Chapter Two Ground Procedures

CHAPTER TWO

GROUND PROCEDURES

200. INTRODUCTION

The following ground procedures will be common to all formation flights:

1. Aircraft issue and preflight will be conducted in the same manner as any syllabus flight.

Students should note the position of their Wingman's aircraft on the flight line. Normally both

aircraft will be spotted next to each other enabling all aircrew to observe if any aircraft in the

flight is having difficulties prior to turning on the radios. Regardless of where the flight is

parked, always remain appraised of your playmate's progress.

2. Once all formation aircraft are spotted in relation to each other, all checklists are completed

(up to the Before Taxi Checklist and skip the clearance delivery step), and Automatic Terminal

Information Service (ATIS) has been obtained, each aircraft will switch to the appropriate UHF

frequency (362.8). Lead will check in the flight, informing Wingman he is ready to switch to

clearance by calling "(Tactical Call sign) , up and ready with information _____." Lead

instructor will check in the Wingman on the previously determined VHF frequency. If Wingman

is ready and has the current ATIS, he will respond with, "Two". If the Wingman has a different

ATIS the response will be, "(Tactical Call sign)-2 has information _____." If the Wingman is

not ready he will respond with, "(Tactical Call sign)-2 needs 5" (or the appropriate number of

minutes required to get ready) informing Lead you require five more minutes to be ready to

contact clearance delivery. Lead will respond with, "(Tactical Call sign), call when ready."

When all aircraft have checked in with Lead, Lead will verbally switch the flight to clearance

delivery and get a positive check-in. After the clearance is read back by Lead, he will switch the

flight to ground control and start to taxi. The request for clearance to taxi will be made to ground

control after all aircraft have started taxiing.

3. All aircraft in the flight will copy clearances and dial in the appropriate transponder code

and altimeter setting.

4. Taxiing to the hold-short area, the Lead will choose the downwind side of the longest

taxiway in use and will comply with taxi instructions. Each subsequent member of the flight will

taxi an equal distance from centerline opposite the aircraft in front of them for Foreign Object

Damage (FOD) considerations. Proper taxi position is defined as the tip of the near elevator

aligned over the yellow Canopy Fracturing System (CFS) door. The lead aircraft will position in

the runup area leaving sufficient room for the flight. Each aircraft will individually complete the

Over-Speed Governor and Takeoff Checklists as well as the departure brief. When complete

with all hold-short requirements (including playmate's integrity checks), the Wingman will

initiate a "thumbs-up" check to the lead aircraft. This signifies all checklists have been

completed satisfactorily and lead aircraft appears normal with the following integrity checks:

Engine cowlings secure

GROUND PROCEDURES

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