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From: wmartin@brl-smoke.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Missing Man Formation
Message-ID: <681@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 5-Feb-86 11:11:15 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.681
Posted: Wed Feb  5 11:11:15 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Feb-86 21:38:12 EST
References: <1072@utcs.uucp>
Distribution: net
Organization: USAMC ALMSA, St. Louis, MO
Lines: 32

There is something that has always confused me about the "missing man
formation" -- it always appears to me that there are *two* "missing"
planes in the formation. The way I've seen it, most recently, is that
there are four planes in a *partial* "V" formation, like this:

                              ^
                         ^         ^
                    ^

And then the second one pulls off and away, leaving:

                              ^
                                   ^
                    ^

However, that still looks to me like TWO "missing " aircraft from what
should be:

                              ^
                         ^         ^
                    ^                   ^

I suppose there is some explanation, related to there being four aircraft
in some standard military unit, but it isn't clear to the general viewer.
I would think it would be more effective if they started off with the
five aircraft in a fully-formed "V", and then the second one split off,
leaving a clear single-craft gap. 

Am I right in those layouts above? I've only seen this on TV, and the
angles of shots don't always give a clear view of the true formation.

Will