dorcami 0 Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Hi, Ive recently tried flying with a friend and we found out that its harder than it looks. I would like to learn some tips regarding to flying in formation, for ex: how do we manage to have the same speed between aircraft? is it a must to fly with the same aircraft? and some general tips that i could find usefull! thank you and I hope youll be able to help me with this part! have a nice day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion 72 Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 I'm not saying I'm good at this, certainly since I don't fly online. There are some pointers I can give you though: First of all, make sure you fly an aircraft you are comfortable with. It's not necessary to both (or all if more than 2) fly the same aircraft, but it's easiest if the slowest and least manoeuvrable aircraft takes the lead. when flying the same (or comparable) aircraft, the leader should NOT use full throttle, as that leaves the wingman or wingmen with no way to correct should they fall back a little. same with control inputs: the leader should leave his wingmen some room to correct. and, in my opinion, the most important: know what to expect, know what your leader is going to do, of if you're the leader, talk to your wingmen, so they know what's going to happen. You can't fly formation, if you don't know where the other aircraft (and the leader in particular) is going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRaven 0 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Don't ever expect to be able to set your throttle to match exactly the speed of the plane that you are flying on the wing of or line astern of...that simply won't happen. the idea is for the lead aircraft to fly at 85 - 90% throttle which will enable you to feather your throttle to maintain your position in respect to the lead. As Tyrion says - Throttle control is the key. This takes much practice and patience to get the "hang" of it. Also remember - the closer to the lead aircraft you get, any flight control movements (ailerons, elevator) you make seem to be magnified and therefore over-control is normal for the newcomer. My limited experience with the Virtual Snowbirds tells me to stay back a few hundred feet at first and practice your position flying there. as your skill increases, gradually move forward and closer to the lead. Over time, muscle memory takes over and it becomes almost more like breathing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerosoft Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558 Posted May 3, 2011 Aerosoft Share Posted May 3, 2011 Leader should communicate all the time what he is doing. Certainly if the same aircraft is used it helps a lot to know the power setting of the leader.Do not try to think too much, let your eyes talk to your hands. Get in the 'zone'.Wing should be lower then lead. wing should be 45 degrees behind the lead, never dead behind.Lead is easy, wing is hard.Configure air brakes to a slider on your control system. Being able to apply a little bit of air brake helps a lot. Have fun, enjoy. Have a drink. I know I am much better with one glass of wine then sober. And much worse with three glasses of wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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