Warbird Information Exchange

I was towing at a national glider competition here in PA in 2006. 66 gliders were entered in the contest and we were running 7 towplanes.

Hellcat, As for a being worried about potential collision in a big group, it is similar to flying over mountains or water. If you focus on the danger, yes it is some concern, the potential for big wreck is there. But once you decide to do the show you put it in the back of your mind and concentrate on what you must do as one pilot in one plane. I certainly think about which way is "out" if there is an emergency, usually down and to the side in a step down formation.
At a big show like Osh you may know the experience of many of the other pilots. You don't have a person join a big formation if it is their first time flying formation. Most of the groups hold a practice session or two during the year such as the one we used to have at Kenosha, or the one at Odessa for the T-6. I got my formation rating from Archie Donahue in the CAF in 1987, after flying with Carl Payne, Howard Pardue, Jackie Lee, etc. I later got a lot of good practice with Lou and the T-34 group who are very receptive to including new people in their training. Carl with the T-6 group used to give good ground school classes, and the video made by the T-28 group is the foundation for formation. Anybody wanting to learn should get this from EAA, etc. You can skip the first 30 minute which is mostly philoso-baloney, and really learn the next hour. The 2nd part is more advanced like formation takeoffs which I really enjoy. I have done a few formation landings which really gets your attention.
I have found once I got to a certain stage of formation capability, it seems to stay with me fairly well, and come back quickly the next season, more so than say instrument flying. I've never gotten good enough to be able ot stay centered through a lot of maneuvers like lazy 8s, but in normal flight with a smooth, gradual leader it is not too hard.
A formation rating is required to fly formation ONLY if you are in waivered airspace like a show. Often some of the pilots, even experienced ones don't have the card, but they can still fly, as single plane in trail, not joined up. Ain't no way a show wants to leave a P-38 parked just cause the pilot doesn't have a card.

Particularly when out on course (it's not important when climbing for a start or hanging out waiting for the right time to start), pilots working to center the core may move their circle over far enough to begin to intersect the original circle head-on. That gets interesting. We're required to wear parachutes but given the circumstances, it's amazing that mid-airs are very infrequent.