Fingertip

Fingertip. The formation most of us think of when we think about “formation”. It’s a beautiful sight to see; 2, 3, 4 or more aircraft all flying as one unit. Whether it’s Blue Angles, Thunderbirds, Warbirds at Oshkosh, or Grummans, it causes everyone on the ground to turn their head and watch.

We are going to take a lot of time during this clinic, and the AYA2000, to give you a good grounding in fingertip formation flight. Most formations are built on the skills and mindset you develop in fingertip.

There’s a saying in professional golf, “Drive for show and putt for dough.” Well, fingertip is like “driving” in golf. We do it for show – mostly. The only real reasons for flying fingertip, from a military point-of-view, are for show and IMC flight conditions.

So let’s start with some fingertip basics. (I’m going to assume that most of us are interested in the “show” part; we’ll get into flying IFR IMC on the wing much later.) First and foremost, the flight is a team. The flight lead has the responsibility to lead the flight, plan, initiate ATC communications and generally be responsible for the safety of every flight member. The wingman is primarily responsible for staying in position and supporting the flight lead in accomplishing the mission. Everyone works together to get the job done. Wingmen trust their flight lead. Flight leads maneuver within the limits of their wingmen.

The actual fingertip formation is as much “an area” off the flight lead as a specific position. We use the main/nose wheel pants as guides for the “line” (“on the line” is defined as having the front of the main gear wheel pant closest to you touching the rear of the nose gear wheel pant), but the important thing is to be in the right area off lead for the “show” or IMC.  I recommend 3-foot wingtip spacing based on drawing perpendicular lines from the wings.

General Concepts

Good fingertip takes practice, practice, practice. The better you get, the smaller your changes in power/flight controls will be. The big key is to relax, trim the aircraft as best you can, and always be making small corrections (including trim).

When moving into position, move up to the “line”, and then move in. Don’t get behind lead (“behind the line”) and then move forward – move out wider instead and get on the line; then in closer.

Turns

Turns in fingertip do not change the position of the wingman. In a sense, the flight lead is the “horizon” for the wingman. So, as a wingman, you should see the exact same references on lead in a turn that you see in straight and level. Only the ground/sky will be in a different place! There are a few different things to think about, though…

Turn into wingman: In this case, when the flight lead turns in the direction of the side you’re on (e.g. if you’re on the left, the turn is to the left), you will need to initially reduce power. The wingman will be flying a smaller radius circle, which takes less power. And if you fly out wide, you will be flying an even smaller circle! Everything else is the same. Realize, wingmen, that if you get out of position “wide”, it will take more than usual power to get back into position as you have to climb as you move in.

Turn away from wingman: Take everything in the above paragraph and reverse it! It takes a lot of power to stay on the high wing, so keep it in. (Flight leads: be sure you are at a reduced power setting.) If you fall behind on the high wing, you may not have enough power to get back in position!  So stay well forward. If you fly wide, you need a lot of power, so move it in close.

The key to both turns is to relax, fly the airplane, trim, and make small, continuous power changes.

Additional Concepts

Here are some time-tested tips:

1. Use rudder to move in and out; not ailerons. Minimize banking as much as possible.

2. Make all power changes in 3 movements, e.g. in/out/in, or out/in/out, instead of just one movement.

3. Stay aware; always be thinking. Try to anticipate lead’s next move, especially coming into the traffic pattern; e.g. what heading/direction he’ll be rolling out on after the turn to downwind/initial.

4. Hang in there; when out of position, fight to get back in. Always be working to be in a good position.

 And although this may sound “negative”, here are some nevers:

1. Never pass in front of lead.

2. Never pass directly under lead.

3. Never lose sight of lead, or place your aircraft in a position where you will lose sight of lead.

4. Never blame your lead for you being out of position.

5. Never hit your flight lead!!!!

Copyright © 1999-2001 Gregg Wilson and the Cathouse Gang