{"id":29469716,"date":"2026-10-25T10:10:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/formation-flying-explained-fingertip-echelon-blue-angels-red-arrows\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T10:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T09:11:27","slug":"formation-flying-explained-fingertip-echelon-blue-angels-red-arrows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/formation-flying-explained-fingertip-echelon-blue-angels-red-arrows\/","title":{"rendered":"Formation Flying Explained: How Pilots Hold Position Inches Apart"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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The canopy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/display-teams\/blue-angels\/\">Blue Angels<\/a>&rsquo; left wingman&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/fa-18-hornet\/\">F\/A-18 Hornet<\/a> sat approximately 18 inches from the leader&rsquo;s wingtip, according to the official US Department of Defense caption. Both jets were in the middle of a turn.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>That is the extreme end of formation flying. But every military pilot learns the same basic skill, usually in their first training aircraft, and it rests on a surprisingly simple trick. Wingmen do not judge distance. They line things up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong> Two or more aircraft operating as one for navigation and position reporting (FAA definition)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Standard formation:<\/strong> Wingmen within 1 mile of lead laterally or longitudinally and within 100 ft vertically<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>How wingmen hold position:<\/strong> By keeping fixed reference points on the lead aircraft lined up, not by judging distance<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Basic shapes:<\/strong> Fingertip (finger-four), echelon, trail, line abreast<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Finger-four origin:<\/strong> Adopted by Finland in 1934&ndash;35; developed by German pilots in Spain, M&ouml;lders among them, in 1938<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Blue Angels:<\/strong> About 18 inches wingtip to canopy in the Diamond 360<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Red Arrows:<\/strong> Typically about 6 feet apart in close formation, nine Hawk T1s<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Silent signals:<\/strong> Gear, frequency, fuel and formation changes signalled by hand or by rocking wings<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">To the controller, a formation is one aircraft<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The US Federal Aviation Administration defines formation flight as two or more aircraft that, by prior arrangement between the pilots, operate as a single aircraft with regard to navigation and position reporting. A standard formation keeps every wingman within one mile of the leader laterally or longitudinally, and within 100 feet vertically.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>That definition contains the whole idea. Air traffic control sees one blip and talks to one pilot, the leader. Keeping the aircraft apart inside the formation is the pilots&rsquo; job, not the controller&rsquo;s, and US regulations forbid formation flight at all except by arrangement with the pilot in command of each aircraft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The sight picture: flying by references<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Here is the aha. A wingman in close formation is not estimating metres. He is holding a picture. In US Navy primary training on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/t-6-texan-ii\/\">T-6B Texan II<\/a>, the parade position is defined by three alignments on the lead aircraft. For height, the leader&rsquo;s inboard exhaust stack must be fully visible and tangent to the bottom leading edge of the wing. For angle, the lower UHF antenna sits over the inboard aileron cutout on the far wing. For distance, the edge of the leader&rsquo;s propeller arc rests on the pitot tube.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Each axis has its own control. Elevator moves the wingman up and down, aileron moves him sideways, and power moves him forward and back. A wingman ahead of the correct bearing line is &ldquo;acute&rdquo;, one behind it is &ldquo;sucked&rdquo;. The corrections are tiny and constant, and the Navy&rsquo;s own supplement admits the perfect parade position is transitory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/f-22-f-16-fingertip-formation-nellis-2004.jpg\" alt=\"A US Air Force F-22 Raptor and an F-16 Fighting Falcon flying in formation over the Nevada desert\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An F\/A-22 (now <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-22-raptor\/\">F-22<\/a>) Raptor and an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">F-16<\/a> in what the US Air Force caption calls fingertip formation on a training mission from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on 23 June 2004. The wingman holds his position by keeping fixed points on the lead aircraft lined up. US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The leader&rsquo;s half of the bargain is smoothness. Formation manuals all say the same thing: lead must provide a stable platform. Every jerky input up front is multiplied down the line, because each wingman is flying off the aircraft in front of him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Fingertip, echelon, trail and line abreast<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The basic shapes are few. In <strong>echelon<\/strong>, each aircraft sits behind and to one side of the one ahead, like rungs on a ladder, which is where the French word comes from. In <strong>trail<\/strong>, aircraft follow one behind the other. In <strong>line abreast<\/strong>, they fly side by side, which gives every pilot a clear view of the sky behind his neighbour.