Formation Flying

[Colonel]

I've spent half my life flying formation, and I really enjoy the precision
of it.  If you spend some time, and develop some skill, you will find that
other tasks in airplanes get much easier.  Like landing, which is formating
with the runway in slow flight.

Anyways.  Formation flying in one page:

(1) flying in formation: one lead aircraft, one (or more) wing aircraft

(a) lead flies a large, virtual aircraft and is responsible for nav,
fuel, ATC, etc.  Should be most experienced pilot.  Does not hit
the ground or other aircraft.  Does not run the wing out of power
or AOA.  See basic aerodynamics.

(b) wing has a sight picture of the lead that he maintains, regardless
of what the lead does (eg loops, rolls, cloud).  Easier and safer to fly
in close.  Loose formation can be extremely dangerous.

(2) joining up.  If you don't take off in formation, you had better get
pretty good at this.  Easiest is lead turns at constant altitude.  Wing
goes full throttle and aims ahead of the lead and dives below.  As
wing approaches lead, he slides up and converts airspeed into altitude
so that wing and lead have equivalent energy. 

With a little practice, you will learn that it is impossible for the wing to have
too much energy.  If the wing slides up to the same altitude and the lead and
has excessive airspeed, he merely slides underneath the lead and begins
rolling around, right behind him.  That's what we call a "good day" in my family,
even if TC thinks we're shit pilots that they should steal from.  Sooner or later,
the greater distance and G that the  wing flies in the barrel rolls around the lead
will dissipate his excess energy, and you can drop into position.



A lot of people don't think I'm much of a pilot, and I find the above pretty
easy, so therefore logically you can do it, too.  Note that no one taught me
to do that - I didn't get dual from the local FTU, in case you were wondering.

[img width=414 height=500][/img]

Me lead in the yellow S-2C.  Freddy wing in red S-2C.  Easy as 3.1415926535 

If I can do it, so can you.  Hell, this is my teenage son and I flying formation,
and I understand TC thinks he had a pretty shitty instructor:

[img width=500 height=334][/img]

If a teenager with a shitty instructor can do it, you probably can, too.

[cgzro]

You know what's similar to formation flying?  Flying a glider on tow. Very similar skills required.