displaying a formation e-mail [skrivebeskyttet] · title: microsoft powerpoint - displaying a...
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My thoughts on Displaying a Formation
Andy EvansBlade 1
My Background• RAF (20 years)
• ENJJPT• First tourist instructor (Jet Provost/Tucano)• Jaguar pilot (6 & 41(F) Sqns)• Red Arrows• Saudi Hawks
• 2Excel Aviation – The Blades (13 years)• 8000 hours• 1200 Public/Private Displays
Scope
• Make up of formation • Work-up Display design • High Risk Areas• Opposition manoeuvres• The Pre-flight brief
Make up of formation
• Pilots• Exact number / pool of pilots• Flying currency• Display currency• Aircraft currency• Experience Military/Civilian Background
Military v Civilian
• No formation experience• Basic formation technique• Technique for changing formation position• R/T procedures• Formation Break out & rejoin
• Lead and Lag• Initial reaction to What Ifs different• Different method of flying
• Competition straight lines v formation techniques
Make up of formation
• Aircraft• Single type
• All the same• Mixed formation
• Aircraft performance• Aircraft limitations• Aircraft manoeuvrability
• Display restrictions on aircraft• Numbers of aircraft / spare aircraft
Display work-up
• Time available• When to start / amount of training required• Pilot availability• COST!!• Location of training• Permission required / in place• Identify a suitable DAE and their availability
Designing your display
• Every flying machine has its own unique characteristics, some good, some not so good. Pilots naturally fly the craft in such a manner as to take advantage of its good characteristics and avoid the areas where it is not so good.
• — Neil Armstrong, quoted in Popular Mechanicsmagazine, June 2009.
Designing your display
• Do you need a set display?• Blades set display / Wingwalkers do vary display
• What is aim of display• Graceful and majestic / thrilling and dynamic
• Complexity v Pilot experience and currency• How long? How many manoeuvres• Full / Rolling / Flat - Can you switch between
shows or decision made in the brief
Designing your display
• Formation shapes• Who is the formation reference
• SOPs• Standard display v 1-Off flypast with mixed
formation• Understanding of SOPs• Formation numbering
High Risk Areas
• Formation rejoins• Photo sorties• Escape manoeuvres and What Ifs
Formation Rejoins
• Can be riskier than close formation• Full concentration required!
• Larger the formation – more concentration required!• Can be disorientating• Terrain and weather can be a big factor
Formation RejoinsTools to help
• Basic Rules• Who is responsible for collision avoidance• When has the aircraft ahead joined formation
• SOPs• Pre-Flight Brief!
Formation RejoinsCollision Responsibility
1
2
3
Formation RejoinsCollision Responsibility
1
2
3
2
Once crossed to other side of leader, can’t cross back!
3 no longer responsible for collision avoidance on 2
Formation RejoinsCollision Responsibility
Thoughts?
1
Formation RejoinsSolution
• Leader doesn’t change direction• Possible solution
• Height sanctuary• Inside turn goes low• Outside turn goes high
High Risk AreasPhoto Sorties
• Not the normal sortie
• Photographers not normally pilots
• Photographers have no clue about danger!
• Decide the shots required on the ground• Plan them carefully• Who calls smoke (if equipped)
• Very careful and thorough brief
• Check understanding
• DISCUSS ESCAPE ROUTES
High Risk Areas
• You've got to expect things are going to go wrong. And we always need to prepare ourselves for handling the unexpected.
• — Neil Armstrong, 2005 movie Magnificent Desolation: Walking On The Moon.
