The wealth of information that is posted on this web site amazes me. There's
great articles on ACM, BFM, MUD-MOVIN', COMM handling, you name it. But what
prompted me to jump into print was the absence of one of the best aspects to
flying - online or not. Formation flying. So here's my stab at it.
I'm sure there's hoards of real pilots and military Sierra Hotel
fighter jocks
out there that could probably attest to the fact that they are potty
trained on formation
skills long before they go into advanced topics such as dog fighting.
To this end, I am devoting this little article as the prerequisite to
these other excellent articles. Daddy always told me you have to walk
before you can run.
I do a fair share of my simulation flying hobby online. This includes chat
and now voice communications with other people with my same love for sims. When
I go online I ask who's interested in flying formation as often as I challenge them to mortal combat.
The question that I get asked so often is: "How did you get so
experienced at dog fighting?" My reply usually surprises them. I say
simply that I fly formation - a lot!
When I dragged my brothers into this hobby, they
couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. So I would always take them back to the
basics. Formation flying. After lots of patience, when they learn to play
follow the leader, through turns and loops, then and only then can they begin to
be ready for ACM (especially guns only). This method has always been very successful
for my students, while also being fun for me as well.
The basic cell of formation flight is the element or flight leader
and his/her wingie. Formation flying, once perfected, can then be used
as the cell that makes up the whole body. This flying body is then
composed of bigger entities: elements, flights, packages,
squadrons on up.
Large formations project power, and by themselves can inflict
that necessary psychological advantage which can make the difference in
attacking or bugging out. So you can see how fundamentally important it
is for the fighter pilot to become proficient at form flying from the
big picture perspective.
Not only does the number of planes matter to formations, but also the geometry.
Form implies function works here also. Trail or stack formations conceal a
flight's true size, a basic form of stealth by geometry. Finger4, Vic, Echelon
and Wedge formations provide added situational awareness and protection. WW2
bomber box formations serve as defensive lines of fire power against more agile
aggressors. Again, being able to fly effective formation is critical to survival.
Other than for reasons concerning aerial combat, formation
skills are useful in other aspects of flying. Getting to and from the
battle, refueling, and air show precision flying are also dependent
upon honing these skills. If you think you're a great flier, get Jane's
F15E or EF2000 or TAW or Falcon4, set all the options to max hardness
and try your hand at refueling. There is as much concentration required
to refuel as there is to dog fighting.
Thunderbirds.
Precision flying is a challenge in itself. Only the very best
pilots become
Thunderbirds or Blue Angels. Try take offs, flying steer points, and
landing all while in a tight formation. Doing it while online is even a
greater challenge due to the inherent warping that can make it even
more difficult. I have found Su27 Flanker EAW, F15E, WW2F and EF2000 to
be the very best sims online for this purpose.
In fact, we Flanker fans did all this without the use of
voice comms or text chat. We learned to do it with sign language, i.e.
using moving surfaces like flaps and air brakes, countermeasures and
good old fashioned wing wagging to communicate!
So you might say, "OK. I buy the concept that formation flying is something I want to develop. How do I get better at it?"
First I would recommend you practice off-line.
Flying over internet or on a LAN complicates things for a beginner. What I do is
join up with a flight of planes that fly level for a long time. This can be either an
existing mission or one that you make with the mission editor.
If you can start off on the tarmac first, that is what I
recommend. It's far easier to stay with a flight, or for them to stay
with you, if you are tightly formed up from the beginning. It also adds
to the realism factor.
For off-line play, this is why it is very important for
game developers to include extensive wingie commands. If you're online with human wingies
you can semaphore, text or voice chat to issue the commands during the flight.
Once you're in the air, form up as close as you dare or the
connection quality will allow. While Su27 Flanker's graphics are old by
today's standards, the flight model and feel of flight is at the top.
Simplicity of the graphics also gives a near warpless formation
experience because of the low bandwidth and cpu utilization.
The other factors that allow for stable form fight is the
ability to use your cockpit avionics to keep track of the leader's
speed, altitude and range. These are all excellent habits for dog
fighting close in. If you over shoot in a dogfight you are dead. If you
lose sight, you lose the fight.
If your sim has padlocking and virtual cockpit views use them. If
not, using the Mark-1 eyeball method is effective as well. After
getting really close, I like to fix my eye on the other plane. Find
some reference point and keep that affixed spatially to some reference
point on the HUD or cockpit.
Some simulations, like Falcon 4, have labels. Others include
the other ship's flight data in the label system (like EAW and WW2
Fighters). This is a good learning mechanism, but I recommend getting
away from that as soon as possible because it develops bad habits and
detracts from the realism factor.
If you're the leader of a formation flight, it is
imperative that you have a steady hand and communicate your changes
before you make them. In time you will develop the skills to be able to
scan your instruments and look out the window with ease and speed.
When it comes time to join the fight, a skilled pair of
wingies are very hard to beat. There is synergy in a disciplined pair.
Find someone to fly with regularly, if you can, and
get your formation and dog fighting skills perfected. I have found that
these are the fundamental skills that make dog fighting more
successful, and flying with a partner in general is a joy.
Hope to fly with or against you soon. I can usually be found at the
KALI Flight, Jane's JCN and MirC Flanker-O-Club chat rooms. Das
Davanya.