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The most famous is the four-ship <strong>fingertip<\/strong>, or finger-four: seen from above, the four aircraft sit like the tips of the fingers of a right hand. It was developed independently in the 1930s. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/finnish-air-force\/\">Finnish Air Force<\/a> adopted pairs and fours in 1934 and 1935, while German pilots in the Spanish Civil War, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/werner-molders-first-pilot-100-victories-finger-four\/\">Werner M&ouml;lders<\/a> among them, developed it in 1938 with their new <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/messerschmitt-bf-109\/\">Bf 109s<\/a> and were the first to use it in combat. We covered the tactical logic of the pair in <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/why-fighter-pilots-fly-in-pairs-two-ship-wingman-explained\/\">why fighter pilots fly in pairs<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dlj8LJvltcs\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">US Navy footage from inside the Blue Angels diamond during winter training near El Centro, California, in January 2015.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Lead, wing and the language of hands<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The jobs are clearly split. US Navy formation instructions put it plainly: lead navigates the flight and makes all external radio calls, and must know where the wingman is at all times. The wingman&rsquo;s primary responsibility is to maintain safe separation from lead, while backing up navigation and radio calls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Much of the conversation happens without radios. The US Air Force&rsquo;s formation signals pamphlet, AFPAM 11-205, says the signals reduce radio traffic and let pilots talk during radio silence. A thumb jabbed downward means gear down. Tapping the helmet near the ear means change frequency, followed by the digits on the fingers. A thumb tipped to the oxygen mask in a drinking motion asks for a fuel check. Dipping a wing sends the wingman into echelon on that side, and slowly rocking the wings means reform or tighten up. Often the only reply is a nod.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">How display teams fly inches apart<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Display teams take the same technique and remove the margin. The Blue Angels&rsquo; own description of the Diamond 360 says the diamond pilots fly at minimum wingtip-to-canopy separation, just 18 inches apart. Their Super Hornets have control sticks tensioned with 40 lb of spring force to leave minimal room for uncommanded movement, and pilots fly 120 training missions at El Centro each winter as the separation is gradually reduced.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;&hellip;in the Blue Angels, we&rsquo;re doing it in such a precise fashion, as close as 12 to 18 inches apart from each other.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Lt. Cmdr. Amanda Lee<\/strong> &mdash; Blue Angels demonstration pilot, speaking to the Smithsonian&rsquo;s <em>Air &amp; Space Quarterly<\/em>, 2024<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Margins that small are not theoretical. In August 2019, Military.com reported, the No. 3 jet&rsquo;s canopy touched the underside of the No. 1 jet&rsquo;s wing during a Diamond 360 practice at <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-bases\/pensacola\/\">Naval Air Station Pensacola<\/a>. Nobody was hurt, the damage was a scratch, and the team stood down for a safety review before flying in Chicago that weekend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/blue-angels-canopy-18-inches-wingtip-diamond-360-2012.jpg\" alt=\"Blue Angels F\/A-18 Hornet canopy seen just below the leader&amp;rsquo;s wingtip during the Diamond 360 over Baltimore\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Capt. Brandon Cordill flies the canopy of his F\/A-18 Hornet approximately 18 inches from the wingtip of Capt. Greg McWherter during the Diamond 360 over Baltimore&rsquo;s Inner Harbor, 15 June 2012. US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Johnson \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/display-teams\/red-arrows\/\">Red Arrows<\/a> work slightly further apart and do something unusual. Front-line formation is flown purely by eye, each pilot reacting to the aircraft in front. The nine <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/bae-hawk\/\">Hawk T1<\/a> pilots of the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-kingdom-royal-air-force\/\">Royal Air Force<\/a> team instead move on the leader&rsquo;s voice, so that nine aircraft respond together rather than in a ripple. Each pilot keeps the same position for a whole season, and first-year pilots fly near the front, close to the leader.