Never mind how low what about close can you go…….

Having spoken to some of these guys over the yrs. the requirement for this is “wingtip to canopy spacing is 38″”. and they do it almost every day at airshows and training.

Sadly the Indian Air Force Hawk formation team have had a mid-air today. One dead, two ejected safely.

During a display the aircraft flying inverted in mirror formation above the other appeared to descend into the lower aircraft’s tail (or the lower one climbed, or both), causing that the lower to nose up into the inverted upper aircraft. Too close indeed.

Sadly the Indian Air Force Hawk formation team have had a mid-air today. One dead, two ejected safely.

If you read my linked article you will find that the close formation is intended and part of the boasting mindset.

Thunderbirds had a mild midair last year as I recall…

It’s like many of the low flying vids – a pass at 100 or even 50 feet is one thing but some of them are way too low and stupidly close to those on the ground, even allowing for foreshortening by the lens used.

Are we sure the closeness observed was intended and not due to either error or weather?

I can’t believe the group normally flies that close. I know the Thunderbirds have strict parameters for their performances. Part of the show is to make it look closer than they are.

I think all since activities are foolish…Red Arrows and civil teams included.
Really, are lives worth a bit of a vicarious thrill for largely ignorant punters?

Let’s face it, we live in a very risk adverse world, I can’t imagine these things being sanctioned much longer. Especially if the Shoreham crash criminalizes what would have been seen as “just one of those things” not all that long ago.

I’m just an armchair aviator, and I don’t doubt their skills and experience, but what the heck is the point of taking risks like that? I wouldn’t drive my car that close to anybody else for fear of bumps in the road etc!

I NEVER enjoyed formation flying. I found it to be exhausting. Same way, same day is good enough for me!

For background reading…the why and how…https://www.quora.com/How-do-pilots-like-the-Blue-Angels-fly-so-closely-with-such-precision

As above. Hit a bit of turbulence and that would get VERY messy!

Claustrophobic at best.It’s all very well whilst everything is going to plan BUT a freak gust of wind, a bird strike and ,well.

That’s a classic example of people thinking they are being very clever when in fact they are being stupid. It may be officially sanctioned stupid, but it’s still stupid. It does raise the interesting question about who, if anyone, is to blame when it goes wrong. Is there such a thing as ‘institutionalised negligence’?

I would tell myself to lighten up if it wasn’t for another thread raising the accident rate among that team – the job has a 10 percent fatality rate. Reading the causes it would appear that a high proportion of fatalities were from testosterone overdose.

Crazy. I remember servicing a plane during the early 80’s and the owner did a stunt with it on the first flight over the airfield. It ‘went in’ to a field over the road.
A terrible tragedy for him and the family. We stressed and wondered for weeks afterwards if it was something we got wrong or missed during its overhaul.
The investigation found that it was pilot error, but the fallout was horrible for everyone. Better to fly safe – for everyone’s sake in my opinion.

That’s actually so close, that it’s scary!

No room for error at all.

B****Y HELL!!!! As you say ‘one wrong move’ and they would just be angels