By Brandt "Barbeque" Ryan, Falcon 4.0 Instructor Pilot

  Obviously you'll have to be giving attention to the instruments in your cockpit, and on your HUD. Use the steerpoint cue once you're in position, and keep it centered there so that you are flying the same heading at all times--this reduces the chance of floating too close or too far from your lead. Periodically check your position with the virtual cockpit, and make any necessary corrections.

Formation flying takes practice, and requires a lot of patience from the pilot. I've found the best way to tune my formation flying is to create a simple TE mission, and fly in the two slot. After a few hours you'll begin to see dramatic improvements in your ability to stay in position. Before you know it, you'll find yourself "stuck" in position ;)

But is all the practice worth it? Sure, it's nice to be able to stay in position, and not have to spend ten minutes trying to find your package--but is it really worth the effort from a tactical perspective? Flying formation has to be an integral part of the contract you have with your flight. Imagine the following scenario...

For the zillionth time you've just locked up a bandit at 40 miles, and your human wingy is somewhere behind you, completely out of position. You go head to head with the bandits and Fox 3! at 30 miles, barreling in for the kill while your wingy is trying to figure out what you meant when you told him "Pitbull!" and "Lead sorted!". You blunder into the fight with your wingy now completely blind, and you end up getting smacked in the face by the enemy's wingy, who your wingy failed to make a lawn dart. Sound familiar?

And then: "We'll get 'em next time bro -- keep on working on that brevity code I sent you."

Well gentlemen (and ladies ;), the days of the pay by the month rent are over, and the full 2 year lease has arrived! I'm talking about formation contracts here, specifically the contract that you agree to with the other human beings in your flight. It isn't that complicated -- a contract is just what you think it is -- a binding agreement between two or more individuals.

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If there is no formation flying going on, most of the contract is useless. Flying formation is sort of like signing the contract -- if your name isn't on it (i.e., you're not in position in the flight) than it becomes sort of useless.

Before you even get on the tarmac, you should agree with the rest of your flight as to airspeed and G numbers. For example, in Tactical Formation, where the flight may be doing delayed 45 or 90 turns, or in-place 180 hook turns, it is very important to execute the turns at the same airspeed and G -- otherwise when you roll out of the turn you will no longer be in position. A standard contract of this sort might be 400 knots, pulling 4 G's. Here's an example of why this is so important.

Maintaining Tactical Formation

Let's say that in the scenario above, the flight was in perfect spread (line abreast) formation when they encountered the bandits at 40 miles. The good guys get spiked at forty miles by a pair of Mig-19's.

Because the lead knows that Mig 19's can't reach out and touch them BVR (beyond visual range), he makes a decision to launch some AIM-120's. Knowing what the enemy jets are, and their capabilities (namely the range at which they can KILL you) is called FBR, or Factor Bandit Range. Look out for an upcoming article on this very important subject in the weeks to come.

Now, once the AIM-120's go active (when the "A" counts down to the "T", AKA as "Pitbull") the lead calls out for a 180 degree Hook Turn. This hook turn will be done at precisely 400 knots, pulling 4 G's, thus rendering the flight still in formation, only heading away from the bandits in the exact opposite direction. Two things could have happened here.

Go to Part III.