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Falcon Flight Formation Clinic 2020

Check6

Well Known Member
Falcon Flight Formation Team will be hosting a Formation Clinic April 24-26,2020 with a backup weekend of May 1-3, 2020. This clinic will be held in Temple,TX (KTPL). We know this is a ways away but wanted to get it out as time gets away and there are those that like to get things on the calendar early. There will be more details posted here at VAF as we get closer to the date.

NOTE: See updated info below in Post #5.
 
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I'm based in Livingston and would like to fly up and participate. My issue is my RV-4 has no rear rudder pedals. I'd be willing to buy fuel for the weekend if someone would be ok with fitting me in their plane. Or, even some kind of rental if available.
 
Looking forward to participating

April will be here before we know it. I look forward to my first RV clinic with new to me RV8. I've been flying Bonanzas and Barons with the Texas V-tails for many years.
 
April will be here before we know it. I look forward to my first RV clinic with new to me RV8. I've been flying Bonanzas and Barons with the Texas V-tails for many years.

Hope to join you there in a couple years after I finish building mine. Have fun!
 
Falcon Flight Formation Clinic 2020 Update

Falcon Flight will host a Formation Training Clinic on April 24/25/26 2020 at the Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport ? KTPL, in Temple TX. The weather-out dates will be 1-3 May. This clinic will fly under the standards of Formation Flying Inc. ? FFI.

We have created a group at https://groups.io/g/KTPLClinic2020 to handle the logistics. Use the link to request membership in this group, then add a line with your information to the Clinic Signup Table. We will be using this group for all information distribution, including hotel info. Please watch that site closely for further details and updates.

A limit of 30-35 participants is in place. All formation pilots are welcome, whether newcomers and advanced. We will conduct mandatory safety briefings and a formation ground school, and we?ll also go over 8900.1 rules that apply to carded pilots when operating within a certificate of waiver (airshows).

All hotel information is found in the FILES section of the group (updated soon and often). We have two hotels supporting this clinic: Residence Inn Marriott and Holiday Inn. If you intend to participate, make sure to get your room booked early before the group rate expires. You can cancel up to 24 hours prior to arrival at no penalty.
 
Formation clinics and cards???

I have had a couple of conversations around Falcon Flight's Formation Clinic coming up in April. I wanted to write a universal response:

Stu "Falcon" McCurdy started Falcon Flight in 1993 as a way to demonstrate the precision and safety of flying in formation. Falcon Flight was the first FFI team. He would soon thereafter start FFI (Formation Flying Inc.) to set a "standard" and get more pilots flying formation safely. I believe the history and legacy of Falcon Flight continues because of his dream to teach, demonstrate, and provide a resource for those motivated to fly formation.

The questions have ranged from "What if I don't want to be a "Carded pilot"?" to "If I don't have a "Card" I can't be in the "club". The goal of FFI is Not for everyone to get a card and we are not a club. I think I can speak for most FFI formation clinics with the exception of the advanced clinics which are designed to get pilots carded for Airshows/routines. So you do NOT have to be a carded pilot to fly formation! The goal of FFI is spread the precision and standard of flying formation to those interested in learning a new skill, training to the same standard and holding those they fly with to the standard. This allows the pilot to show up with others that have been trained to the standard to get together and go formation flying safely - That truly was "Falcon's" goal! There are lots of reasons to fly formation, which I will not go into here - that is for a clinic.

There are those who want to get a card as it demonstrates a lot of energy, effort and training to get "carded" as it is not an easy process in that it takes time and lots of practice. But here again the only reason you MUST have a card is to perform in TFR's and/or Airshows. So if you have 4 RV buddies in this case that have been trained to the FFI standard and you wanted to go do a local missing man for a veteran etc. none of you would need a "Card".

Hopefully, this answers some of the questions/perceptions around RV Formation Clinics and will serve to encourage more aviators to learn this skill. Please feel free to take a look at the upcoming Falcon Flight Clinic in the above posts or any others that are held around the country. I think you will have lots of fun, be challenged and learn/polish up a great skill.
 
