Flying in formation in order to reduce fuel consumption

The US Air Force's Air Mobility Command recently conducted flight tests with C-17s flying in formations meant to reduce drag on the trailing aircraft(s), like geese V-shaped migrations. This could save fuel, and continues work started last decade by NASA and Boeing with the Autonomous Formation Flight [PDF]. Researchers from Stanford pitched a similar idea to Airbus 3 years ago, which so far seems to have translated into a CGI with a 2050 horizon.

vía http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/vortex-fuel-savings-07572/