A couple of weeks ago Stu, Bob and myself went for a Sunday flight.

We headed out for a jaunt around the patch and ended up in Wetaskiwin. We all arrived within 10 minutes of each other and did some visiting with other aviators hanging around the airport. One of the guys was kind enough to give us the keys to his vehicle so we didn’t have to walk to Smittys. What a great gesture.

After a great lunch the three of us departed in trail. As Tail End Charlie I had to locate the other two as we climbed out. As long as I stayed below them, they were easy to spot. Once I was at the same altitude it was very difficult to see them. I made sure to keep them in sight once I had them. We decided to try getting some photos of Stu and Bob in a loose formation and here are a couple of those photos. One photo has both of them in it and the other only one. It illustrates just how difficult it is to pick out an aircraft against the background.

When we head out as a group, we must be vigilant to maintain visual contact and situational awareness of others around us. If there is a speed difference between some of you then the faster aircraft should be at least 500′ higher than the others. And communication between all parties is extremely important.

Let’s have fun but make sure we do it safely.

Brian