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #d32f2f;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a perfect position to be in during all manoeuvres, and to achieve this we aim to triangulate a position on the bosses aircraft. We use 2 reference points to put us in the right part of sky, which is standard for any formation flying.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Mike Bowden<\/strong> &mdash; Red 2, Red Arrows, interviewed by <em>How It Works<\/em>, 2015<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RYGFczNMAMk\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic;margin:0 0 24px\">Tom Scott flies with the Red Arrows and explains the surprisingly familiar skill behind holding a close formation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Formation takeoffs and landings<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Taking off together is a power problem. If both aircraft used full thrust, the wingman would have nothing left to correct with. So lead sets a briefed power setting below full, which gives the wingman a reserve. In the civil formation guide published by the Formation And Safety Team, the wingman lines up on the opposite side of the runway, slightly ahead of the normal bearing line, with at least 10 feet of wingtip clearance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/blue-angels-formation-takeoff-f-a-18-hornets-2005.jpg\" alt=\"Three Blue Angels F\/A-18A Hornets lifting off together in a tight formation takeoff\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Blue Angels F\/A-18A Hornets take off in tight formation at the 2005 Coastal Carolina Air Show in Wilmington, North Carolina. Lead sets less than full power so the wingmen have thrust in reserve to hold position. US Navy photo by Photographer&rsquo;s Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Landing works the same way in reverse. The wingman stays in position until fully configured and then keeps flying formation on lead all the way down, using the runway edge as a side reference. In Navy T-6B training, once below 80 knots on the runway, the wingman confirms &ldquo;good brakes&rdquo; on the radio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Rejoins: getting back together<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Formations split up for landing patterns, aerobatics or a solo pass, and then have to come back together. A rejoin can be flown in a turn, straight ahead, or a mix of both. In a turning rejoin the wingman cuts inside the leader&rsquo;s circle, using geometry rather than raw speed to close the gap, and lines up a reference such as the top of lead&rsquo;s fin against the outboard wingtip to stay on the bearing line.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The danger is closure. A wingman who is too acute or too fast arrives with energy he cannot kill, and the FAST guide says that in that case an underrun, passing safely below and behind lead, may be the only safe escape. Display teams make rejoins look instant. The Red Arrows&rsquo; pilots pull up to 6 g just to get back in position before the next manoeuvre.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2041956912854372628&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:560px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Civilian teams fly the same way. From 2003 the Breitling Jet Team, based at Dijon in France, flew seven <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/l-39-albatros\/\">L-39 Albatros<\/a> jets in close formation and was the largest civilian aerobatic display team in Europe, until Breitling withdrew its sponsorship in 2019. The L-39 was designed in Czechoslovakia as a jet trainer, and close formation is one of the skills a trainer exists to teach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/breitling-jet-team-l-39-albatros-payerne-2014.jpg\" alt=\"A black Breitling Jet Team Aero L-39 Albatros parked on the apron at Payerne, Switzerland\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An L-39 Albatros of the Breitling Jet Team at the AIR14 show in Payerne, Switzerland, September 2014. The civilian team flew seven L-39s in close formation until 2019. Photo: Ank Kumar \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>From the ground, a tight formation looks like magic, or nerve. From the cockpit it is closer to concentration: an exhaust stack on a wing edge, an antenna over a cutout, a wingtip in the corner of the canopy. Hold the picture and the distance takes care of itself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: FAA Pilot\/Controller Glossary (Formation Flight), 14 CFR 91.111, CNATRA VT-6 Formation Supplement (T-6B, 2022), CNATRA P-484, USAF AFPAM 11-205 (2018), Formation And Safety Team Formation Guide 2.0, US Department of Defense, US Navy Blue Angels, Smithsonian Air &amp; Space Quarterly, How It Works, Military.com, Wikipedia (Finger-four; Werner M&ouml;lders; Echelon formation; Blue Angels; Red Arrows; Breitling Jet Team)<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>How do pilots hold position in formation flying?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In formation flying, wingmen hold position by keeping fixed reference points on the lead aircraft lined up rather than by judging distance. In US Navy T-6B training, for example, the lead&rsquo;s exhaust stack, an antenna and the propeller arc must line up with set points on the airframe. Elevator, aileron and power correct each axis.