Line-up and Take-off
The two options for formation take-offs are
element take-off and stream
take-off. As with all formation flying
activities, the line-up and take-off must follow the brief. In
most cases, pairs or element take-offs will be
planned if there is sufficient runway width.
Note: In rare cases, it may be
possible to take-off in elements of three.
For
both take-off options, aircraft line-up in echelon to avoid the
wake of the aircraft in front. If there is a significant
crosswind, Lead will line-up on the downwind side of the
formation. The Lead aircraft will typically reduce power by 2" MAP during take-off and climb-out to provide a margin for following aircraft to catch up.
Rejoins require more time in stream take-offs, and the geometry of the rejoin must be planned in the briefing.