rcplanes711

I WANT TO LEARN TO FLY IN FORMATION WITH OTHERS IN MY CLUB. CAN ANY ONE GIVE ME ADVICE ON HOW TO DO THIS SAFELY?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Flying in formation with model airplanes is almost impossible.

While I may not be Top Gun material, I've been flying for over 40 years and I'm a darn good pilot, and I wouldn't even consider it.

CrashBurn69

My Feedback: (1)

If you want to try, get some spad's first. At least you wont crack up the good stuff lol.

Richard L.

My Feedback: (24)

We often fly warbirds in formation, two or three at a time. My buddy and I even took off and landed together in formation. It was not that hard.

BillyGoat

You will need to stand close to the pilot your flying with so you can communicate easy throughout the flight. Start out doing simple stuff like straight and level then advance from there. However even simple maneuvers need to be discussed before hand. Having a plan before takeoff knowing: directions of travel, how each will enter maneuvers, having a quick bail out procedure (such as you turn north your buddy goes south) will improve your chances of success. Flying similar planes makes it easier to duplicate each other, although make sure they look vastly different. One guy in our club, practicing formation flying for a show, lost his plane when he mistook the other, completely identical, plane in the formation for his. Didn’t realize he was trying to fly the wrong plane until it was too late.

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

It's like any other skill, practice, practice, practice. (in addition to what Billygoat said above) Good luck!

Robotech

My Feedback: (9)

When in doubt, fly the lowest plane!

DBCherry

My Feedback: (4)

There are two guys in my club that practice formation flying pretty regularly; one with a Cub, the other a Waco cabin plane. One afternoon I was in the air with my Cub and they took off, as they came around I started keeping pace with them. Charlie asked if I was going to fly with them, and I said sure, if that's okay.

The three of us flew quite a few patterns, staying probably 25 to 50 feet apart. (The hard part is flying closely.) And we decided to land in formation as well. Our runway is approximately 75 feet wide at the threshold, narrowing to 50 feet at the far end; and we landed, one touching down, then within a second or two the second, followed by the third about a second or two later, and more or less side by side.

It was a bit difficult, but also our first time landing together. (The other two take off and land together regularly.)

The only advice I can give is, 1) communicate regularly during flight and, 2) practice!
Dennis-

Tall Paul

The Antelope Valley Kadet Squadron was quite successful at flying up to 6 planes in formation.
The key element is to have the designated leader fly the known pattern.. at less than full power, with gentle turns at the ends.
The wingmen all fly according to the leader's position.
As the leader is generally in the middle of the group when it's in a line-abreast configuration, he must allow, in his turns for the wingmen on the inside of the turn having to reduce power, and those on the outside having to increase power to maintain position.
All commands must be gone over before the flight, and each command clearly annuciated by the leader -before- he commences the manuver.
We found that by maintaining "daylight" between each plane the chances of collision were minimized, and seldom had any.
What we did have trouble with was using 4 to 6 airplanes all finished alike.
At the ends of each manuvering area it wasn't rare for pilots to "switch" planes, and "fly" one not their own.
This of course would result in their plane crashing.
We had two or three of these.
One of them at an airshow the pilot who'd just lost his plane realized it, and kept on "flying" as if nothing had happened, while the announcer got hsyterical... noting 3 planes flying, but 4 pilots apparently flying.
We ultimately changed to different color schemes, particularly for the leader.
Different sized planes don't do this well, nor should they be fast, when starting out.
I've seen some exceptional 2-ship formations with very experienced pilots and large scale type aerobats, but this takes a lot of experience.
No flying photos of the Team at work... couldn't fly and take pix at the same time...
The first photo was at Sepulveda Basin in '95, we flew for a promotional film for the LA Department of Parks.
2nd is at Fox Field Lancaster, flying during an full-scale airrace weekend
3rd is at the AV Tailwinds field in Lancaster,
and the 4 at Hemet CA

Tall Paul

Our display pattern as it finally evolved.
The takeoff would generally, at Tailwinds, be across the runway, which was 40' wide. The Kadets all used OS 70 Surpasses, and could easily manage this.
Before takeoff with as near a simultaneous engine start as possible, we'd also do a coordinated controls check.. Ailerons, elevator and rudder, just to do it..

