Systems and methods for refueling aircraft in flight are disclosed herein. An aerial refueling system in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes a movable aerial refueling boom configured to be carried by an aerial refueling aircraft. The system can also include two or more actuators operably coupled to the boom to control motion of the boom relative to the refueling aircraft. In several embodiments, the boom does not include any boom aerodynamic control surfaces to control motion of the boom relative to the refueling aircraft.