What about RV-10 drivers? :rolleyes:

-Marc

I have had a couple of conversations around Falcon Flight's Formation Clinic coming up in April. I wanted to write a universal response:

Stu "Falcon" McCurdy started Falcon Flight in 1993 as a way to demonstrate the precision and safety of flying in formation. Falcon Flight was the first FFI team. He would soon thereafter start FFI (Formation Flying Inc.) to set a "standard" and get more pilots flying formation safely. I believe the history and legacy of Falcon Flight continues because of his dream to teach, demonstrate, and provide a resource for those motivated to fly formation.

The questions have ranged from "What if I don't want to be a "Carded pilot"?" to "If I don't have a "Card" I can't be in the "club". The goal of FFI is Not for everyone to get a card and we are not a club. I think I can speak for most FFI formation clinics with the exception of the advanced clinics which are designed to get pilots carded for Airshows/routines. So you do NOT have to be a carded pilot to fly formation! The goal of FFI is spread the precision and standard of flying formation to those interested in learning a new skill, training to the same standard and holding those they fly with to the standard. This allows the pilot to show up with others that have been trained to the standard to get together and go formation flying safely - That truly was "Falcon's" goal! There are lots of reasons to fly formation, which I will not go into here - that is for a clinic.

There are those who want to get a card as it demonstrates a lot of energy, effort and training to get "carded" as it is not an easy process in that it takes time and lots of practice. But here again the only reason you MUST have a card is to perform in TFR's and/or Airshows. So if you have 4 RV buddies in this case that have been trained to the FFI standard and you wanted to go do a local missing man for a veteran etc. none of you would need a "Card".

Hopefully, this answers some of the questions/perceptions around RV Formation Clinics and will serve to encourage more aviators to learn this skill. Please feel free to take a look at the upcoming Falcon Flight Clinic in the above posts or any others that are held around the country. I think you will have lots of fun, be challenged and learn/polish up a great skill.
 
Rv10

I know that one of the team members here has a 10 and it does very well when we have gone to local fly outs. We think it would would work very well in a Bonanza clinic but I can not speak to the Bonanza clinics. That would need to come from someone who does those clinics and see what their feedback would be. I just know it has been talked about, no idea what the interest level would be among the 10 community. Thanks for asking. That is how we get things figured out interest and safety wise.
 
RV10

Regarding RV10 and Bonanza formation clinics - if you are anywhere near the KC area please consider flying with the Beechnutz. Clinics 2x per year generally late April and late Sept/early Oct. Of all the Bonanza formation groups I would say we are by far the most welcoming of types other than Beech.

If interested please send a PM to '2-Blade' here on VAF who leads the Beechnutz.
 
We are at capacity !

Hello all !

Happy (and sad) to report that we've reached the sign-up limit for the clinic this time around !

We are super pleased about the response we've been getting for this training session.

Don't despair however ... there is a WAIT LIST table created for the sole purpose of showing your desire to participate if/when people have to cancel. The closer we get to the actual date, there is always some fallout. So chances are still very good that if you are early on the wait list, there will eventually be a spot.

So, we are still approving new members to the group. The Main signup table has been locked down - but go ahead and add your name to the wait list table. We'll traverse this list on a first come first serve basis as spots open up. You will be notified by email - if we don't get a confirmation from you within a day or two, we'll move on to the next person in the list. It's only fair.

For those already signed up - please be considerate, and if you know you cannot make the date (we all know that plans change!), let us know ASAP and REMOVE your table entry so that we can give the spot to the next pilot in line.

Looking forward to a great clinic - stay tuned !
 
Wow I was trying to stay informed and ready to sign up for the clinic when signup was available and now I find clinic is already full. Will see if I?m able to get on the wait list.
 