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How close do the Blue Angels fly?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In the Diamond 360 manoeuvre, the Blue Angels fly at about 18 inches from wingtip to canopy, according to the team and an official US Department of Defense photo caption from 2012. Demonstration pilot Amanda Lee has described the separation as 12 to 18 inches. The distance is reduced gradually during winter training.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How close do the Red Arrows fly?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Red Arrows pilot Mike Bowden said in 2015 that the team is typically about 6 feet apart in close formation. The nine Hawk T1 pilots judge their position by eye using two reference points on the leader&rsquo;s aircraft, with no autopilot, and move together on the leader&rsquo;s voice commands.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the finger-four formation?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The finger-four, or fingertip, is a formation of four aircraft arranged like the fingertips of a right hand, made up of two pairs. The Finnish Air Force adopted it in 1934 and 1935, and German pilots including Werner M&ouml;lders developed it during the Spanish Civil War in 1938 and were the first to use it in combat.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What hand signals do formation pilots use?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">US Air Force formation signals include a downward thumb for gear down, a tap on the helmet near the ear to change radio frequency, and a drinking motion with the thumb to the oxygen mask for a fuel check. Dipping a wing calls echelon on that side, and slowly rocking the wings means reform or tighten the formation.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How do formation takeoffs work?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In a formation takeoff the leader uses a briefed power setting below full thrust, so the wingman has spare power to hold position. The wingman lines up on the other side of the runway, slightly ahead of the normal bearing line, and the pair accelerate and lift off together while the wingman flies formation on lead.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in an L-39?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug offers <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/l-39-albatros\/\">L-39 Albatros flights<\/a> in Florida and California in the United States, in the Swiss and Italian Alps and at Brno in Czechia, and near Sydney and in New Zealand. MiGFlug has operated the L-39, the same jet trainer once flown by the Breitling Jet Team, since 2004.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do pilots hold position in formation flying?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In formation flying, wingmen hold position by keeping fixed reference points on the lead aircraft lined up rather than by judging distance. In US Navy T-6B training, for example, the lead\u2019s exhaust stack, an antenna and the propeller arc must line up with set points on the airframe. Elevator, aileron and power correct each axis.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How close do the Blue Angels fly?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In the Diamond 360 manoeuvre, the Blue Angels fly at about 18 inches from wingtip to canopy, according to the team and an official US Department of Defense photo caption from 2012. Demonstration pilot Amanda Lee has described the separation as 12 to 18 inches. The distance is reduced gradually during winter training.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How close do the Red Arrows fly?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Red Arrows pilot Mike Bowden said in 2015 that the team is typically about 6 feet apart in close formation. 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MiGFlug has operated the L-39, the same jet trainer once flown by the Breitling Jet Team, since 2004.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/why-fighter-pilots-fly-in-pairs-two-ship-wingman-explained\/\">Why Fighter Pilots Fly in Pairs: The Two-Ship and the Wingman<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/werner-molders-first-pilot-100-victories-finger-four\/\">Werner M&ouml;lders: The First Pilot to 100 Kills<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/airshow-smoke-explained-red-arrows-blue-angels-frecce-tricolori-smoke-oil\/\">Airshow Smoke Explained: How the Red Arrows and Blue Angels Do It<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/missing-man-formation-aviation-farewell-tribute\/\">The Gap in the Formation<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formation flying explained: how wingmen hold position by lining up references on the lead jet, and how the Blue Angels and Red Arrows fly feet apart.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":29469643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665,664],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29469716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world","category-military-aviation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Formation Flying Explained: How Pilots Stay Close | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Formation 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