We've taken a slightly different apporach to how we publish new videos and screenshots this season. The current goal has been to fly a sortie, usually a complete show profile, then quickly put something together using the most current footage and release it ASAP (sometimes in less than 24 hours) to kind of give our viewers a look into our season as it progresses. While some of the flying may not be perfect (it never is anyway), it gives you an opportunity to see us refine our flying on an every day basis in preparation for live events (such as VFAT for example). Here's a recent look into the diary of the VTB...

We usually practice two nights per week (in case anyone is wondering).

A fan favorite from 2012:



From two weeks ago:



Two from last week:





One from this week:



More... coming soon. Meanwhile enjoy our other videos @ http://www.vimeo.com/VirtualTbirds

Love each one of them. You all are looking really good!!! Can't wait until the next one!!!

Convertible

Awesome job guys!

But maybe if you could just tighten it up a little Hahaha!

Very impressive as always.

We're flying spread (as it's known as) in certain formations for better optical balancing (e.g. Delta, Five Card).

I can appreciate the difficulty in flying tight like the Blues do for example, but likewise find it challenging to fly a well balanced spread. I'm not suggesting we're where we need to be in that (yet) either, but merely that the goal isn't always fly tight - but you already knew that.

Lawndart wrote:I can appreciate the difficulty in flying tight like the Blues do for example, but likewise find it challenging to fly a well balanced spread.

Now fly a tight, well-balanced formation! I kid. But of course, while the challenge remains the same, it's the tolerances that shrink.

Haha yeah LD, you knew I was teasing.

The closest we get is 4-6 feet apart in Short Diamond (vertical and horizontal). And that's close enough for me thanks lol.

Funny enough I found it very relaxing being in Diamond (spread), but most of last years show was in short spacing so was nice to breath again every now and then.

Great videos. Well done, LD.

From last night:

A mid-season look-in at a few maneuvers during a high show practice flown August 21, 2012. Watch us crank the formation around!

Simply WOW!!!

Thanks Ells! Looking forward to seeing what comes next from the VRA (I'm sure something's brewing).

Cheers LD.

Yep, press release and pictures coming soon.

4G formation flying from yesterday:

Beautiful flying! Even though that maneuver is a "simple" turning maneuver, it's one of the harder ones to fly and it looked great.

Absolutely, the D360 is a very touchy maneuver to fly as we're starting around 400 KCAS and building up towards 4Gs. It's a hard maneuver...

Then there are other details such as sustaining enough speed, energy and turn radius to finish (tangent) the show line on the exit. Another detail would be No. 4's gradual and dynamic lateral positioning to balance the optics of the formation on the backside of the maneuver.