Antelope Valley Kadet Team Manuvers:

1: Takeoff..... 45 degree climb
2: Right turn fly to east end of the maneuver area
3: 180 degree right turn
4: Return to center field
5: 90 degree right turn, each man on signal
6: Simultaneous loop
7: Return to the west end of the maneuver area
8: Procedure turn to the left
9: Low, slow fly-by to east end of the maneuver area
10:----
12: Circle to form for the tail chase
13: 3-lap tail chase
14: End tail chase to procedure turn to the right
15: Touch and go, fly to the west end of the maneuver area
16: Close formation fly-by to the east end of the maneuver area
17: Procedure turn to the right
18: Fly back to center, military pull-up on signal
19: Land in pairs
20: Taxi to pilot
21: Simultaneous engine cut-off

Geistware

My Feedback: (16)

Formation flying is a different animal.
It is not really hard if you can watch the other pilot and let his plane lead yours through "KNOWN" maneuvers. The lead pilot most fly a stated pattern and you formation pilot will follow that lead. It looks cool and if you are good at taking queues from the lead pilot. It all looks like it is done simultaneously

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

I tried it for about a year with a buddy of mine. We invited a couple of Texas guys to a fly in we had one year. Gus Hudson & Tom Dodgen If my memory serves me correctly. They flew a pair of 1/3 scale Christen Eagles. It got us so pumped we built identical Super Sportster 90s. This is a lot harder than it looks. When Gus a Tom did it they had wireless head sets on. We just had stand close and talk to each other. A few things we learned................... You should have the same leader all the time. He should fly a set pattern at 3/4 throttle and the #2 plane should follow. The leader should also call out the next maneuver at the end of the last maneuver. And finally lots of practice. We also figured out the most dramatic things for the spectators were the easiest to fly. We would head toward each other WOT at 15' of ALT. He would be over one edge of the runway and me over the other. The planes were 40' apart or so. From the spectators perspective they looked like they were going to hit. This was fairly easy to do. He would let me know when he started his turn and call close or far. It's much harder to turn together. The outside plane always has to turn faster.

We never got confused on who's plane was who's. Partly because the leader was always the same. Plus I got in the habit of doing an AILE roll two or three time during the routine. We always knew whos plane was rolling.

It was great fun and a challenge to do. My friend stuffed his plane straight in 10' from where I was standing due to a mechanical failure. ( that will get your attention) He dosn't have time to fly anymore or we would be still doing it. I don't think Gus and Tom do it any more either. They went from the Eagles to ducted T-33s. I heard second hand they had some plane confusion and lost one of the T-33s. If you decide to try it I would say go for it. I am trying to 3-D right now. I do it for the challenge. The formation flying was the same way. It broke up the monotony of doing the same thing over and over.

david

Scar

My Feedback: (3)

Tall Paul,

Thanks much, for taking the time to make such an interesting and informative post!

Best wishes,
Dave Olson

rcplanes711

thanks to everyone. we have been practicing 2 guys at a time using UPROARS & GREMLINS. practice, practice, & more practice.
thanks ed

Tall Paul

.
Dave, thanks!
It's the sharing of information that makes these sites work.

Spicoli

Me and my buddy practice flying in formation with spads.I wouldn't try it with a balsa wood plane.We have hit each other multiple times.It is a lot of fun.

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

To start formation flying you need to find the faster plane he is the wingman. The leader is the slowest plane! The reason is that the leader always knows were he's going so the other guys need to ketch up at times. Next , everyone had betterknow how to use the rudder because very seldom do three + planes line up with the runway exactly the same. If one of those guys does not know how to use rudder the guy's who do will realize it very quickly. As he cuts people off, or climbs over of under the formation, very disconserting. last lt divide the runway into allies that each plane will fly in do split - S turns at the ends while keeping in your lanes and keep going back and forth untill you get used to the type of motion you will see between planes.

Once competant at this, you feel comfortable with it, start reducing the width of the lanes. Then you are ready to try manuvers at center stage, or flying a traffic pattern. If your goal is to fly a traffic pattern remember to allways keep sky between the planes. You will soon relize that there are cross over points in each turn (where the blue sky disapears) and how to avoid them. Its a real blast!

Good luck

Joe