More on Formation Flying
By Kem Owen, IAC # 18710

The article by Bill Bruns (IAC # 20586) in the Dec '96 Sport Aerobatics (Pg 23) was well written and a very good introduction to formation flying for sport aviators. He makes some very good points and covers a lot of material on one page. However, as most of you know, this is only the tip of the iceberg on formation flight. I would like to expand on his article with some obser- vations and tips gleaned from over 35 years flying formation in military and civilian aircraft. I will try to stay in the same sequence as Bill in the article.

Bill is absolutely on the mark when he emphasizes SMOOTH control movements. There is nothing more harrowing than having to dodge your leader AND/OR your wingmen in a formation. I have flown with both types, and there is absolutely no substitute for a smooth lead, especially in the weather and at night. Speaking of night formation, I don't recommend it with the average civilian aircraft lighting. There are just not enough light references for good station-keeping. I definitely do not recommend night weather formation unless the aircraft is especially lighted for it.

The quickest ways to get in trouble in a formation are by not knowing what the flight profile will be, not understanding what is expected of you by the leader, and not knowing what to expect from the leader. The first cardinal rule of formation is : BRIEF!BRIEF! BRIEF! EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE!!! The second cardinal rule is: FLY THE FLIGHT AS YOU BRIEFED IT!!! If variations are absolutely necessary, the radio or a well-briefed series of hand/visual signals will have to suffice, but try to keep these variations to a minimum. Brief maneuvers that the lowest skill-level pilot in the formation can easily accomplish, and always brief an out (lost wingman proce- dure) for every position if they should overshoot or lose sight of the lead. This becomes extremely important when flying dissimilar aircraft in the formation, which happens a lot in civilian sport flying. Also, remember the limited visibility in bi-planes and other high-wingers during turns, join-ups and cross-unders.

Wingman consideration is one of the hottest bar-talk topics in the military and in the after-glow (or heat) of civilian formation flights. If the flight is properly briefed, fewer turn signals will be needed, and lead can concentrate on flying rather than signaling. If lead is instrument rated, I recommend using instrument control rates for all maneuvers. Smooth, constant-rate pitch, roll and power changes are the key to making a good formation better. Abrupt control movements have no place here unless it's to preclude a midair with another flight member. Lead points for level off and descents should be treated similarly. The flight leader should stay well ahead of his airplane throughout the flight, thus making the wingman's job much, much easier.

Let no one think that being a wingman is supposed to be fun without responsibilities. This is HARD WORK if done well, and the feeling of reward is directly proportional to the amount of effort expended in doing it right. First, we need to know where we should be relative to lead's airplane....what will we use for references? Take a moment before the flight to stand by lead's airplane and visualize what the picture will be in the air. Where is his wing-tip relative to the fuselage (fore and aft as well as up and down), and where will you be when airborne in your cockpit with wingtip clearance? Look for prominent parts, panels, paint lines and control hinge-lines or positions for use in positioning. Any idea is better than none, here. Dissimilar aircraft make it hard to visualize airborne, so get the idea on the ground, first. Be especially cognizant of where the big, hard, sharp, spinning object on the crankshaft will be relative to the other parts of the formation. It's hard to explain to a friend when you cut his tail off, literally!

Station-keeping in what is called by the military "ROUTE FORMATION" position is fairly easy once the angle line is established. Route is roughly two wing-spans further out than close formation position, and along the same angle line. Even further out is fine if you don't want to work too hard at staying there. This position demands attention also, but things like radio changes and map folding, fuel checks, etc., can be done without fear of impact during short attention diversions inside the cockpit. If you think instrument cross-checks are demanding, try formation with a damaged aircraft or engine. Who gets the most attention.....the leader or your engine instruments? Route position is also the place you shoot for during initial join-ups, either turning or straight-ahead. Once stabilized in route, then you can ease into the close position at a more controlled rate.

In close formation position, use the rudders to keep your fuselage aligned with lead's, and use the ailerons to maintain in/out position. Throttle takes care of fore/aft positioning, and the pitch control is self-explanatory. However, each of these control movements require you to move another control (or two, or three) at least two more times. As Bill stated, the three-step process is: "....stop the unwanted movement away from our position, move the airplane back into position, then stop that movement...". That's as simply put as it can be, and right on target. There are four controls that each have to be moved three times nearly every time you move one. So you can see that it does get busy sometimes, especially in turbulence. Don't worry about being cross-controlled when you feel a slip or skid. The controls won't be in those positions for very long, anyway. When the flight is flown as briefed, the capability to anticipate lead's movements can actually allow you to lead control inputs and be a step ahead for keeping position during maneuvers.

