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Introduction
  • This presentation is limited to a few basic pointers

    - Emphasizes flight characteristics/limitations of our canard planes
    - Covers major problem areas for beginners, based on my experience
     
  • Don’t fly formation until you are proficient in type
    •

- Formation is not the place to learn to fly or to look for switches
- You need to know your aircraft performance limits
  • Best approach is video/text ground school followed by in-flight experience with a qualified instructor

- This ensures that all essentials are covered
- Safer and quicker than the free-lance approach
- Teaches standardized procedures
  • But the reality is – most of us will be largely self-taught.

- We didn’t learn to fly or get an instrument rating this way
- But basic formation flight is not that difficult
- To my knowledge, very few mid-air collisions have occurred
    This presentation is limited to the basics of formation flight.  It focuses on typical flight characteristics for our homebuilt aircraft.  That is, relatively low-powered, low-drag, piston-engine, aircraft.  Much of it is based on professionally produced material – Thanks T-34 Association!  I have, however, incorporated a lot of actual formation experience accumulated over more than 400 hours in my VariEze.  While I have made my best effort to emphasize safe formation flight techniques, it is strictly your responsibility to ensure your own safety and that of your flight mates!  I cannot accept any liability for this responsibility!
 
    The middle of a formation flight is not the place or the time to be learning how to fly!  Before participating in any formation flight, you must be comfortable with your plane’s handling, its control response, and its instrumentation.  Because you aren’t going to be able to divert much attention from the task of maintaining safe separation in the air, flying your plane should be second nature. 
 
    The place to pick up basic formation concepts is on the ground prior to flight.  The cockpit is not a conducive environment to resolving uncertainties about what you should be doing!  Obviously, a firm grasp of basic formation concepts before launch will make for safer and more effective practice in the air.  Another major advantage of learning from a professional source is the use of standardized procedures.  This will make formation flight with similarly trained pilots much more predictable, and hence safer and more enjoyable.  As a good place to start, I would recommend the T-34 Association’s 4-hour video “Formation Flight - The Art” and the associated manual. 
 
    It is true, however, that most civilian pilots are likely to be largely self-taught.  That formation flight can and usually is successfully learned this way is a testament to the fact that formation flight is really not that difficult.  The key is to always remain within your skill and comfort limits, while still continuing to hone your proficiency.  Overall, civilian formation flight has an excellent safety record.

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