General Category > Unofficial F/A-18 Acceleration Pack board
High-G Nose Vapor, Engine Exhaust Smoke and lighter HUD
SpazSinbad:
Doum76, OK you can see how having direct links for your own videos is best. I'll have to look at them later. In the meantime here is a graphic found in a PDF available online (click past the warning about invalid security certificate - this happens a lot on US military pages) to get a 4.8Mb PDF about instrument flying and formation procedures for the T2C Buckeye (but will apply in a general sense for the Hornet) at: https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/pubs/folder5/NFO_SNFO/P-821.PDF (4.8Mb)
The position for any aircraft is about the same. Angle off of 45 degrees with the wingtips laterally separated by a few feet and being able to look at both upper and lower wing surfaces will be a good way to see how to fly a Hornet in formation. I'm still looking for specific Hornet details....
OK while I was typing this response Doum76 has added another long post about his formation flying. Sounds good but I need to see the videos OK? Generally you need to trust that your leader is flying correctly and all you need to do is fly excellent close formation as required (sometimes in clear sky loose formation is OK) especially in cloud. Keep your eye on the fuel and gear state otherwise fly close formation. Nothing else matters.
Doum76:
--- Quote from: SpazSinbad on September 04, 2009, 11:44:50 pm ---The image below is not mine (from: http://users.telenet.be/aviator/PSF.htm) However it is a good illustration of some of the aspects of formation flying. However probably the aircraft is too close to leader and it should be further forward so that at least No.2 can see the Leader in case the leader uses hand signals. Also being further forward (but not too far - remember you will be about at a 45 degree angle from leader) means there is a better overall view of the leader. That is one way to fly good formation is to not concentrate on one point but on the overall picture/view of leader from the correct position. However at times your vision will be on one aspect temporarily to then quickly move back to the wider view (if you follow me). Fly echelon formation so that on the screen you can see all of the leader when in correct position with perhaps a bit either side for any movement. Formation requires concentration and practice - don't think it is easy if you are new to formation flying. I'm still looking for correct parameters for Hornet formation position....
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Well my flying is not as good as this one or close, but stil ain't that bad, i flew a few times that close, but found it tough in the game so he kinda got a bit away.
SpazSinbad:
The graphic can be misleading depending on the zoom in the game and it is not FSX. Keep in mind the simple graphic. Be able to see the leader at all times because as the Buckeye PDF shows there are a million hand signals he might throw at you. You must be able to see them. Also wingtips must not overlap as they probably are in the graphic. In one sense it looks like how close the Blue Angels will fly but that is another story altogether not relevant here. Still have to look at videos which will be a while because I'm concentrating on looking for Hornet formation info.
Doum76:
--- Quote from: SpazSinbad on September 05, 2009, 12:25:48 am ---The graphic can be misleading depending on the zoom in the game and it is not FSX. Keep in mind the simple graphic. Be able to see the leader at all times because as the Buckeye PDF shows there are a million hand signals he might throw at you. You must be able to see them. Also wingtips must not overlap as they probably are in the graphic. In one sense it looks like how close the Blue Angels will fly but that is another story altogether not relevant here. Still have to look at videos which will be a while because I'm concentrating on looking for Hornet formation info.
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No problem, take your time, and sorry about the otehr long reply, i didn't know you were actualy on, so i was replying one message after the other.
SpazSinbad:
Doum, No problem - just letting you know this is real time so I'm looking online for stuff. The Buckeye PDF is great for a lot of general 'how to fly USN style' information that will be relevant to all USN jets even today. I have a copy of the Super Hornet NATOPS which has at least three pages about 'inflight formation' (PDF URL on another thread on this forum which may not work anymore) reproduced here:
An EXTRA fourth graphic attached which was inadvertantly left out. Text describes the formation position exactly and how to turn with a wingman etc.
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