SWFC - Southwest Formation Clinic

35-ship RV Diamond Formation at AirVenture 2007

Overview

Formation flying is an absolute blast. The goal may be to perform at an air show — or merely to get a group of two or more airplanes safely from point A to point B. When done properly and done well, it can be incredibly satisfying, and it looks great from the ground to boot. That said, flying in formation is serious business! It's not the type of thing you want to just "go up and try" with your buddies, at least not without training and education. Very straightforward and safe techniques have evolved over the years, stemming primarily from military flight ops. We as civilian GA pilots can benefit greatly by learning and utilizing these techniques.

The Southwest Formation Clinic (SWFC) is a weekend-long immersion into the study of safe formation flying. It promises to advance the knowledge and proficiency of all pilots who attend, regardless of prior exposure. There will be a broad range of experience levels among those who attend the clinic. Experienced pilots help train the rookies. A variety of FFI (Formation Flying, Inc.) cardholders, including an FFI Check Pilot, will be on hand to ensure a high level of professionalism and discipline.

The clinic begins with ground school, which is mandatory for all pilots who wish to fly at the clinic. Ground school includes a visual presentation that delves into and beyond the T-34 standards and the RV supplement in detail. While this may be a review for some of the more experienced pilots, it will introduce rookies to the mechanics of formation flying needed to conduct our practice flights safely and uneventfully.

Following ground school, there will be a series of introductory practice flights. First, rookies will ride along (as passengers) with experienced pilots. This will demonstrate proper techniques and sight pictures to the uninitiated. Rookies will then enter the 2-ship environment at the controls of their own airplane — with a Safety Pilot, an experienced observer, riding along as their passenger. The Safety Pilot will be riding the controls with the rookies to ensure proper stick and throttle response. As the new pilots progress, their proficiency improves to the point where they are "cleared for solo flight" in the 4-ship environment. That's when the fun and the challenge really begins! There will be several 4-ship practice flights being conducted simultaneously in separate practice areas around the base airport.

The conclusion of the clinic is usually marked by an "all-up" formation, in which all qualified pilots will fly. This gives everybody a chance to experience and participate in a Large Formation. Look good for the cameras and have fun doing it!

NOTE: This clinic is an "RV-focused" event. For the sake of safety, we cannot accommodate other aircraft types. If you have enough "like aircraft" to form a flight (2-4 ships), please contact us. We will NOT mix aircraft of different types.

NOTE: The T-34 Formation Flight Manual is required for participation in this clinic. This manual provides basic information about formation flying as well as standardized hand signals. All participants must have read this manual cover to cover prior to the clinic. For more information, including where to buy the T-34 manual, please refer to the Preparation page.

For more information on formation flying and FFI, see this AvWeb article on formation flying or the FFI Program Manual. Please view the other pages on this web site for complete event information. We hope to see you there!