Formation Training

[Scott Chastain]

Again, He said to me, "Prophecy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord."'"

Ezekiel 37:5-6

[RBD]

http://www.rvformation.com/events.html

December is probably a bit too early, but I'd check back here when you're ready....

[Ironflight]

Seeing as how you're in California, you might happen across one or two RV pilots that have a passing acquaintance with formation flying...

Dan, et al ?

[RV6_flyer]

Originally Posted by Scott Chastain

Dear Listers:

When my plane goes airborne this coming spring (if all goes well), I'd like to fly off the Phase 1 and then head on down to Texas for some formation flight training. Since Paul Dye is such a good writer, I've asked him or Doug to write up an article on how newbies like myself can get started with formation training. Should he or Doug pass on this, can somebody else out there fill me in on an RV-formation flight school within reasonable distance to California? Thanks!

Scott Chastain
N898W
Merced, CA
Painting

Scott:

Try contacting for one of the BEST RV Formation training groups in the USA.

Six of the FFI card holders in SoCAL were part of the 35-ship RV Formation at AirVenture 2007. We have a very small formation clinic coming up in December but all the slots are filled. We have one qualified formation pilot for every student so we limited enrollment. We are always interested in getting others that are SERIOUS involved. There are typically a few of us flying formation almost every weekend.

I am planning on being down doing some engine work after the Cable Air Show but will be back flying formation in the late spring.

I would like to suggest getting one other flying RV near you interested so that the two of you can practice without traveling to SoCAL every weekend.

[Louise Hose]

I wrote this little report up last year after attending the So Cal formation flying clinic. Seems like a good time to post it. I hope the So Cal folks don't mind.

FIGHTER PILOT FANTASY CAMP:
A NEWBIE?S IMPRESSIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST FORMATION CLINIC

Okay, it wasn?t advertised as a fantasy camp and I hadn?t attended with any intention of playing fighter pilot. It just ended up seeming like a fantasy camp. The Southern California RV Formation Squadron had joined with Texas-based Stu McCurdy of Formation Flying, Inc. (FFI) to offer a ?weekend-long immersion into the study of safe formation flying.? The marketing, such as it was, promised ?to advance the knowledge and proficiency of all pilots who attend, regardless of prior exposure.?

AM I READY?
The clinic struck my fancy for three reasons. One, I had owned my RV-6 for over a year, logged over 200 hours, and was looking for ways to improve my skills and precision. Two, I knew almost nothing about safe flying in a group and, thus, rightfully struck terror into the hearts of other pilots if I flew near them. Three, my family cabin was only a 10-minute flight from the clinic site and I had hoped to find a way to meet some So Cal RV pilots. I checked out the more detailed information. The price was a bargain. Only $150 would cover enrollment, tie-down fee, lots of snacks, transportation to and from the hotel, and a nice tee shirt. Not covered were fuel and hotel costs. I was impressed that all indications on the website suggested that the clinic organizers would ensure safety as the foremost consideration.

Only one area of pre-clinic information gave me pause. I carefully reviewed the Preparation page and found that I already met all pre-requisites except two. The first requirement was easy and cheap enough to accomplish. I would have to swap out my vernier throttle for a push-pull control. The second caused more concern: ?Must have EXCELLENT stick & rudder skills and complete mastery of your airplane. We are teaching formation, not basic flying skills.? Well, I know a few RV pilots with ?excellent? stick & rudder skills, and I?m not one of them. On the other hand, I?m comfortable beyond basic flying skills. I decided to take a chance that I would prove adequate and compensated by studiously reviewing the pre-clinic reading assignments and embracing the last clinic pre-requisite, ?Ability to accept criticism in a positive manner. Check your ego at the door?pick it back up on the way to the bar!? I decided that attending the ground school and flying as a passenger with the other pilots would be valuable experiences. I would accept being washed out from PIC after the first attempt at formation flying, if that?s what happened.

FORMATION FLIGHT TRAINING AND TESTING
Twenty-four RVs of nearly every type (4, 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 8, 8A, and 10) graced the Apple Valley (KAPV), California, ramp by 8:00 am on Friday October 21st. The morning session included an extensive ground school on formation flying and, specifically, the RV training/certification program developed by session leader Stu McCurdy (Falcon) and a briefing for the afternoon introduction flight.

The clinic attempted to accomplish many things during each flying session and, remarkably, seemed to succeed. Falcon used the weekend for check-out rides for several experienced formation pilots. In order to participate in formation flights at air shows, RV pilots must obtain a certification from FFI or one other organization. There are two levels of certification. Flight Lead and Wingman. Falcon was the only Check Pilot last fall, although he mentioned that he planned to expand the list of FFI Check Pilots soon. The certification test flights require an FFI Flight Lead and two FFI Wingmen in addition to Falcon (who trails behind to watch) and the applicant, who performs as a third wingman. An applicant trying to upgrade to Flight Lead would, of course, act as the flight lead with three Wingmen.


