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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Formation Flying - Some Questions Please?
- Thread starter dougal
- Start date
dougal
Charter Member 2016
I fly each and every flight myself, recording each one and playing them back as traffic whilst recording the next.
it's fun and very rewarding.
Is that FSX your flying on and if so, how is the port over for that Cloud 9 bird.
As far as the topic goes, all i can say is practice practice and practice some more. Find people to fly with that enjoy formation flying and before you know it you will get better.
tigisfat
Guest
There is no specific procedure. In the real world, procedures vary between the group flying and the reason for the formation flight. For civilians, there is a non-federal association for formation flight that is widely accepted as a great way to learn standardized procedures for airshows and demonstrations.
If you're asking how formation flight is possible in FSX, then you need to go download FSRecorder version 2 for FSX. Once you've downloaded and installed it, I'd love to help you get setup and get some single player formation flights going. It's easier than ever now, and it's truly enriched my experience.
FSRecorder is how I made these:
From the formation I've done:
Closer is easier - Scarier lol but you can see the small movements earlier and make small changes rather than being further out and not see the movement until it's quite large. Our spacing was half an aircraft length back and 3m between the wingtips, that was for the two-ship, the three-ship boys used 1m (!)
Eyes on your leader - It's his job to fly, navigate and communicate for the entire formation, remembering how much more space he needs. Four little Grumman AA-1Cs feel like they take up as much space in the turns as a DC3 lol!
Reference lines - As wingman your job is to stay in position and make it look pretty (Competition formation) Pick reference lines to help you stay where you want to be. In the Grumman we placed ourselves so the main wheel covered the nosewheel and used the tailplane to judge our spacing along that line and the trim lines on the fuselage against the horizon beyond for height.
Controls - Light touch will do it as has been said before, small corrections in time to prevent the need for big ones! Throttle wise you should be working it to maintain your position just like the other controls. In turns when you're not in line astern you will need to change power setting, if you're on the inside say turning left in echelon left you are descending as your leader rolls in and then flying a shorter path so less power is required, but power will need to be applied to climb back up as your leader rolls out and vice versa when you're on the outside.
Hope this little ramble helps lol!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3a8EcVF97U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8ysAzJ4lKk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYSC0HtPw1s
P.S. The winds on the A-1 vid were pretty unforgiving that day hence the rocking wings... No honest... Wha? Wha?
Yeah it's FSX Accelleration, and the model needed a full set of guages and a few other tweeks.