DaveTRON Wrote: wwwmwww Wrote:Anyone know what the fly-by pattern is called when one plane is missing from the patern. Here is my toast... The Missing Man formation.

I didn't want to take the other thread off topic so I'm starting a new one.

Thanks Dave.

While making that animation yesterday I was looking for some information to make sure I did things correctly. Knowing just enough to know what the missing man formation was even if I didn't know its proper name I was guessing there was probably more symbolism in the proper ceremonial tradition than I was aware of. Now even having the name I'm still not sure I had it all correct. Should the missing plane come off the right or the left?

I fould this page:
http://www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html
And looking at the pic I see one formation with 6 planes and one with 4 so I'm now not even sure I have the number of planes correct. I was thinking it should be 5 and then one of the outer plane in the the formation banks away. Actually I was thinking it was supposed to be one of the planes next to the outer edge so there would be a gap in the formation till I found this pic yesterday.


However after looking more today I've found these:




Canadian Snow Birds Missing Man Formation

Amoung others. Maybe this tradition is a bit more free form then I was thinking. Anyone know if there is an official formation. Even this line from the first link confuses me "Aside from the fixed wing manuever, a rotary wing version is flown by National Guard and Reservists with exceptional beauty and solemnity." What is the difference between the "fixed wing manuever" and the "rotary wing version".

Just curious...
Carl

Thanks... I take it that rotary wing version equals helicopter version. For some reason I was failing to make that connection.

Is there any significance to the total number of planes in the formation or the side of the formation the plane is missing from?

Carl