>
> I thought that as an
> airplane joins the formation, the lead plane will pitch down a touch. Or
is
> that only when a plane approaches from the rear?
>
In T-38s a plane approaching a formation would do so slightly below the
rest of the formation.
>
> Can't say I've ever seen C130 Peterbuilts flying in formation.
>
500 feet apart during daytime and nighttime formation. Three airplanes
to a "flight" nine airplanes (three flights) to a section, as many as three
sections. In weather with SKE equipment, distances are increased to 1,000
feet. I have a harrowing first-hand story to tell about two incompetent Lt.
Colonels who almost got 20-30 82nd Airborn paratroopers killed near Ft.
Bragg during an SKE weather drop. And another story about 18 C-130's in
formation going through the New York TCA with ATC radar and computers down,
everything weathered in with nothing left but SKE and procedural IFR, then
landing all 18 aircraft one at a time stacked in a VORTAC holding pattern,
then three TV crews, a failed starter, and a combat buddy start. All in one
afternoon.
>
> I've seen them practice extreme short field ops where they have the
landing
> gear do the zigzag routine. The props were reversed before the airplane
ever
> touched the ground. Insane. Those guys that practiced in Muskegon did
things that
> the airshow guys never dreamed of.
>
They pretty much stopped that practice of reversing the props in the air
during Viet Nam. All it takes is one prop to hang up on the low pitch stop
and you land wingtip first. They also took out the M-1 flare pistols after
one navigator tried to John Wayne it, ending up with the flare bouncing
around in the flight deck. They were used to distract heat-seeking
missiles. The M-1 mounted in the sextant port. I still have one of those.
>
> I saw one land crosswise on the runway
> and have it stopped before hitting the grass.
>
Yes, I've seen that cartoon also. A very short, very wide runway. A
C-7 could do that.
Chris
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