One of several FFI check flights prepares to depart with Falcon in the rear as the fifth (observation) ship. Photo by Hog (Dave Klages).

One of the challenges for the weekend was a lack of experienced flight leads. Only four FFI Flight Lead pilots attended and the concurrent certification check rides took Falcon and one other FL away from the basic training flights. Thus, FFI Wingmen stepped up for leads positions (for at least one, a first experience) and ?advanced? pilots often served as newbie-mentors. I was matched with KB (Michael Smith) on two flights and Dagger (Brad Sharp) on another. While they may not have yet carried FFI cards, they had no lack of experience. Dagger spent 30 years as an Air Force fighter pilot and KB has ~2000 hours of instructor time from his Air Force days.


KB (front) and Dagger (back) take-off for a little 2-ship action. Photo by Hog.

The first flight for most of us saw ?newbies? placed as passengers in the planes of experienced pilot in four-ship flights. It was a chance to experience the formation procedures and visual lines. My flight had the added benefits of fly in (and even piloting) an RV-7A for the first time. The second flights kept the same groups but switched planes and PICs, giving the newbies our first formal experience at formation flying.


Some folks took advantage of the beautiful weather to brief outside. Photo by Hog.

Following the first, introductory flight, the weekend moved into a pattern of looking at the chalkboard to determine your flight team, sitting down with the team as the flight lead thoroughly briefed the team, flying a three or (more commonly) four-ship formation for about 40 minutes, then de-briefing every detail of the flight in sequence. I fail to understand how the flight leads seemingly remembered every detail of each segment of the flight. It seemed that the organizers resisted ?washing out? newbies and I was allowed to continue flying all weekend. I don?t know if any pilot was asked to not fly due to inadequate skill but two planes were mothballed. One plane had a venier throttle, a clear and objective no-no in the pre-clinic announcements. The other rejected plane was the RV-10.


Every (40 minute) flight was followed by a mandatory debrief that often lasted about 30 minutes.
[i]

[Louise Hose]

THE RV-10
Wilma Melville came to the Southwest Formation Clinic for pretty much the same reasons as I had. She purchased her RV awhile back and, having gained comfort in the plane, she wanted to start sharpening her skills. She also wanted to meet some of the Southern California RV community. And, like the organizers, she was curious to learn whether the RV-10 would perform as a solid formation aircraft as all other RVs have proven to do. Falcon welcomed her participation, noting that this would be the first time an RV-10 had participated in an FFI-affiliated clinic. Like all of us newbies, Wilma made the introductory ride with an experienced pilot (Dan ?Sharpie? Checkway). Then, she and Sharpie took the RV-10 up in a 4-ship test flight.


Wilma and Sharpie smile before their introductory flight. Photo by Hog.

Wilma?s airplane is a beauty, but it didn?t fair well during the trial. The 10?s visibility doesn?t match other RVs and it was deemed inappropriate for the sort of cross-unders and re-joins practiced during the clinic. Hence, Wilma had to be content with the ground activities and riding as a passenger during the rest of the clinic. If making friends was one of her major objectives, she appeared to have succeeded as several of the principal organizers piled into the RV-10 on the last day while Wilma helped with the shuttling of pilots who returned a van and bus used during the clinic.


The lone RV-10 was grounded from formation flying after clinic leaders decided that it lacked the requisite visibility.
Photo by Hog.

THE PIC EXPERIENCES
I flew PIC with three ?coaches? during the weekend. KB (Michael Smith), Wingnut (Brad Peacock), and Condor (Gary Sobek). Each had their own coaching style and focused on different weaknesses. I am very grateful for their patience and willingness to put up with my less than ?excellent? stick and rudder skills. There is no question that this experience has made me a better and safer pilot. I hope that they found the weekend valuable, despite spending so much time with us newbies.


Wingnut rides shotgun and acts as coach during one on my PIC practice flights. Photo by Hog.

To my surprise, I never experienced a scary moment during the weekend, although my biggest flaw (I think) was not getting in close enough. Considering that most flights had two or even three newbie or novice wingmen (usually with coaches) and a qualified wingman stepping up to flight lead, the sense of comfort and safety was remarkable. I attribute the success to the leadership of McCurdy and the organizing crew combined with the ubiquitous sense of self-discipline among the participants. The group certainly had fun and there were playful moments, but everyone knew when to completely focus.

LEARNING WHILE WATCHING
Attempting to ensure that everyone enjoyed a worthwhile and challenging experience, some flights were reserved for the more experienced pilots. I found riding as a passenger and participating in the briefing and debriefing of three of these flights (including the 12-ship formation on the final day) equally interesting to the four flights I flew as PIC. Riding as a passenger allowed me to:
? Check out some other RVs. It was my first rides in an RV-4 and RV-7A.


KB prefers to fly his new aircraft from the right side, which gave his ?passengers? some left-seat time in his RV-7A.

