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Old 19th Dec 2014, 15:19
  #70 (permalink)  
KenV
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: New Braunfels, TX
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in a word, no How do you turn 'your' formation to the right?
Apparently you've not done low level tactical formations in large aircraft where what you folks call "flat" turns are required.

A right turn is done exactly the same way as a left turn (mostly). The airplane on the inside of the turn is always the lead. This is very different than typical fast jet formation flying and takes a lot of coordination. Now let me explain the "mostly" part. Since in big airplanes the pilots sit side-by-side, the pilot in control of the aircraft often has to swap when making right vs left turns because it's very difficult (or impossible) to do cross-cockpit formation turns. It takes a LOT of crew coordination to do formation flying right in big airplanes.

How much close formation flying HAVE you done?
Plenty. Started out flying close formation in T-28s and have flown close formation in several different airframes, including A-4, F/A-18, T-38/F-5, and others. But that is NOT what I'm talking about. Formation flying in large formations of large aircraft is COMPLETELY different.

And about that picture of F-16s you provided, that is NOT what is being discussed here.
Take a look at this picture of a large formation of C-17s. Making formation turns in such a formation is VERY diffent than making turns in a close formation of fighters.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..._formation.jpg
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