High Risk AreasEscapes and What Ifs
Why escape?• Emergency• Lost sight of aircraft • Danger to formation
High Risk AreasEmergency
• Should you always escape?• Reasons to escape (emergency)
• Cannot maintain position• Maintaining position would increase risk
EmergencyCan maintain position
# Fly it through# xxx has had a birdstrike
Leader can finish manoeuvre, get into best formation for xxx to exit
EmergencyEscape required
• # xxx escaping (if possible before escaping)• Fly briefed escape manoeuvre• When appropriate state emergency
EmergencyEscape manoeuvre
Up and outGo to appropriate side
Leader must make it very positive, otherwise others will start to follow
EmergencyEscape manoeuvre
EmergencyEscape manoeuvre
Pull out, continue in same direction as roll
EmergencyEscape manoeuvre
# 1 Exit# 3 Clear# 2 Clear
Escape/Loser PlanFull
(>1800’)Rolling
(<1800’, >1500’)Flat
(<1500’, >800’)
‘Pyramid Go’ ‘2,3’‘Starting Full’
Pyramid Loop…
‘Starting Rolling’Pyramid Loop…
‘Box Go’ ‘2,3’
‘Starting Flat’Pyramid overfly (if <1000’, crowd right Box
arrival)
‘Box Go’ ‘2,3’Box
‘Crossfire Go’ ‘2,3 ‘G0’ (from 3),4
Falling Angels‘Rudder GO’
‘2 Visual’Crossfire Break (smoke off from 1)
‘Break, break , GO’
Crossfire Break (smoke off from 1)
‘Break, break , GO’
2 & 3 - 1v1 (roll/snap/pull to cross & turn through 90, pitch roll & snap)(No visual calls, unless blind)
‘Going Flat’ (From 1, pre-Crossfire Break)2 & 3 - 1v1 (wingover to cross turn through 90,
pitch roll & snap)(No visual calls, unless blind)
1 & 4 – Pattern to tail slides‘Going Rolling’
1 & 4 Roll and Humpty Bump‘Going Flat’
1 & 4 – Pattern to Pull & 720° Roll
4 Solo 4 Solo (Derrys)
Crazy‘Smoke on GO’
‘1 Rolling In’ -- ‘1 Rolling Out’‘Smoke off GO’
Loop to TwistLoop to Twist‘Going Flat’ ’4’
‘4 Clear Out’ ‘4’
Bend‘Staying Flat’ ’4’‘4 Clear Out’ ‘4’
Escape/Loser PlanManoeuvre Escape Dep Lead Remarks
Pyramid 1 Pull, 2, 3 & 4 off back. 4
Box 1 & 4 Pull, 2 & 3 off back. 2
Falling Angels 1 Pull, 4 Push. 2 & 3 Pull and escape to their side. 2 2 Call ‘Rudder Go’
Crossfire 1 & 4 Vertical, then L/R respectively 2 & 3 L/R, then up
4 1 or 4 ease formation opposite direction, climb over crowd if required
1v1 (3 & 2) Fly it through – then call what doingStandard Blind/Exit – 2 On crowd, 3 off crowd
Pairs Tail Slide (1 & 4) Fly it through – then call what doingStandard Blind/Exit – 1 On crowd, 4 Off Crowd
Crazy 1,2,3 Call Exit, hold line.4 Clear, 3 Clear, 2 Clear
2 Contract (with 4) active from ‘SOnG’ until ‘Complete’ from 4
Box loop to twist 1, 2 & 3 Pull then when sure clear, ease R,R & L respectively, 4 off back
2 3 beware ground
Hammerhead If on plane, push. If deep, push, if shallow, pull 2 Call out, do not rejoin until cleared (2 Call ‘Rudder Go’)
The Opposition Pass
• Basics• Theory• Safety
Opposition Pass - Basics
Runway
Line
Cross Points
On Crowd Edge
Off Crowd Edge
Crowd
DatumOn Crowd
Wind
Off Crowd Wind
Crowd Left Wind???
Crowd Right Wind???
Theory
Blades SOPs
• 3.5 OPPOSITION PASSES• The lead element always sets up the pass, flying the
on-crowd side of the pass. The subordinate member’s responsibility is to avoid the lead element, set up the miss distance and fly off-crowd of the lead element.
Opposition Pass
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
Safety
Opposition Pass – Both Visual
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
VISUALVISUAL
Opposition Pass – What Ifs
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
BLIND
Opposition Pass – What Ifs
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
BLINDCONTINUE
Lead responsible for collision avoidance
Opposition Pass – What Ifs
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
BLINDCONTINUE
VISUALLEAD
Opposition Pass – What Ifs
No 2 – Lead Element No 3 – Subordinate
BLINDEXIT
Pairs Cross – No Wind
Pairs Cross – Strong Wind from Left
Blades SOPs AL1• 3.5 OPPOSITION PASSES• The lead element always sets up the pass, flying the on-
crowd side of the pass. The subordinate member’s responsibility is to avoid the lead element, set up the miss distance and fly off-crowd of the lead element. If the subordinate gets to the line, is visual with the lead and realises that they are on-crowd of the leader and assess that it would compromise safety to switch to off-crowd, they will make the radio call “XXX visual, remaining on-crowd”, this call is to be acknowledged by the leader of the opposition pass. The subordinate member of the opposition pass maintains the responsibility to avoid the lead at all times.
Pre-Flight Brief• Extremely important!• Walk through display to check understanding• Mixed formation members
Civilian/Military/Different nationality• What is the numbering system• Who flies on left or right
• Cover all shows that might be possible for weather of day
• Cover what ifs• Establish understanding if required
QUESTIONS