i have to take my clubs 172 back to GRR tomorrow, a friend is going to follow me in his 172 to bring me home after we drop my club plane off... when I call approach can I call as a flight of two? If so how would that be worded?
Yes just call up as normal "XXX approach N1234 flight of two 15 miles to SW with information Bravo full stop landing"
Both squawking the same code will create problems for ATC to tag up the flight. Depending on the software, the system could get confused on which aircraft to tag to. Even if they both tag, you’ll have annoying overlap and erroneous conflict alerts. They should have lead squawk, wingman will squawk standby. Unless you’re ridiculously far away (non standard sep) from lead then they’ll give you a separate code.
If he's just going to follow, and you are not going to be flying in formation, please don't do the 'flight' thing. It's a pain in the azz for controllers. Just be yourselves.
Also, before attempting a formation flight, both pilots _should_ have formation flight training. Best to make it two independent flights to the same destination. -Skip
Yep. I've flight-of-two'd even out of IAD (even after 9/11). The flight I was escorting had no electrical system.
Having done this, in GRR's service area no less, we were not tight formation - I was 1/4 to 1/2 mile away - they didn't have me turn off my transponder or have me put it on standby.
2-1-13 1. For a standard formation only the aircraft acting as the lead will squawk an ATC assigned beacon code. Ensure all other aircraft squawk standby.
How tight is a standard formation before you guys want the transponder on standby? I asked the controller if he wanted my transponder there, and he said I could/should leave it on.
1 mile laterally. Not saying GRR did anything wrong. It’s their airspace, they can do what they want. Just giving the OP the reference (.65) from my earlier reply. Even over a mile ATC can have dash / chalk 2, 3, etc squawk standby if operationally advantageous. Basically a high code area and targets are overlapping / ring around. At my old facility though, we were required to have trail in a non standard squawk non discrete.
Depends on the type transponder. Some have standby. If no standby, then turn it off. If you can’t turn it off, ATC will deal with it.
Status Appareo, Garmin GTX335 / 345. They have Standby / OFF buttons. Others at least have an off feature. If still broadcasting with standby, then most likely ATC will tell you to turn it off.
Only because most pilots don’t have any idea how to do a flight. If you are going to be a flight the stay together throughout the entire flight, including touchdown. A flight will be treated as one unit for separation from other aircraft. The lead should squawk and the wing on standby. The distance between the two will determine if the controller treats you as a standard or non-standard formation which determines how much separation he will use between the flight and other traffic. What happens usually is two guys call thems selves a flight and their miles apart or the fly in together sloppily and when the enter the pattern they decide to break up and fly independent patterns. THATS a hassle. Stay tight or inform ATC that you intend to break up. Tex
