EAA493 Mailing List: Re: My thoughts

[Joe Christian (k5hmd]

Hi Norm, I agree that we could have done better, but I don't agree that
mixing fast and slow can't work.  My airplane flies perfectly well at 115
mph, but I couldn't maintain that speed reliably.  Just need to practice
more!  I've got some experience flying in formation, and I have to say that
flying in trail is much harder.  When you are 45 degrees behind the lead,
you have a lot of visual cues to develop a reference from.  When you are
directly behind, the only reference is how big the guy in front is, and you
(I) end up jockeying the throttle a lot and having to turn to stay at the
proper distance.

I would love to have someone like Al, Mike, or Ted fly with me and teach me
how to fly a loose formation properly.  Unless everyone involved does the
same thing, and practices regularly, we don't have any choice but to fly in
trail.

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: Norm Beauchamp [mailto:nebchmp [at] zipnet.us] 
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2014 3:58 PM
To: Ducote; Art McNamara
Subject: My thoughts

First off I want to thank Don Smucker and Gerry Hatch for the planning of
the fly by tribute to Leon.  There wasn't much time, and we did the best we
could on short notice.  That being said what I am going to say is not to be
critical of any one. We can do better.!

These are my thoughts and you are free to disagree.  First off trying to mix
quick birds and slow birds don't work.  If you were one of the first four
acft then you missed the serpentine action that was going on behind you.
There was considerable weaving and bobbing trying to stay slow and in line.
Secondly the lead aircraft might benefit having the copilot operate the
flight radio to communicate with the rest of the flight while the pilot
maintains primary communications with the tower.  There were times when
there was no communication with lead to be had. Ground gave the come on in a
couple of times with no acknowledgement.

We will no doubt want to do this again and we should, but we should organize
ahead of time.  Lets say we group the acft by speed as near as possible.
Size can also be considered.  Once flights are organized, twos, threes,
fours what have you, we get airborne, fly to and loiter at a predetermined
location until such time we are notified to flyby.  The quick birds can
loiter together, and the slower birds in another location. The altitudes can
be different and locations offset allowing the two flights to arrive at
slightly different times with the quick birds being first.  Flight leads
would be in communication at all times.

We can practice this here at Ducote by picking a location x-number of miles
out (the distance being one we could use for the flight) and seeing how long
it takes to pass over the field one quick bird and one slow bird starting
from different locations but ending up in trail over the field. The
information can be used to inform and train as many that wish to practice.
Those being trained may be expected to be flight lead and brief others of
their flights.

These are my thoughts, and open to other opinions.    Sent with the best 
regards to everyone.

Norm