eHarding
If you can arrange the necessary logistics (sole access to a Yak-52 or an Extra 300 for a week, budget for 15 hours+ flying plus transits; ideally you should be comfortable with flying basic aerobatic figures in a safe, smooth and predictable fashion on type) then the North Weald formation week, run twice yearly, is a fairly unique institution, taught by serving and retired military instructors, is the best way for a PPL - probably anywhere, not just the UK - to get to grips with the subject.
Really? To me this suggests (since that is how you open your post) that these are the essential prerequisites for two friends who wish to fly their C152s in half mile company. I dont buy it.
probably more relevant to the OP and the concept of flying 'in company' is adopting a rigourous and standardised approach to the pre-flight planning, briefing, RT during the sortie, and finally post-sortie debrief.
I would be interested to know what was wrong with my preflight brief set out earlier. Simple, to the point and it works. More importantly it is not rocket science.
The training emphasises planning every aspect, from start-up, taxi, take-off, through to rejoin, landing, shut-down - and plan for failures or emergencies at each stage.
Ah yes, but given the scenario above and discussed earlier of our two friends, I would be really interested to know the essential elements of start up, taxi, take off, rejoin, landing and shut down that are essential to two friends who agree to meet up over a known land mark, follow each other to a destination and break company well before joing the curcuit?
Pure and simple I just dont think this stacks up - unless I have missed the point.
All very valid if we were talking about formation flying but I think we moved away from that many posts ago.