attended Checkoway FF ground school

mark manda · #1 12-11-2005, 10:17 PM

Just a quick post (due to computer) about a fantastic day of learning or at least an intro about Formation flying.

Dan Checkoway, along with Gary Sobek taught a three hour ground school on FF at Chino Saturday.

Lots of slides and terms and hand signals. It pretty much looks like the equivalent to getting an Instrument rating. But whole lot more fun.

Safety first was their motto..

Then the practical part kicked in when five planes with no right seaters decided to go to lunch. Briefing and into the air.

I rode with a 9A who was a first timer and on the way back with an experienced FF pilot (Yellowtail) in a 180hp 6.

I almost didn't attend because I'm not flying yet and DC said you need to wear your plane, or something like that. But I'm glad I did.

I hate to say it. But I think I'm hooked. One step at a time-- I'm going to read up and start memorizing signals and terms etc. and I'm in CAF and our wing has a FAST traron clinic in Jan. so I'll sit in on it and get more ground schooling.

I have some great picts I'll post later this week.

Thank you Dan Checkoway and Gary sobek.

one thing-- can't those guys let the passengers know just before they Kiss off (?) 2G 60 degree turn over the airport?

mark manda · #2 12-15-2005, 03:23 AM

http://tinyurl.com/a84ad

dan · #3 12-15-2005, 08:55 AM

12 grown men sitting around in a dark hangar with the doors closed on a perfectly good flying day.

(Had to keep it dark for the projector lighting up the hangar wall.)

Thanks for the kind words and the photos, Mark. Hopefully we infected you with the formation virus. Look forward to flying with you when your -7A is airborne.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D (724 hours)
http://www.rvproject.com

Kahuna · #4 12-16-2005, 05:46 AM

Hey Sharpie,
Great job on your first ground school. Did the presentation work out for you? Keep em interested throughout the long slide show?

Still thying to squeeze an M-10 appliance from Santa for ya.
Best,

dan · #5 12-16-2005, 08:17 AM

Yeah, the presentation worked out great. I think it has a good balance of graphics and animation and photos to illustrate the concepts. I have a few things to add to it, which I'll do before the next ground school, such as element cross unders. But other than that, the work to put on the next session is basically nil.

)_( Dan
RV-7 N714D
http://www.rvproject.com