December 21, 2005: Two U.S. Air Force pilots have developed software and sensor modifications that enables an aerial tanker to automatically refuel aircraft. Currently, the refueling operation involves a human operator to control the refueling equipment, and careful attention from the pilots of both aircraft. It's long been believed that this process could be automated, but it wasn't until the two pilots took on the project, while students at the test pilot school, that a working system was created. Military pilots in the United States tend of have engineering or scientific degrees, and have developed a lot of aircraft equipment, and especially software, or software upgrades, over the years.
