Warbird Information Exchange

Hello Bill.

I was wondering if you have a formation flying qualification for your Spitfire and if you do what do you think the chances of a three ship Spitfire flyby at Geneseo will be assuming the other pilots are qualified?

Also wondering if you could give a bit of a lesson to those of us who are ground pounders as to what it takes to become formation qualified.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff, I hope we will do formation as well as solo there. First step in learnig is to get the 2 videotapes from EAA or Sportys. More later when I get home.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

See our web site for the Darton videos in DVD.

www.NorthAmericaTrainer.org

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Jeff, 1st get the 2 tapes(video or DVD). Don't let the start put you off. You can skip about the first 35 min. which is just philosophy. The rest of part one is important to know, it is the basics. Part 2 is advanced, like group landings. Once you know what you are trying to do, you can do some ground practice, visualize the plane you will be flying next to, some type of walk through is good, we did it once with golf carts, even had a Mayday when one had a flat tire! Ground brief your practice flights, and take it slow and carefully. Best is a few 2 seat trainers of the same type, T-6, T-34 etc so an experienced pilot can go along.If you have different types or no instructors, use extra care. Many of the type clubs, T-28 etc hold clincs, as in the NATA magazine. Learning to just keep positon in good weather is not hard, you can gain some of it in a few hours. It is not unlike an instrument approach; and both become much harder when the air is rough and constant corrections are required. As you add advanced manuevers like turning join ups, or formation takoffs and landings it becomes more difficult and more dangerous. NEVER take your eye off your lead if you are in close, always leave an escape path. Good luck, it can be fun.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Jeff, there is not a lot specific to the Spitfie about fornation flying, really only that you can't use partial flaps to fly slow. You can fly on the outside of a T-6 in a turn, if you throtle way back and open the radiator doors. The engine is happier with a little more power. If I use min cruise power, 0 boost,1800rpm. the airpeed down low might be 190 knots, if up high thats about 215 knots true. At that low rpm it is not as responsive to power changes up or down, but handles fine. If you fly a little faster like with a fighter it is easy, you use a little more rpm so it speeds up or slows down quickly.I once flew a photo flight for AOPA with a fixed gear Piper and that was hard, at times we were down to 120 with the nose high and the engine at fast idle.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK