Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:58:02 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from [65.32.5.135] (HELO ms-smtp-05.tampabay.rr.com) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.1) with ESMTP id 411763 for lml@lancaironline.net; Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:07:37 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=65.32.5.135; envelope-from=ckohler1@cfl.rr.com Received: from 34025820001 (16.229.204.68.cfl.rr.com [68.204.229.16]) by ms-smtp-05.tampabay.rr.com (8.12.10/8.12.7) with SMTP id i8FE44Nv000733 for ; Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:04:05 -0400 (EDT) X-Original-Message-ID: <002801c49b2c$f40d38b0$6401a8c0@34025820001> From: "Charlie Kohler" X-Original-To: "LancairList" Subject: Formation Flying X-Original-Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 10:04:44 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0025_01C49B0B.6CACDC70" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0025_01C49B0B.6CACDC70 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable While I realize that there are "different strokes for different folks", = perhaps it's time that a word of caution is entered into the discussion. Flying is about freedom. Flying Magazine's Lane Wallace captures this = feeling and puts it on paper better than anybody I've ever known.=20 http://www.flyingmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3D12&article_id=3D471 This article is typical of those she has written. The freedom of flying = a Lancair IV around the country has been a highlight of my Aviation = career. I've had the joy of pushing the throttles forward on a very = lightly loaded Boeing and that feeling of thrust and climbing at an = astounding rate. But nothing, absolutely nothing, approaches the joy of = flying over the Sierras mountains in the pressurized Lancair IV, on a = nice bright spring day, listening to good music, going where I want to = go. I live in a flying community which has an formation flying organization = called Gaggle Flight. I have flown formation with other high-performance = airplanes to our Saturday morning breakfasts. One flight (the last one = for me) the leader flew us into a flock of vultures, which required that = I breakout of the formation. A retired American pilot in the backseat to = this day is effusive in his praise of my action which he is certain was = essential for saving his life. Had I been locked 100% on a wing tip and = not scanning ahead---- I'm also reminded of a recent episode in California with a group of = Bonanza's that followed a leader into a canyon. John and Martha King have addressed the issue of risks in flying.=20 http://www.kingschools.com/productDetail.asp?itemNo=3DOOC%20AVMRMCD The joy of camaraderie at the bar that night- being able to brag that I = tucked it in really tight, does not seem to be a reasonable payoff for = the RISK of a midair collision. For those who haven't flown formation, the requirement of concentration = is essential. For extended periods of time. A gust/propwash/wing tip = vorticies must be met with immediate control inputs. True, it is a test of skills. But so are many other aspects of flying. A = good crosswind landing or a tightly flown on ILS (less than an a needle = width from intercept inbound) But, as for me, I'm not willing to place my life in the hands of someone = else while I concentrate on how close I can put my airplane to his. My two cents worth.=20 Charlie K. PS ---John Lear on John Lear "During some off time in 1968 I attempted to ferry a Cessna 320 from = Oakland to Australia with the first stop in Honolulu. About 2 hours out = from Oakland I lost the right engine and had no provisions for dumping = fuel. I went down into ground effect (T effect for you purists) and for = 3 hours and 21 minutes flew on one engine about 25 feet above the waves = and made it into Hamilton AFB after flying under the Golden Gate and = Richmond bridges." You'll never guess who was the young Aero Club maintenance officer who = changed this engine. And also participated with the FAA in the tear down = of that engine. It's amazing what a hole in the top of the piston will = do! He also doesn't mention the fact that he threw the HF radio out the = door and it hit the horizontal stabilizer. ------=_NextPart_000_0025_01C49B0B.6CACDC70 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

While I realize that there are "different strokes for different = folks",=20 perhaps it's time that a word of caution is entered into the = discussion.

Flying is about freedom. Flying Magazine's Lane Wallace captures this = feeling=20 and puts it on paper better than anybody I've ever known.

http://www.flyingmag.com/article.asp?section_id=3D12&article_id=3D= 471

This article is typical of those she has written. The freedom of = flying a=20 Lancair IV around the country has been a highlight of my Aviation = career. I've=20 had the joy of pushing the throttles forward on a very lightly loaded = Boeing and=20 that feeling of thrust and climbing at an astounding rate. But nothing,=20 absolutely nothing, approaches the joy of flying over the Sierras = mountains in=20 the pressurized Lancair IV, on a nice bright spring day, listening to = good=20 music, going where I want to go.

I live in a flying community which has an formation flying = organization=20 called Gaggle Flight. I have flown formation with other high-performance = airplanes to our Saturday morning breakfasts. One flight (the last one = for me)=20 the leader flew us into a flock of vultures, which required that I = breakout of=20 the formation. A retired American pilot in the backseat to this day is = effusive=20 in his praise of my action which he is certain was essential for saving = his=20 life. Had I been locked 100% on a wing tip and not scanning = ahead----

I'm also reminded of a recent episode in California with a group of = Bonanza's=20 that followed a leader into a canyon.

John and Martha King have addressed the issue of risks in flying. =

http://www.kingschools.com/productDetail.asp?itemNo=3DOOC%20AVMRMCD

The joy of camaraderie at the bar that night- being able to brag that = I=20 tucked it in really tight, does not seem to be a reasonable payoff for = the RISK=20 of a midair collision.

For those who haven't flown formation, the requirement of = concentration is=20 essential. For extended periods of time. A gust/propwash/wing tip = vorticies must=20 be met with immediate control inputs.

True, it is a test of skills. But so are many other aspects of = flying. A good=20 crosswind landing or a tightly flown on ILS (less than an a needle width = from=20 intercept inbound)

But, as for me, I'm not willing to place my life in the hands of = someone else=20 while I concentrate on how close I can put my airplane to his.

 

My two cents worth.

Charlie K.

PS ---John Lear on John = Lear

"During some off time in 1968 I attempted to ferry a Cessna 320 from = Oakland=20 to Australia with the first stop in Honolulu. About 2 hours out from = Oakland I=20 lost the right engine and had no provisions for dumping fuel. I went = down into=20 ground effect (T effect for you purists) and for 3 hours and 21 minutes = flew on=20 one engine  about 25 feet above the waves and made it into Hamilton = AFB=20 after flying under the Golden Gate and Richmond = bridges."

You'll never guess who was the young Aero Club maintenance officer = who=20 changed this engine. And also participated with the FAA in the tear down = of that=20 engine. It's amazing what a hole in the top of the piston will do! He = also=20 doesn't mention the fact that he threw the HF radio out the door and it = hit the=20 horizontal stabilizer.

 

 

 

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