Formation flying is the disciplined flight of two or more aircraft under the command of a flight leader.
Military pilots use formations for mutual defense and concentration of firepower.
In civil aviation, formation flying is performed at air shows and is also flown for recreation. Formation flying also has been discussed as a means to reduce fuel use by minimizing drag.
Studies of birds have shown that the V formation can greatly enhance the overall aerodynamic efficiency by reducing the drag and thereby increasing the flight range.
Read more about Formation Flying: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Formation Flight
Famous quotes containing the words formation and/or flying:
“It is because the body is a machine that education is possible. Education is the formation of habits, a superinducing of an artificial organisation upon the natural organisation of the body.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)
“Now I am alone with the dead,
flying off bridges,
hurling myself like a beer can into the wastebasket.
I am flying like a single red rose,
leaving a jet stream
of solitude....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)