If someone flew that close to me, I wouldn't report them, but I'd sure like to get in touch with them and let them know that flying that close to me, and following me is NOT okay.....period.

Who cares about the FAR in this case? I don't want anybody I don't know and trust that close to my airplane.....like ever. Not to mention having no clue what he's going to do next.

MTV

Just saying.
Me and my buddy fly from Texas to Idaho and all around in formation. I understand the reluctance or others as I remember days of skydiving and canopy relative work when people would threaten to shoot you for being took close. When others of us would walk across canopies and do canopy relative work (CRW). I am not saying anyone is in the wrong. Some people are comfortable with a hello and some are not. I would say if you don't have the skills you should not try to jump into formation with an unknown. Common sense that is not that common. but if you have the skills and see me floating around your area, I welcome to say hello and share the adventure of flying and share the moment. I am not saying i want a beginner on his second hr of PIC chasing me down but if you are able to do it safely "say hello". There are proper ways to do this. Not from the six but the 9 and then drift in after acknowledgement, whether a wing rock or comms. Coming in from the six is not sat as no one knows what is happening. on comms you would let someone know and thats one, but unknown is not cool because you can not know what reaction the other guy may have at any moment.
I am not saying this is bad or good its just common sense. Both can be good or bad.

For me, it would depend. If a guy in a Cessna was the "culprit", I'd probably get slightly tweaked and a little baffled, but if it was obviously a fellow spirit in a experimental type, or for instyance another ski plane, no problemo. I would of course depend on my own flying to maintain what I felt a safe distance, not his. Thinking of the relevant FAR would be the last thing in my mind, but of course I'm a guy who formed up (AT A SAFE DISTANCE) with an RC plane and then landed and met the pilot and made a new friend. Now if the other pilot was acting aggressive, and/or hanging somewhere out of my easy view, being ignorant in other words, it'd be game on, and I would treat him as a threat.

But if he loosely formed up in such a way that it was obvious he was going to some pains to let me see him, and waggled his wings, I'd waggle back, no big deal. If he then wanted to close up a bit, that would be OK also, but I'd always be ready to maintain what I felt was a safe separation. A head on pass, that'd be another matter

MR Zzz
I can surely identify with the not invited unknown. Have done a lot of screwy back country stuff so did not think there was much I had not experienced - even three planes dropping down stream for Indian crick, we were all on the radio but none of us could find the others. I just slowed down to 40 mph, flew down to tree tops and waited. They finally found each other in time and I went on up and around to Thomas crick.

But one day - flying from Reid Hillview to Hollister for lunch - I hear this voice - "Hey Chris. hold your plane steady and don't change anything. I all but FROZE, It's scarry when ya don't know which way to go. Now I knew the voice but did not know where is was, Knew he would be flying either a Bonanza or one of several Yaks. Mr.KV came back on the radio and said, " Hey Chris turn your head left and down slightly. There he was coming up and hangs about a hundred feet off and slightly behind and lower. I was still Frozen. Been lots closer to trees, rocks, walls, etc. - BUT they stay in place. Kregg talked me through it and invited me to change course for Salinas and come learn about formation flying. I told him you go ahead and quit scarring the sh@t outa me and I'l;l meet ya there.

There is nothing in the back country that scares me as much as having someone sneak up behind me in the air. So Zzz, I feel yer pain as some would say.

I agree with courierguy, If your on comms, ask the other guy what he is comfortable with but if you can not make comms you stay far enough away to make everyone comfortable. Common sense. No wing rock off comms, stay away. If not on comms still keep good safe distance and don't overstay your welcome even with wing rock

CRM. Give the guy in the back seat something to do other than take up useful load.

A few years ago when I still had my 170, I was flying over eastern Oregon en route to the JC fly-in and picked up a familiar voice on the radio. He was about 70 miles south of me, but we determined that we were on converging courses, and kept talking until we were like this:



I figured he was competent enough to fly my wing, given his day job.

He should have been more concerned about me...

Good times, Vick!

Are you being a pussy?

Nah.. I wouldn't go that far… Risk vs reward assessment is a personal choice. If you are not comfortable with that , who am I, or anyone else to judge that? I have many friends that make it clear they don't want just any Manny Moe or Jack in formation with them… That's cool

Myself? I'd never form up on a random person I didn't know, but don't really care who wants to ride on my wing tip… I also don't make a habit of buzzing boats, or four wheelers, but absolutely love it if I'm boating or biking and someone buzzes me… go figure?

Here's a thought; is it possible they thought they knew you? TONS of people like to fly tight, maybe they thought you were one of their buddies?

Dangerous… lol… nah 250' is pretty far from precision... Once I've established visual contact, all but maybe 1% of danger is out… he's not in an F35 after all… And once I've satisfied myself that he in fact has visual on me, well at this point we actually have to try and wreck to succeed… BTW, I would much prefer the wayward aircraft to be the faster one, by definition, If I am slower, I am more maneuverable...

Would I personally get too shook up about it? Not even. As illegal or uncouth as it may have been, THIS is how I've had some of my most rewarding personal - impersonal experiences.

As an ag pilot that works in between two very active ranges, it is almost ridiculous how often I will pull up in a turn to fin a CH-53, UH-60, or even C130 wing to wing with me… and quite frequently it is at night, with them blacked out. The first couple times it happened it was unnerving, now I pretty much look forward to it. Getting buzzed by one of the few local F5's frequently scares the sh!t out of me, but once I clean my shorts and compose myself, I rave about it…

As an owner of a property with an airstrip on it in the same region, I have been fortunate enough to have those same military, as well as CAP, care flights, and civilian types run the length of my strip at tree top level (and occasionally land), which is even closer yet… I love it!

But again, risk vs reward is a very personal thing, so shame on the guy that trampled your personal choice…


Take care, Rob

Im wondering if it was a newer Cessna type of airplane, if so, it may have been State police or a federal agency out snooping around. They are out there.

G44 wrote:Im wondering if it was a newer Cessna type of airplane, if so, it may have been State police or a federal agency out snooping around. They are out there.

It was a C150.

In this morning's email I got a link to a pretty decent AOPA promo video titled

" Collision Avoidance: See, Sense, Separate"



Here is the link. For some reason I can't get the normal url embed function to work so you will have to manually cut and paste the following link into your browser. Worth watching so worth the effort IMHO.

Link: ( Cut and paste the link below into your Mozilla or Explorere or Safari browser )
http://www.aopa.org/AOPA-Live?watch={5F745DBE-5D2C-45EE-AE18-B2613F822FFB}&utm_source=collision_avoid_ASI&utm_medium

One of their messages " Discretion is the better part of valor " and just make a gentle right turn and peel away. As per the AOPA video, looks like ZZZ executed everything perfectly.

I hear you Zane. I would want como first from anyone that pulled up on my wing. Not cool.