic context. The estimated aerodynamic context includes a model of the wake and an estimated position of the follower aircraft with respect to the model of the wake and data indicating aerodynamic effects experienced by the follower aircraft due to its own motion. The estimated aerodynamic context is adjusted based on a comparison between the measurements that have been estimated and actual measurements carried out by the follower aircraft, aiming to reduce a deviation between the measurements that have been estimated and the actual measurements. Information on the wake is extracted from the estimated aerodynamic context.