IL-2 Formation Flying: From Basics to Advanced

Greetings, here is a video I made to explain everything there is to know about formation flying to get you out there flying like a pro.

[@nothingtoshow8337]

NIce Video. Nice explanations. This Video should have muuuuch mor views ;)

[@bewell4467]

Thanks. Just starting with Il2 and took a while to find a video on formation flying. Big help.

[@tomaszwota1465]

I always found turning rejoin to be easier on the wingman (easier to gauge distance and closure when the airplane is seen from the side), faster to do (switch to lead pursuit for increased closure rate, switch to lag pursuit for the opposite) and easier to do it without overshooting (all of the above). Also easier to keep visual contact with the lead in case you do overshoot (you cross to the outer side of the circle and come back into it with a pure to lag pursuit). Straight means it's harder to judge the closure and optimal moment to decrease it, also demands more patience if you don't want to overshoot. Both should be practiced, but I just find it interesting that you'd say turning is more difficult. (Also, in your video snipped you were basically already in formation, missed the whole rejoin affair. Rejoin might start with your lead somewhere out there in the distance, a dot in the sky.)

[@Brookesy]

Greetings Tom, Thank you for the comment and your keen attention to detail in the video - you are correct about the editing error in the rejoin section. It would occur normally exactly as you say. I agree with you about the rejoins for flying IRL - turning is easier as you get the "bloom" of leads aircraft and have more access to geometry to facilitate the rejoin. However, In the simulator, and with my play testing with my wingman - he was much better at joining straight ahead given a pre-briefed airspeed. That may be student dependent and not universally true. However, at the time of doing the video - I chocked it up to the sensitivity of the flight model in the sim. Food for thought.

[@Imchicken2]

Didn't realise you were so pumped to go back to Moose Jaw

[@Brookesy]

never heard of that place ;)

[@squidboii]

@@Brookesy 431

[@BenTrem42]

Just what the doctor ordered! p.s. I didn't find what I needed in the videos I had saved _(""I have plenty of general flight material in my MilSim (and BFM) playlists, and some that's too specific.")_ so in a very large, quite well known clan discord I looked for suggestions. _"Someplace I can get basic lectures on group actions, wing and squadron and such? (I don't even have basic nomenclature!)"_ But even *_"Group actions, wing and squadron and such"_* was called too vague! I've always (since after army 1970s) thought of MilSim as a great place to exemplify / teach / support reasonably decent behavior. But? I've seen 4 great clans implode / self-destruct in the past decade.

[@BOBAFETT2106]

Hi man! I have some questions, before having maybe remarks if you want to hear them: Why do you put your wingman to the side where the threat is? I’ve heard you say the leads wants to have more eyes on the threat sector and to me it’s a strange position to achieve that. But maybe there’s something I don’t get. Also, overhead break, why do you idle first then bank?

[@Brookesy]

Boba, Firstly thank you for the comment and your attentiveness during the video! 1) I can see a good argument to also put the wingman on the opposite side of the threat (since now the wingmans scan will include seeing lead and now also seeing the danger zone). When I initially made this video I was thinking that lead would perhaps obstruct the wingmans view of the danger area - but you raise a good point and I can see why the other side is also a valid position. 2) Idle and thank bank is important as it will allow you to stop producing thrust and then banking to use "pulling g" to bleed speed quickly in the turn. You could also do both actions simultaneously and achieve the same result. However, when starting out I think its best to go idle and then bank, as doing one movement at a time will allow better control of the aircraft (i.e.: controlling the yaw when the power is cut).

[@BOBAFETT2106]

@@Brookesy ok. Thanks for your answers, I appreciate . For placing the wingmen yes indeed it is commonly used to put them on the opposite side of the threat, or in the end opposite to the sun. Then there can also be some vertical separation. And concerning the break in close formation, there is a slight reason to do the opposite, even if in those games you don’t feel the need, and the real benefit will be seen for one in a thousand approach, is that is you idle First, you stop loving as fast as your wingman, and he goes forward , maybe in your wing (shouldn’t be, but better avoid the risk in fact); then bank. Another thing, look at many drawings explaining a circuit pattern, you’ll see that you are never aligned in the runway axis, but always offset to one side (opposite of the downwind), as to never overfly in straight line the guys « in front of you » on final approach, that may go around. Being offset, you also see them constantly. I’ve drawings that offset to the side of the downwind leg indeed… but never right over head. ;-) Anyway, that’s a nice job you did with your vid’s. Go on, and fly safe ;-)

[@tomaszwota1465]

​@@BOBAFETT2106 I guess it's situational, but I can think of an argument to put the wingman on the side of the possible threat: - you scan the side you anticipate the danger from AND can scan behind the wingman to make sure he's not getting jumped, - wingman is scanning the opposite side, pays attention to your separation and can scan behind you to be sure you're not being jumped, - as a lead you're probably the more experienced player, so you want to be the one focusing on spotting the threat, especially since you don't need to focus on separation, - wingman looking for the anticipated threat would be less efficient as the less experienced player that _also_ has to pay attention to keep the correct separation and stay in formation, I assume combat separation at this point, so a tactical formation instead of fingertip, as in fingertip the wingman would be completely useless as a danger spotter anyway.

[@Brookesy]

@@tomaszwota1465 Exactly! Couldnt have said it better myself

[@pedroamaral1989]

Seems a lost of time try to maintenance a formation than check the six nd anoter side of sky