Buzzing Fatality

There are many reasons to fly
formation in civil aircraft - the most common is to get in-flight
photographs of another aircraft, but quite often it's done because when
done well, it is very rewarding. The only 'waving' we do at the other
pilot is hand signals.

Agreed - when it's done by people who know what they are doing it is a
demonstration of precision aircraft control, and great practice - and
very rewarding to the pilots. For superb examples look no further than
Blue Angels, Red Arrows and Snowbirds.

However, I believe you already know that this is not what I was
referring to.

I was specifically talking about the clowns who have no interest in
learning one single thing after receiving their PP-ASEL (often not even
that) who nevertheless go out and fly wingtip to wingtip, with idiotic
grin firmly in place, and one hand off the yoke to wave with, and create
next weeks NTSB reports.

But you knew that, didn't you?

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Almost Instrument
Cessna 172H C-GICE

tony roberts wrote:

There are many reasons to fly
formation in civil aircraft - the most common is to get in-flight
photographs of another aircraft, but quite often it's done because when
done well, it is very rewarding. The only 'waving' we do at the other
pilot is hand signals.


Agreed - when it's done by people who know what they are doing it is a
demonstration of precision aircraft control, and great practice - and
very rewarding to the pilots. For superb examples look no further than
Blue Angels, Red Arrows and Snowbirds.

However, I believe you already know that this is not what I was
referring to.

I was specifically talking about the clowns who have no interest in
learning one single thing after receiving their PP-ASEL (often not even
that) who nevertheless go out and fly wingtip to wingtip, with idiotic
grin firmly in place, and one hand off the yoke to wave with, and create
next weeks NTSB reports.

But you knew that, didn't you?

Formation flying (was Buzzing Fatality)

If you want a little experience flying in formation, go get a glider
(aero-tow) ticket. During take off, you are flying in formation with
the tow plane although you will be 200' away. Your job is to avoid
crashing the tow plane by jerking it around. Once you get the hang of
it, it's easy enough, but I can't imagine what being 3' away from
another airplane would be like.

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
news:9E4Tc.301121$XM6.76668@attbi_s53...
I can't imagine what being 3' away from
another airplane would be like.

Scary!

Mind you, 3' would be rather too scary.

Paul (just come back from my second formation flying weekend
ready for "the big one" - 21 ship - in a fortnight's time)

In article ,
"Paul Sengupta" wrote:

"William W. Plummer" wrote in message
news:9E4Tc.301121$XM6.76668@attbi_s53...
I can't imagine what being 3' away from
another airplane would be like.

Scary!

Mind you, 3' would be rather too scary.

Paul (just come back from my second formation flying weekend
ready for "the big one" - 21 ship - in a fortnight's time)



Not when both pilots know what they are doing! Normal close formation
discipline is 3' down (wingtip to wingtip), 3' outside (wingtip to
wingtip) and 45 degrees back for wingmen.

It is a lot easier to maintain close formation than more spread out. Do
not try it until you review a good formation manual (the T-34 Assn.
publishes a good one), review the hand signals and get some formation
instructors.

All itt takes is brief, practice, debrief; brief, practice, debrief, etc.

William

Do you flinch when you are driving side by side to another auto at 80
mph on the freeway?

In formation you are at the same airspeed as the other bird (after
join up) and it is no more difficult than driving side by side on
freeway.

I'll agree you do need to keep your eyes open for a leader who turns
rapidly into you with no warning signal.

Big John (as comfortable in formation as sitting in my wheel chair)
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:56:13 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
wrote:

tony roberts wrote:

There are many reasons to fly
formation in civil aircraft - the most common is to get in-flight
photographs of another aircraft, but quite often it's done because when
done well, it is very rewarding. The only 'waving' we do at the other
pilot is hand signals.


Agreed - when it's done by people who know what they are doing it is a
demonstration of precision aircraft control, and great practice - and
very rewarding to the pilots. For superb examples look no further than
Blue Angels, Red Arrows and Snowbirds.

However, I believe you already know that this is not what I was
referring to.

I was specifically talking about the clowns who have no interest in
learning one single thing after receiving their PP-ASEL (often not even
that) who nevertheless go out and fly wingtip to wingtip, with idiotic
grin firmly in place, and one hand off the yoke to wave with, and create
next weeks NTSB reports.

But you knew that, didn't you?

Formation flying (was Buzzing Fatality)

If you want a little experience flying in formation, go get a glider
(aero-tow) ticket. During take off, you are flying in formation with
the tow plane although you will be 200' away. Your job is to avoid
crashing the tow plane by jerking it around. Once you get the hang of
it, it's easy enough, but I can't imagine what being 3' away from
another airplane would be like.

Big John wrote:

William

Do you flinch when you are driving side by side to another auto at 80
mph on the freeway?

In formation you are at the same airspeed as the other bird (after
join up) and it is no more difficult than driving side by side on
freeway.

I'll agree you do need to keep your eyes open for a leader who turns
rapidly into you with no warning signal.

Big John (as comfortable in formation as sitting in my wheel chair)
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` `````````````````````````````````````````````````` ``````

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:56:13 GMT, "William W. Plummer"
wrote:


tony roberts wrote:


There are many reasons to fly
formation in civil aircraft - the most common is to get in-flight
photographs of another aircraft, but quite often it's done because when
done well, it is very rewarding. The only 'waving' we do at the other
pilot is hand signals.


Agreed - when it's done by people who know what they are doing it is a
demonstration of precision aircraft control, and great practice - and
very rewarding to the pilots. For superb examples look no further than
Blue Angels, Red Arrows and Snowbirds.

However, I believe you already know that this is not what I was
referring to.

I was specifically talking about the clowns who have no interest in
learning one single thing after receiving their PP-ASEL (often not even
that) who nevertheless go out and fly wingtip to wingtip, with idiotic
grin firmly in place, and one hand off the yoke to wave with, and create
next weeks NTSB reports.

But you knew that, didn't you?


Formation flying (was Buzzing Fatality)

If you want a little experience flying in formation, go get a glider
(aero-tow) ticket. During take off, you are flying in formation with
the tow plane although you will be 200' away. Your job is to avoid
crashing the tow plane by jerking it around. Once you get the hang of
it, it's easy enough, but I can't imagine what being 3' away from
another airplane would be like.


The driver in a car on the Autobahn flinched at 220 km/hr because he
suddenly spotted a car in the right lane while we were in the left lane.
At that speed a 10 degree heading error means 13 feet/sec side wise
movement. The driver over corrected, a tire folded under. We rolled
and spun and ended up in a ditch in the woods. All four of us recovered
but the incident indicates how dangerous formation flying can be.
Mercedes is a good car because it saved our lives. All Hertz wanted to
know what how many km we put on the car at the time we abandoned it!

In article . net, Dudley
Henriques wrote:
The accidents usually occur when steep turns and/or steep climbing turn
exits to the pass are attempted with pilot distraction outside the
airplane to objects or persons on the ground. The stall speed increases
as g is applied and too hard a pull accelerates the stall. In many cases
expert pilot witnesses to these accidents testify to a noticeable slip
or skid just before the stall which would indicate an off center ball
due to pilot distraction outside the airplane.

Another factor may be the good old inner ear lying again - with the head
turned rapidly to watch the subject of a buzzjob followed by the pullup
whilst still concentrating on the ground may lead to the situation where
the pilot doesn't realise the lack of coordination and pitch attitude.

The flight medical guy who did a talk at our club described it -
unfortunately it's too long ago to remember exactly how he described it!

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"