Hi Bill, It is simple. Each aircraft must be ten foot bellow the one in front. In that position there is no wake from the aircraft in front. It works and it is very safe. I have been flying formation and training formation pilot from 30 years. If it is done this way, there is no problem. The aircraft I am in is being flown by a pilot that is on his third hour of formation training.
Hi Bill, When you join a formation it needs to be join in the right way. I have a manual that explanes how all this is done. Below is part of my manual. Hope this helps.
All the best
YFT
Join Up.
Before you can fly in formation, you have to know how to get into formation. This is accomplished by the original Join Up. Before taking off, a landmark is selected where the aircraft will meet. This is known as the rendezvous point. At a predetermined altitude and speed, you will join up at your rendezvous point in this manner…. When the leader is directly over the point of rendezvous he begins a left 30 degree angle of bank turn. At the completion of 180 degrees of turn, the distance of that point, becomes the radius of the rendezvous circle, and can be maintained with about 15 degrees angle of bank. It is necessary, however for the Leader to vary his degree of bank slightly in order to maintain a circular pattern around a geographical point, under all except “no wind” conditions. The first aircraft to arrive directly over the rendezvous point is the Leader. He begins his 30 degree angle of bank turn. The second aircraft rendezvous, by entering the rendezvous circle and heading directly for the centre of it. After determining the Leader’s position in relation to him, and when directly over the centre of the point, he commences a rapid left turn, and continues it until he has the Leader on a 45 degree bearing to starboard of his heading, and is within the sector of a 225 degree and 255 degree relative bearing from the Leader. The closing relative motion commences at this point, and should continue until he is in position to join up. Pausing momentarily on the inside of the Leader, he crosses under to Right Echelon. Any additional aircraft would follow the same procedure.
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YFT , how do you guys avoid wake vortices when you join up like that, could you explain the theory please?
Hi Bill, It is simple. Each aircraft must be ten foot bellow the one in front. In that position there is no wake from the aircraft in front. It works and it is very safe. I have been flying formation and training formation pilot from 30 years. If it is done this way, there is no problem. The aircraft I am in is being flown by a pilot that is on his third hour of formation training.
All the best YFT
Do you have to come up from below, down from above or in from the side to get into position?
Very nice flying position, Peter!
Hi Bill, When you join a formation it needs to be join in the right way. I have a manual that explanes how all this is done. Below is part of my manual. Hope this helps.
All the best
YFT
Join Up.
Before you can fly in formation, you have to know how to get into formation. This is accomplished by the original Join Up. Before taking off, a landmark is selected where the aircraft will meet. This is known as the rendezvous point. At a predetermined altitude and speed, you will join up at your rendezvous point in this manner…. When the leader is directly over the point of rendezvous he begins a left 30 degree angle of bank turn. At the completion of 180 degrees of turn, the distance of that point, becomes the radius of the rendezvous circle, and can be maintained with about 15 degrees angle of bank. It is necessary, however for the Leader to vary his degree of bank slightly in order to maintain a circular pattern around a geographical point, under all except “no wind” conditions. The first aircraft to arrive directly over the rendezvous point is the Leader. He begins his 30 degree angle of bank turn. The second aircraft rendezvous, by entering the rendezvous circle and heading directly for the centre of it. After determining the Leader’s position in relation to him, and when directly over the centre of the point, he commences a rapid left turn, and continues it until he has the Leader on a 45 degree bearing to starboard of his heading, and is within the sector of a 225 degree and 255 degree relative bearing from the Leader. The closing relative motion commences at this point, and should continue until he is in position to join up. Pausing momentarily on the inside of the Leader, he crosses under to Right Echelon. Any additional aircraft would follow the same procedure.
Interesting, thanks