Commemorative Air Force

TRARON

Odessa/Midland Check Pilot Meeting

September 30, 2005

Attendance: Rick Hosking, John Hyle, Ray Kinney, Morris Ray, Jim Munn, Stan Musick, Carter Teeters, and Bill Powers. Others in attendance: Grant Lannon, Steve Barber, Mark Mayte.

1. CAF has been teaching 1 procedure that is non-standard to FAST. We have been teaching echelon turns when in fingertip formation to make it easier for the wingman but FAST has standardized on the idea of maintaining position for 3 and 4, or riding high in the turn because it looks better to the air show crowd. It was suggested that the CAF should standardize. A vote was taken among the attendees. Ray: We have to standardize. Stan: T-6s don’t have enough smash to ride high well but we must standardize. Morris: Standardize. Jim: Standardize. Skipper: We should be following FAST protocol. Rick: FAST standard is to ride high and we should be teaching that. It was unanimous to adopt the standard in the CAF.
2. Jim brought up another issue where we differ from some other orgs. We teach that break up signals should not be passed beyond #2 in an echelon formation since 3 and 4 can count the interval and break in a similar time. If 2 passes the signal to 3 and 3 to 4, it is necessary to remove hands from the controls and this often creates instability in the flight and consequently a possibly unsafe condition. We recommend that other orgs. adopt our standard in this case and we should bring up the issue at the next FAST board meeting at NWOC or Sun & Fun.
3. Steve Barber commented that the trainees that have been turned out over the past couple years are much better than they were 10 years ago. He added however that if a problem child is encountered, the information should be shared in some way to prevent card shopping. The sharing should also be between signatories. Rick brought up the point that a candidate for a patch should be safe in formation but also needs to be competent to fly and hold his position. A person can be safe but be too far away to look good. He won’t hit anyone but he is not adding much to the flight. This is especially true of lead candidates since we need excellent leaders, not just someone to drive around in front of the group
4. Rick brought up the problem now existing with the FAA regarding Vernon Ricks and his group The Airman. The FAA is considering admitting his group as a third stand alone formation group along with FAST and FFI. Ricks’ group has been denied admittance to FAST mostly due to the actions and past history of the group leader. The big concern is that check pilots from this group, and any others recognized by the FAA, would be able to cross over and give check rides in other groups which could lead to a lack of standardization and put us back to the point where we were when FAST was formed in the first place. Pilots from different groups learning differing procedures that would than make flying together less safe than the situation that we have today with all formation pilots being trained by the same set of rules. It was brought up that one protection that we have is that we can require a safety checkride of any pilot that we are unfamiliar with prior to allowing them to fly in an air show with us. The groups that produce air shows sponsored by their own group can also limit participation in formation flights to pilots holding FAST cards and not recognize other cards. This would be true for orgs like VAC, CAF, EAA and W of A. This would give us at least some level of control over the situation.

Respectively submitted,

Rick Hosking

Traron Lead