Originally Posted by
SATCOS WHIPPING BOY
Thanks
wrench1
"
According to the recorded audio for the airshow radio transmissions and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data, the air boss directed both formations to maneuver southwest of the runway before returning to the flying display area, which was the designated performance area. He directed the fighter formation to transition to a trail formation, fly in front of the bomber formation, and proceed near the 500 ft show line. The bombers were directed to fly down the 1,000 ft show line. The 500 ft show line and 1,000 ft show line were 500 ft and 1,000 ft respectively from the airshow viewing line behind which the audience viewed the airshow."
So the airboss wanted the fighters closer to the crowd which maybe goes a step further to explaining why the P63 was in that part of the sky and counters some of the earlier comments about the fighters being closer to the runway/crowd line than expected.. That above instruction, with the fighters already on the tighter turn arc caused an enforced track crossover.
The fighters were going to be closer to the crowd line than the bombers, but should have also been above and in front of the bombers. Both formations were coming from the same area, so whether there was a crossover expected depends on where the formations were holding relative to the planned flight path. It would appear that the marshalling of the formations was relatively loose, and what happened thereafter, the fighters end up at a substantial track offset to the bombers to set up for the the planned pass. That definitely needs some amendment before the next time we attempt to disassemble aircraft in flight.
- A height separation would have avoided this outcome.
- A marshalling area that permitted an IP to be used to ensure that the formations were in a managed order would avoid this type of event.