January  23, 2006

The first clinic of 2006 is in the bag. Just got back from the Inland Empire Wing clinic at Riverside, CA. What a great deal these guys put on. I had always heard what a super clinic it was and now I can verify that. Training Friday where I had a chance to meet the guys and flying Saturday and Sunday, although Sunday was cut a little short by the wind that came up. Pictures to follow, so keeping checking the website.

Two new ratings came out of that clinic: congratulations to Doug Dotter our newest Flight Lead and Ray our newest Wingman! And a nice ceremony by Doug Schuster to ‘welcome’ them.

Second call: Bob Mitchell has expressed his desire to move on too. In his place, Doug Matthews has agreed to help out for a year and Bob will stay until the dues flurry is over about March (Thank you more than you know Bob) and then there can be an orderly transition. (So get your dues paid).

However, Doug is only a reprieve, not a replacement – so, this is the second call for a volunteer to take over as Secretary/ Treasurer starting in 2007 and having about a year to learn the job.

The National Capital Squadron and the Stars and Stripes Squadron, up around NoVA (Northern Virginia) and Maryland is holding a clinic in Hagerstown, MD the weekend before Sebring. Contact is Tom Malone, if anybody is interested, email me and I’ll pass it on and let him get in touch with you.

AGAIN, WE NEED MORE CLINICS! All it takes is a 4-ship!

TRARON will help with any local clinic you guys want to hold, we will get you instructors/check pilots. All it takes is a 4-ship and an airport willing to work with you. Ideally, you should plan on a ground school Friday evening and as much flying as you can get in on Saturday and Sunday.

One last thing. At the last check pilot meeting (see the minutes on the website) we, TRARON decided to adopt the FAST standard of having the heavy (read: strong) side of the formation stack up on turns away. I got an email from another check pilot who had heard some grumbling. It’s standard, standard means standard. I think guys need to remember that if they are unable to hang up there, it is permissible to drop down to echelon. But, three stays there during diamond, I can understand a little sympathy for 4.

AS TECHNIQUE I WOULD OFFER THIS:

1. I would remind the leads that if you're wingman can't hang you are perhaps asking too much. This was the standard when I was in fighters, the flight leads job is to teach and lead his flight. There isn’t anybody out there that can stay in wing if lead doesn’t want them there. Conversely, as the wingman, we would ‘pass’ information to lead by where you flew. For example, if I constantly rode forward, Lead should be able to figure out that he can push it up a little; likewise, if I’m dragging he might want to pull it back some. (In training I would expect the power to be set, as the wingman needs to learn the correct position, so this "information passing" wouldn’t apply there)

And for safety’s safe: DO NOT RATCHET YOUR TURNS! (i.e. increase or decrease the bank by several different aileron inputs; one smooth input to the desire bank angle and one smooth input to straight and level)

2. I would also say that if 4 doesn't immediately stay in position and push it up (in reverse order) he will be lost, so it is more demanding. This requires 4 to push it up, probably WAY up, climb and begin the turn at the same time. You are outside the turn circle, in lag, flying a longer string, whatever you want to call – you got the longer trip to make to stay in position. You gotta work at it. And remember what I said about dropping back in the above couple of paragraphs and making it a true echelon turn off of #3 if you can’t hang. If 30" won’t hold you there, Lead’s pushing too hard.