Formation Flying

[Big Pistons Forever]

We do fly Formation at Uncontrolled Aerodrome. Heck, some of the places we go to for deployments are Uncontrolled. I have done it several times, sometimes with a 4 ball. It's not rocket science. Communication is the key. Tell people where you are, what you are doing, more than required by the books. Avoid imposing what you are doing to others and try to deconflict at much as possible over the radio.

Exactly.... and these were light aircraft flying at light aircraft speeds at a light aircraft airport. There is no reason this can not be made to work in a safe and efficent manner.

[SAR_YQQ]

Heck, some of the places we go to for deployments are Uncontrolled.

Think Moose Jaw Muni when I talk about VFR uncontrolled. Inuvik is a far cry from Chilliwack.

Unfortunately the message is clouded - or perhaps the majority have picked up on it and are sitting back and watching this furball get bigger.

[Hedley]

watching this furball get bigger

Flying a tight formation into an uncontrolled airport, as we see above, can get a bit hairy and can annoy and frighten people. I have a bit of experience with this scenario.

We had 3 Pitts up on the weekend, and when it was time to go back to the airport, as lead I intentionally split us up into 3 separate airplanes - every man for himself - because I knew there was traffic back at the airport. Not as much fun, but it was the safest decision, IMHO.

If you have a tower, the controller can sequence everyone and make it work.

But with no tower, I don't think flying a tight formation into an uncontrolled airport and doing an overhead break is always a good idea, unless you know there is no other traffic around. The lead can't manever to look around, and the wings can only look through the lead, and see a small part of the sky on the other side of him. Not a very good lookout, compared to solo.

I might mention that an overhead break is perfectly legal. Right echelon, just to the right of the runway, everyone breaks left IAW CAR 602.96(3) to fly a level 180 overhead, bleed the speed, and join the downwind.

And people on the ground really enjoy it. But if there are other pilots in the sky - often inexperienced pilots - they can be frightened by this simple procedure. Formation flying is completely foreign and alien to them. They are not familiar with it, and like many pilots at uncontrolled airports, probably are not comfortable with sharing the circuit with more than one airplane. Even one other airplane in the circuit might be their personal limit. You can hear it in their voices, as they go up one, then two octaves on the radio.

You might be doing something legal with an overhead break, but you might also be really stressing out some low-time, inexperienced pilots in the circuit, and that's never good.

Remember, just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's safe, and just because it's safe doesn't mean it's legal.



Over many decades and a truly incredible amount of regulatory pain and time spent in many different levels of court, I have developed

Hedley's Aviation Regulations (HAR)

1) No one gets hurt. At the end of the day, no one in the hospital, or god help us the morgue. Don't forget this one.

2) Don't alter the appearance of the aircraft. Who do you think you are, Burt Rutan? He has better sideburns than you do

Hedley's Aviation Guidelines (HAG)

1) Try really hard to not piss anyone off. If you do, immediately hunt them down and apologize in person, or at least over the phone. Try to explain why you were a dick, and that you won't do it again. Let them emotionally vent at you, not at Transport (trust me on this).

How might we apply the above to this CADOR?

[Strega]

Or why not just land in formation?

[Big Pistons Forever]

Or why not just land in formation?

The YCW runway is too narrow to permit safe formtion landings.

[. ._]

I wonder what the dudes in in the 152 would do if these guys were at the airport that day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ggAoB8Vds

[Shiny Side Up]

But if there are other pilots in the sky - often inexperienced pilots - they can be frightened by this simple procedure. Formation flying is completely foreign and alien to them. They are not familiar with it, and like many pilots at uncontrolled airports, probably are not comfortable with sharing the circuit with more than one airplane. Even one other airplane in the circuit might be their personal limit. You can hear it in their voices, as they go up one, then two octaves on the radio.

Too often experienced pilots often forget what it was like as a student pilot or a pilot neophyte. Indeed aircraft flying in formation might seem frightening to them. they after all might think they're about to witness a mid-air collision. Many feel comfortable with the big-sky principle at work that largely keeps them safe. I'm not sure why some pilots make the assumption that ever other pilot is hyper-competent when clearly there is plenty of evidence otherwise.

Likewise, assuming that just because pilots are flying in formation that they all must be super-competent is also a mistake. I've encountered one of these groups before, scary-ass shit.

[trey kule]

You see the whole problem is that these were civilian aircraft and our damn gun laws.
If they could have had weapon systems one of them could have broken off early and taken care of any conflicting traffic.

Seriously though, I like the whole furball thing. No sense in sitting back and waiting for the facts. I have had scary experiences in Inuvik too....lovely voice on the radio that lured me to the office to find out....

[KK7]

I have had scary experiences in Inuvik too....lovely voice on the radio that lured me to the office to find out....

Always be wary of the beautiful voices on the radio........


I've found out the hard way that it's just best to keep the mental image.

[SAR_YQQ]

Excellent post Hedley - thank you for providing a balanced and practical response.