Formation Information

For safety, fly to the side of the spectators.  Unofficial FAA advice is to be 500 feet laterally from the crowd and 500 feet above the ground (AGL).

If you do the missing man formation, the departing airplane should leave gracefully, pulling up and slowly turning west, toward the setting sun. It's a funeral, not an airshow.  To read more about the missing man formation, please click here.

If you don't have three or more airplanes you might do a simple straight-and-level flyover, which is very powerful to the mourners.

The formation should maintain heading and direction until they are no longer visible from the funeral.

You will only do one pass: think carefully about how it should look. The direction of flight should be carefully considered. Remember not to fly so that the spectators have to look toward the sun.  There may be an awning above the spectators, so flying to the side of spectators is desirable.

Airplanes

Communication

Schedule