Formation Flying

We flew formation flying in both the T-37 and T-38 but the T-38 was so amazing it was unforgettable.

I remember a video much like this as a promotional for USAF Pilot Training...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ETWBk3Kzf1M

When we were starting the T-38 phase of pilot training we were shown a video of a T-38 chained to a runway at full power with the afterburner going when explosive bolts were blown and the airplane was released.  It tookoff quickly and was pointed straight up right after takeoff. It then set the world climb record... 33,000 feet in one minute and 35 seconds.  We were so fired up to go fly after that... if you can imagine...

The T-38 (White Rocket) had an afterburner on the engine and could shoot out a long flame and roar like a rocket.  It go straight up for what seemed like forever.  A dream to fly.  Formation flying is great fun but it can be fatal.  During the 5 months I was flying the T-38 there were at least 2 mid-air collisions during formation flying.  I know one of the accidents was fatal but I am not sure about the other one.  The accidents weren't at our base.

You really depend on your wingman not running into you... an understatement.  We started out flying two ship formations and finished up with 4 ship formations.  We did full acrobatics in formation... it was a blast.

The key to flying on someones wing is very simple.  There was a Air Force logo painted on the side of each airplane... that was your target.  When airborne and flying all you had to do was fly a little below and a little behind the other airplane to be in wing formation.  You had to line up the trailing edge of the lead aircraft's wing right in the middle of his star... as he moved you had to do whatever you had to do keep the tip of his wing in the center of his star.  I think the proper distance was 10 feet away from the other airplane... it was easier to fly closer... until you hit his jetwash... like in TopGun.  Jetwash wont put you in a spin but it will make it very hard to control you aircraft in a tight spot... like... having an airplane 10 feet away from you... ON EACH OF YOUR WINGS!

In the video below I can see a wing tip lined up with the star numerous times...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6xvb1CJYXc

This is an Echelon Formation, lead or #1 is the front airplane...

Number three position was the most demanding, especially if number 2 was jerky in his movements to stay in position... you ended up bouncing all over trying to stay in position on a him.  Number 4 could cheat a little and slide out a bit and just watch and laugh.

So #1 or lead had to fly safely and keep the rest of the formation safe.  Lead was just that... the leader... the other airplanes were not looking at anything except the star and the wingtip of the airplane next to them.  All that while being upside down, going straight up, going straight down or hanging by your seatbelt while pulling negative 2 G's (or +5 G's) and going 500 knots.

The paragraph below describes an accident involving the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team.  The lead aircraft failed mechanically and the whole flight flew into the ground.  Truly a very very sad day.

In 1982, the Thunderbirds suffered a catastrophic loss during pre-season training on 18 January. While practicing the four-plane diamond loop, the formation impacted the ground at high speed, instantly killing all four pilots: Major Norman L. Lowry (commander/leader), Captain Willie Mays, Captain Joseph N. "Pete" Peterson, and Captain Mark Melancon. The cause of the crash was determined by the USAF to be the result of a mechanical problem with the #1 aircraft's control stick actuator. This resulted in insufficient back pressure by the formation leader on the T-38 control stick during the loop. Visually cueing off of the lead aircraft during formation maneuvering, the wing and slot pilots disregarded their positions relative to the ground.

All that being said... formation flying was my favorite part of pilot training.  It always presented a challenge and it felt like instant feedback in the learning process.

One day when I was solo and leading a four ship formation through acrobatics I heard a little whisper over the radio... "speed".  I was getting close to taking the whole formation supersonic in the bottom of a loop.  That was easily fixed by reducing the power and increasing the G's ...  didn't break any farmers windows that day... or give any cows heart attacks... from sonic booms... 

Another day I was #3 in a four ship formation and #2 was bouncing all over the place and I slowly slid out a little so I didn't have to have the same frantic movement he had.  The instructor in the lead airplane notice me sliding out and told me to tighten up... so I did.  Eventually #2 got so erratic tht I got caught in his jet wash and started bouncing around, I went to max power and afterburner and dove away from him... #4 broke to the right and we all just went home.

Flying formation with a weak student didn't appeal to me and greatly affected my decision not to come back as a T-38 instructor.  The Squadron Commander was my instructor and he wanted me to come back.  In retrospect I should have as it wasn't as dangerous as an O-2 at DaNang.