I mentioned radio and visual signals before, but they deserve more attention. Always brief a discrete radio frequency that can be used freely for airborne discussions or air-to-ground critiques or info. A special hand signal should be briefed to direct each flight member to go to that freq, also. The USAF signal is a clenched fist in the air by your head, or tap the helmet/earphones and make a clenched fist. That way, if any flight member gets lost during frequency changes, there is always a known freq to regain communications. Many techniques for showing numbers exist, so I won't make a specific recommendation, but be sure your flight knows how to display each number clearly using one hand. Other signals should be covered if there is the slightest chance of needing them. Also, the movement of the lead's aircraft can convey signals.

The USAF join-up signal is a gentle rocking of the wings (at least 15 degrees L/R for minimum two cycles). The signal to move out to route position is yaw the aircraft with rudder for two cycles. To direct wing to the slot or trail position, we used a small porpoising of the aircraft. Make others up if desired, but remember not to make them too drastic. Paybacks can be rather startling. More cardinal rules: NEVER ASSUME SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS UNBRIEFED VISUAL/HAND SIGNALS, AND NEVER USE UNBRIEFED SIGNALS. The most under-used visual signal is the head shake for NO! If there is any doubt about whether to accept the signal or not, ALWAYS say NO. Of course, no one wants to admit that he doesn't understand, but that surely beats the alternative, sometimes. More accidents and fatalities stem from these problems than you would think.

Other than aerobatics, the most dangerous phase of formation flying is the join-up. Getting into position quickly seems to be the unwritten law, but is not always the best approach. Quickly should be defined as "...the fastest and the safest...". Turning joinups are the usual situation (unless you are going cross-country in a hurry), and the physics of turn radii and crossing angles gets more involved the more aircraft you have in the flight. Look at the leader and see if his position on your canopy (or other relative point) moves. If it doesn't, you will eventually hit him right where you are looking. As long as you see him move relative to that position, you won't hit him. Also, be sure to keep him in view at all times. Closure rates look slower than actual at longer ranges, but can seem accelerated in close. Remember the blind spots in bi-planes and high-wingers.

Control your overtake rate and try to join to the route position rather than right in to close position. You don't have to stop there, but slow the overtake to a crawl by the time you reach it. Keep the closure rate inversely proportional to the distance from lead. Also, stay low until close enough to know that collision is not imminent. That will ruin everyone's whole day. If you go past the lead, this is called "overshoot". Don't panic and don't immediately turn back toward lead. Stabilize away from him, then slow to get nose/tail clearance (with him in the lead, again) and then cross under and behind him back to the proper side and finish the joinup, properly humbled.

Straight-ahead join-ups are somewhat easier, but can also result in the wingman becoming lead quickly if overtake rate is not controlled. Be careful in this situation when trying to keep lead in sight during the overshoot. You will try to turn across his nose to keep the visual picture if you're not careful. Depth perception plays a major part, here. Also, a briefed speed for all join-ups would be very helpful and cut down on radio chatter (and overshoots). A differential of 20 to 30 knots is fine outside 100 feet, but should not be carried any closer. Most prop airplanes will slow rapidly if a lot of power is pulled off, but then you get into a throttle-jockeying/control flopping mode if you're not careful. Using some cross-controls will lessen the amount of power reduction required. Again, always aim for the route position, never directly at lead.

This has been a brief discussion of some basic techniques to help you stay out of trouble. Whenever a formation flight is planned, be sure to allow time for a thorough debrief if you are serious about learning how to do it right. It's not so important for just tagging along on a cross-country, but to develop good formation skills, it is paramount you get all the feedback possible on your performance. The use of a short but thorough checklist for the briefing would enhance all the participant's performances for the planned flight. Take a few moments to jot down the important (to you) segments of the planned flight and spend a couple of minutes talking about them before you get airborne. It will make for a better formation, and make you a better pilot in the formation. Good flying!