Falcon Flight Formation Clinic Update 4/4/2020

Good Morning Formation Flyers,
As we all know we are living in unprecedented times. With the extension of social distancing and limitations of Bell County where the Temple airport is located we have decided to move the clinic to the last weekend of May. The new formation clinic dates will be Friday May 29 - Sunday May 31, 2020. There will be NO back up weekend as we will not have access to facilities and it will have become too hot by June here in central Texas. ALL hotel reservations have been cancelled EXCEPT those staying at the Holiday Inn. Those at the Holiday Inn or any other hotel you made reservations with will need to be cancelled by YOU! Again, ALL reservations at the Residence Inn our primary hotel have been cancelled by Scroll. That said we know a lot of people have been directly impacted by CV-19 both physically and financially. So please take some time to reflect on your situation and whether or not signing up for this clinic is truly viable for you.

What we are doing is pushing the present sign up list and alternate list forward to be fair to those that have signed up. Now, if after reflecting on your situation you decide to not attend we ask that YOU remove your name from the list. Please email Shorts and Luke that you have removed your name as well. That way we can move folks in that are still planning to attend. We know and understand that there is still a lot of unknowns with this CV-19. We are just trying to move forward and get life going again. We will adjust as required and are having ongoing discussions among the organizers to try and plan. We have no idea what the guidelines will be with social distancing etc. We know our facilities can accommodate some social distancing. We do know if social distancing requirements stay in place we will not be able to put safety pilots in with newbies. Also, due to us planning on shuttling pilots via a crew van to hotels this will take us out of the game as well. We just want you know we are discussing all the challenges CV-19 is bringing to the table and will update you as we know more and develop a plan. We all believe it is very important to move forward but as with the primary focus of every clinic and formation hop...SAFETY FIRST!

Now for those of you that have made it this far thru this email we still encourage to you sign up on the alternate list.
https://groups.io/g/KTPLClinic2020
We will update everyone as we get closer in. Do stay positive and safe. We will get life and formation flying going again!
 
Still have space?

Hey folks I am interested in joining the clinic if space is still available.
I figured some pilots may not be able to adjust schedules. I am available and want to join in.
Let me know if you have more room for another RV-8.

Mike Bones McCoy
RV-8
210445349six
 
Mike,
There are 37 signed up as primaries, plus 9 on the waiting list (3 of them will move forward to fill the primary list to our max of 40). Please feel free to sign up on the Falcon Flight Temple Formation Clinic Yahoo list:
https://groups.io/g/KTPLClinic2020

The Databases tab on the left side is where you sign up. We'll know within the last week or so how the final list gels out, and will contact everyone.
 
Falcon Flight Temple Clinic Hotels

Falcon Flight Clinic!
The latest on the hotels: Everything is still in place to accommodate everyone in the Residence Inn (primary choice) and the Holiday Inn (overflow). Both hotels allow cancellation no later than 24 hours before arrival. Individuals must personally call the hotel to make and secure their reservations.

Note the group rate cutoff dates: After those dates, individuals can still make their own reservations. Formation clinic vans will pick up at these locations, but no guarantees for any other hotels.

------------- DESIRED -------------------
Residence Inn Marriott (Closest to walkable restaurants)
4301 South General Bruce Drive, Temple, TX 76502
254-773-8400
Ask for Group Name "Falcon Flight"
$99/night plus tax for studio King.
Includes hot breakfast.
Check-in after 3pm. Checkout by 12 noon.
Falcon Flight Group
Start Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 (NOTE: Some Thursday check-in rooms are available in this group...just ask).
End Date: Sunday, May 31, 2020
Last Day to Book: Wednesday, May 15, 2020

-------------OVERFLOW-------------
Holiday Inn Temple-Belton
5247 S General Bruce Dr, Temple, TX 76502
254-778-5511
Ask for Group Name "Falcon Flight"
$94.99/night (includes service fee) plus tax, includes one hot breakfast daily.
-- add $4 daily for a second breakfast per room.
-- Rooms include King standard or two Queens.
Check-in after 3pm. Checkout by 12 noon.
Group rate guaranteed until May 22, 2020.

CHEERS!
SCROLL
 
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