Invisibull Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Could anyone in a position to know tell me if USAF Vipers do formations take offs currently? I had heard they'd shelved them due to safety concerns. Is this still the case? i9 9900k - GTX 2080 Ti - MSI Z87 GD65 Mobo - 64GB HyperX Predator RGB DDR4 3200MHz - Win10 64 bit - TM Warthog w FSSB R3 mod - TrackIr 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrape Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Yes. 1 "It's amazing, even at the Formula 1 level how many drivers still think the brakes are for slowing the car down." VF-2 Bounty Hunters [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Virtual Carrier Strike Group 1 | Discord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavven Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 13 hours ago, Scrape said: Yes. Yes, they do formation take offs, or yes, they shelved them due to safety concerns? Sorry, just want to erase any doubts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chain_1 Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) Interval takeoffs are the most common. I base this on watching fighters take off in front of me for coronets and exercises. Interval takeoffs get them off the ground quicker as opposed to lining everyone up on the runway, running up their engines, and releasing brakes. Other fighters do that, too. AF stopped fingertip landings (in training at least) due to a mishap in late 2019. Edit: this isn't to say that fingertip takeoffs aren't allowed. I don't know if they are or aren't; you'd have to ask an actual F-16 guy, or maybe a tail-spotter from near an F-16 base. Edited August 22, 2021 by Chain_1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrape Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 11 hours ago, Xavven said: Yes, they do formation take offs, or yes, they shelved them due to safety concerns? Sorry, just want to erase any doubts! Yea, sorry for the vague response. Normal ops do not allow for formation take-offs. It was quite common back in the day once a pilot had passed a certain number of hours/takeoffs, but it's not done anymore unless special circumstances like an airshow. Safety was the primary concern for normal ops. It's not required other than to show it can be done, with a lot of risk for very little operational gain. Even with experienced pilots at the controls it's not allowed for normal day to day ops. 3 1 "It's amazing, even at the Formula 1 level how many drivers still think the brakes are for slowing the car down." VF-2 Bounty Hunters [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Virtual Carrier Strike Group 1 | Discord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invisibull Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Thx for all the answers. I sort of expected this was still the case. i9 9900k - GTX 2080 Ti - MSI Z87 GD65 Mobo - 64GB HyperX Predator RGB DDR4 3200MHz - Win10 64 bit - TM Warthog w FSSB R3 mod - TrackIr 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCPanda Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 On 8/22/2021 at 10:30 PM, Scrape said: Yea, sorry for the vague response. Normal ops do not allow for formation take-offs. It was quite common back in the day once a pilot had passed a certain number of hours/takeoffs, but it's not done anymore unless special circumstances like an airshow. Safety was the primary concern for normal ops. It's not required other than to show it can be done, with a lot of risk for very little operational gain. Even with experienced pilots at the controls it's not allowed for normal day to day ops. But I guess Thunderbirds stil do formation takeoffs and landings right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nealius Posted August 27, 2021 Share Posted August 27, 2021 I don't think demonstration teams are bound by the same SOP/limitations as the average squadron. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrape Posted August 28, 2021 Share Posted August 28, 2021 Correct. Demo teams, such as the Thunderbirds are exempt from this restriction. 1 "It's amazing, even at the Formula 1 level how many drivers still think the brakes are for slowing the car down." VF-2 Bounty Hunters [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Virtual Carrier Strike Group 1 | Discord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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