Thread: Formation Flying

This weekend I was at the Parade of Planes air show with my friends at Elite. If you were there, you probably saw my CTLS.
After the show, we did a formation flight from Hawthorn to San Diego.
I'll put some photos up.

Also, flying back to Vegas, I flew a ground speed of 130 with full weight.

I uploaded some of my photos to CT flyer.

Dear CaptainD: Concerning formation flying in a CT! As a former F-4 person, my natural prejudice is to say "heck" no, its a high winged airplane. I personally would not fly any close formation in a high wing aircraft--"see and avoid" is a credo I believe in and so for me a loose proximate position in the same relative airspace is as good as I am willing to go. Basically, formation flying is a difficult, highly skilled, maneuver that is potentially dangerous for flyers like us. So, no formation for me.

See ya Ken Nolde N840Kn

I concur with Ken, and like Ken I have 30 years of combat military aircraft time. Formation flying is for the properly trained and skilled pilot. I further agree that high wing formation is asking for trouble...

Sorry if I made it sound like I was doing the flying. I was just a passenger taking the photos (all those photos you see of planes in those catalogues were taken in some sort of formation). The people flying are amazing pilots.
I'll agree with you guys that maybe a CT is not the right plane for that type of flying, but that it is possible.

Tony/Ken

As a former Army aviator, all my formation experience is in helicopters. We always flew formation with trailing aircraft stacked up. I always noticed that USAF and Navy fixed wing fly with trailing aircraft stacked down. I never asked why but, is it because many of those AF/Navy aircraft are low or mid wing? That you stacked down so as to maintain visual contact with leading aircraft?

So, if that logic makes any sense, and I'm not saying it does, wouldn't it be just as safe flying CT (or any high wing) formations stacked up? I haven't done much fixed wing formation but what little I have done was kept relatively loose, was high wing, and was stacked up. I never felt comfortable flying high wing stacked down because it was too easy to lose contact.

I absolutely agree about the task requiring training and skill.

Thoughts?

John:
Your observation for USAF is close enough. I generally preferred 'right echelon, level flt', since most wing-man positions were right wing. If multi flts, I'd finger-out 2, 3 or 4 flights of 2 in stagger, right echelon level or 50' lower step ladder until the IP or furball time... However, I'm not against formation flights. I discourage formations flights in general aviation. I personally believe that is asking for an incident, at a minimum. Even with experienced (you, Ken, etc) stick jocks, I'd think several hours of briefing/planning, followed by very simple types of maneuver's before I'd even consider a 'loose deuce' flight. I'd surely want the breakaway and abort procedures down tight.
So, I guess I'm saying I'm against formation in our little birds with the general flight skills presented by the general pilots I've to date that fly these puppy's..

Tony,

"I'd think several hours of briefing/planning, followed by very simple types of maneuver's before I'd even consider a 'loose deuce' flight. I'd surely want the breakaway and abort procedures down tight.
So, I guess I'm saying I'm against formation in our little birds with the general flight skills presented by the general pilots I've to date that fly these puppy's.. "

Agreed.

Tony, John, et al: At the risk of flogging the formation horse to death. Low, mid, and rotary winged craft have one distinct, life saving atribute; any turn is into an area that you can see where you are going -- not so with a high-winged craft!!! It is like flying IFR in the CT, sure it is fun to run with the big dogs, BUT REMEMBER THE BIG DOGS HAVE ADVANTAGES AND TRAINING THAT YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAVN'T DONE IT. The fact is we have a great opportunity with the CT to do, a thousand things you have not understand (para phrasing Flight Officer Magee) and that is a good thing. For me, my XC article and inadvertent IFR thread should pretty well sum up my position. Heck, I truly love flying, a passionate love, but at the same time I do know where I am, limitations and all. Thus bottom line for me: no CT formation flying and IFR is an emergency situation that I do not seek. This may sound like a cranky old man, but I am not, I simply believe one flies as best as one can in present circumstances and the LSA CT allows me to do just that. Oh yes, Nancy and I are planning to go to the Page fly-in

See ya, Ken and Nancy 300 hours in 840KN

Taking on board the general advice not to formate if undertrained or in a high winger, would you think 300-400 metres loose formation is acceptable? I have done this a few times and thought it wasn't too bad. Is there a threshold distance in the air under those circumstances (untrained, high winger) which is OK once maintained?