Breakout (Bugout) Manoeuvre

The purpose of a breakout (or bugout) manoeuvre is for a wing to immediate separate from the formation to avoid a potentially hazardous situation.

The Wing must bugout of a formation if:
  • they lose sight of their formation reference aircraft
  • they are unable to rejoin or stay in formation without crossing directly under or in front of Lead
  • they feel their presence in the formation constitutes a hazard.
  • when directed to do so by Lead.

To breakout of a formation, immediately find a clear area, and manoeuvre towards the clear area. This clear area is the safest direction, away from the last known position or flight path of the Lead and other aircraft. The radio call [number] bugging out must be made immediately.

Note: In a dynamic situation, it is imperative that a Wing that has lost sight (aka a Blind Wing) not hunt for their reference aircraft; if a Wing has lost sight, then an immediate breakout is required.

In most cases, the clear escape area is above the pilot, or along the aircraft’s pitch axis or lift vector if the formation is not straight and level. Therefore, an up and out manoeuvre, away from the formation, would be appropriate. Situational awareness of where Lead and other aircraft are is critical, and formation pilots must always know where their out is. Be aware of others in the formation that may be affected by the breakout.

Note: In a large formation, choosing a clear escape area is even more difficult. And if the emergency requiring a breakout is an engine failure, the difficulty increases further. For example, if a #2 in a 24-ship right finger four (six finger four elements in trail) formation loses power, up and out might not be appropriate, as the sudden loss of speed caused by the power loss and the climb may result in the affected aircraft descending into the following aircraft. The appropriate breakout procedure for large formations must be covered in the briefing.