Formation Flight Survival Rules

Unless youre trained for it, we dont think its a good idea. But if you must-a photo mission, for example-here are some safety tips.

D Higdon

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Formation flying for air-to-air photography is highly risky, even for experienced pilots, as evidenced by past fatal accidents, and should be approached with extreme caution.
Thorough pre-flight planning and briefing are critical, covering flight plans, equipment, coordinated airspeeds, and explicit maneuver signals to ensure a safe and productive flight.
Strict adherence to fundamental safety rules, including never maneuvering directly over or under another aircraft and having a well-rehearsed "lost-contact" (break) procedure, is paramount to prevent collisions.

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Many pilots lust after hanging one of those magazine-cover-quality air-to-air shots of their airplane on the wall. Speaking as a pilot lucky enough to spend part of my life working my cameras to create some of those photos, you should think long and hard before forming up on another airplane. What you dont know can easily kill you.

With some solid planning and execution, one of those great photos could soon be hanging on your wall. But, even armed with solid preparation, flying formation for photos presents some significant risks, even if you have some well-founded formation flying experience.