? Experience more advanced formation maneuvers. For example, while riding in the lead plane of a 3-ship flight, we made two aileron rolls. The lead pilot explained the steeper entry climb angle used by his RV-4 (compared to my RV-6) and mentioned to me that it was common for trailing pilots to not even realize that they had completed a roll. I assumed he was exaggerating to emphasize the point that you focus on the lead and not the landscape in formation flying. While RV rolls are remarkably ?non-events?, surely no one could go through a roll on a clear day without noticing, I confidently concluded. Soon after our second roll, #3 called that he had dropped off and the formation broke apart until #3 was ready for a re-join. During the de-briefing, we learned that #3 had experienced severe thumping on the wings while climbing into the roll. He thought that he might have experienced an accelerated stall. Discussions among the knowledgeable collection of pilots nearby concluded that he more likely crossed an area of prop wash. Returning to the debriefing, the flight lead asked about the first roll. The response from #2, #3, and their respective passengers was an adamant denial that there had been two rolls. I remain amazed.


The final, formal flight included 12-ship flown by experienced formation pilots. Newbies and novices had the opportunity to ride as passengers.

? Gain a broader view of what was going on. I could watch everybody and not just focus on the plane immediately in front of me. This was particularly enjoyable in the 12-ship group. As I watched the gracefully waves of RVs pass through the light turbulence over Apple Valley, I was struck (as I often am) by the great privileges I have received through RV-ownership. You can?t pay for the opportunity to fly in the middle (and riding in the only ?smoke? plane, I was in the middle) of a 12-ship formation. Paying passengers aren?t legal. The opportunity came because I own and fly an RV. That?s when the fantasy camp analogy came to me.


Air-to-air photo during the 12-ship flight by ?Tooth? (James Klusmier)

[Louise Hose]

WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE ATTENDING
Feeling on the cusp of skill inadequacy, I took the pre-clinic Preparation information to heart. I ensured that all the required paper work and every plane requirement were met. I practiced precision control on my 60 degree turns and steep climbs. I studied the two prescribed manuals. However, there were two skills I could have and should have picked up prior to the clinic?.if only I had known.

1. Partial power take-off. My RV-6 has a 180-hp engine with a constant-speed prop and I have only done full-power take-offs. I was paired the entire weekend with 150-hp RV-4 with a fixed, wooden prop. My first PIC formation experience was a formation take-off with this plane and I was poorly prepared to match its (relatively) sluggish take-off roll. (Falcon referred to the challenges of mixing engine and prop types in formation flying, always concluding that ?There?s a fix for that!? Somehow, I think learning to perform a controlled, partial power take-off makes more sense than converting my engine to 150-hp and the prop to a fixed pitch.)


There?s a fix for that! Trish Russell?s ?fix? for a smaller engine and fixed pitch prop was to stay light and fly alone when possible. Trish worked on her flight lead skills much of the weekend.

2. Two-wheel landings. I have trained under the philosophy that all RV-6 landings can be best handled as 3-Point landings, and that?s all I have learned. It didn?t cause a problem during the clinic, but two-wheel landings are the norm in formation flying in order to expedite clearing the runway. I?ll master the 2-wheel before I attend another clinic. (Condor told me he learned the two-point when he gave a ride to a fellow with such a large belly that Gary couldn?t get the stick back far enough to execute a 3-Point landing. I think I know some folks who can help me out?.)


Most tailwheel pilots at the clinic had mastered the two-wheel landing, the norm in formation flying.

THE ORGANIZERS
Major kudos go to all of the clinic organizers. Dan Checkway, Trish Russell, and Gary Sobek seem to have had the lead roles. Paul Rosales, Mark Manda, and Dave Klages made significant contributions. Trish?s and Mark?s spouses also helped out. Of course, Stu McCurdy was a major contributor. A sincere thank you to everyone who made the weekend safe and thoroughly enjoyable.

[n5lp]

Originally Posted by Louise Hose

...I would have to swap out my vernier throttle for a push-pull control....

Great write-up Louise.

I am completely mystified as to why anyone would voluntarily install a vernier throttle control. I have used them quite a bit and absolutely hate them.

[Bill Wightman]

Hey all -

I taught formation training in the USAF for about 3 years. T37's. Its definitely a blast, some of the most fun you can have in an airplane. Its also an easy way to get hurt.

Last year, we lost a new RV6 here in OKC in a simple 2-ship accident.

So I wanted to say the right thing to do is get training before you try. Y'all are on the right track.

Louise your post was really fun reading. Made me take a little mental trip back to the Tweet days of trip-turning with UPT students doing all kinds of flying. Of course, we always flew matched aircraft. In many ways, your RV is a bit trickier to handle in formation. I have about 400 hours in RV's with lots of that in formation. You've accomplished alot in that week, sounds like. I think I'm gonna have to look into FFI when I get the new 8 flying next year. Thanks for a GREAT writeup!

Have fun and fly safe...

[Ron Lee]

The plane I bought had it and initially I thought that I would not like it. Yet it allows very precise power changes.

It will probably keep me from ever taking the formation clinic.