The syllabus in brief

Click any heading below to expand:

Briefing
Introduction
Positions
Manoeuvring
Take-off
Landing
Lead Sortie

For more information contact Nigel Willson.

Formation Training

All through your flying career so far, you've been taught how to keep away and avoid other aircraft.

And yet, at air shows, you see teams of aircraft all in very close formation with each other and flying as a single "big ship".

If those pilots doing the formation make it look easy - it's because they're very good at it!

But even those pilots had to start learning their art somewhere... and so can you.

Formation flying is a disciplined skill that takes effort, concentration, anticipation and excellent piloting ability; not to mention complete trust in other pilots within your formation!

Here at Anglian Flight Centres we don't just take you along with your private pilot's license and train you with the necessary skills to fly in formation; we go much further.

After full training you'll be able to:

• Perform a safe pre-flight formation briefing
• Act as both Lead and Member aircraft in any formation position
• Know the relevant reference points for formation flying
• Fly from either pilot or co-pilot positions
• Know the correct join and leaving procedures
• Manoeuvre whilst in formation
• Change formation positions
• Follow correct radio and non-radio communication procedures
• Follow correct emergency action procedures
• Take off and land in formation
• Fly club aircraft in formation as P1 (instructor must be present in aircraft)
• Enhance your airmanship by learning good decision making skills as both formation leader and member

Each training session commences with a full and thorough briefing for all participating pilots. All students learn both formation leader and member skills. A full de-brief session concludes each sortie. Training can take place on either Cessna or Robin club aircraft.

The rewards from formation flying are enormous. You'll become a more precise pilot in all aspects of your flying, and also a very safety conscious one too.

Obviously, we need two like-minded people in order to practice. Once a formation student base is established, we will be able to offer advanced formation training in the form of increased formation sizes (three-ship, four-ship etc).

Training sessions will be mutually agreed with all parties; booking some time in advance will be necessary to ensure aircraft and instructor availability. Each formation flight will need to be a minimum of 1 hour to ensure sufficient time for both students to participate in the necessary exercises.

If you like the look of this course, don't forget we also offer an Advanced PPL course.

For more information take a look at the expanded syllabus below, then contact Nigel Willson.

Ground Briefing

• An introduction to formation flying - the basic skills, methods and practices
• Responsibilities of Leader and Member
• Reference Points
• Radio and non-radio communications, including formation terminology (e.g BINGO, BUSTER)
• Emergency procedures (HEFOE)
• Formation join/leaving procedure

Formation Flight Introduction

• Formation Start-up
• Formation Taxi
• Stream Take-off
• Formation join
• Maintaining station
• Leaving station

Formation Flight Positions

• Practice different formation positions
• Practice change of formation positions

Formation Flight Manoeuvring

• Formation turns left and right
• Formation climbs
• Formation descents
• Emergency Breaks

Formation Take-off

• Practice formation take-offs and associated emergency procedures
• Act as both lead and member

Formation Landing

• Practice formation landings and associated emergency procedures
• Act as both lead and member

Student-led formation sortie

• Take the P1 role and perform a full formation brief
• Lead a successful and safe formation as briefed
• Perform a full de-brief

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