Why did each team member start formation flying?
You can read their responses to that question right here!
“A bit of psychological coercion. I was on the board of Vliegclub Rotterdam with three formation team members, they pulled me in. Giving up your Sunday morning when you already have a busy working week and are a night owl has quite an impact. Being able to do formation flying is extraordinary, though. I get a kick out of the control I have over the plane.”
“Routine is boring, but formation flying never gets old. A team member once invited me to join the Victor Romeo Formation and as it turns out, I very much enjoy it. I also do some other flying-related things to keep myself on my toes: aerobatics, multi-engine (ME), I got my instrument rating (IR) and I sometimes do performance-based navigation (PBN).”
“I started (formation) flying after I stopped delta flying. I wanted a new flying-related hobby that would challenge me. No more 100 dollar hamburgers, at least not only that.”
“I wanted to develop my flying skills. Formation flying seemed to be a great move towards complete control of the airplane. I watched the then team members fly in formation and thought: ‘Wow, I want to be able to do that too!'”
“My first introduction to formation flying was during the memorial of Operation Market Garden over Arnhem in 1994. I joined a formation of 9 airplanes in Diamond Nine, absolutely spectacular! On the way back, Dick Teeuwen asked if I wanted to try… It was then that I knew, I wanted to do this too!”
“When I started flying, we came across another plane from Vliegclub Rotterdam, piloted by one of the formation pilots. My instructor said ‘try flying on his wing’. Of course, there was a bit more distance then than the 1.5 meters we try to fly now. But nonetheless, it seemed that I was quite good at it, and I loved it!”
“There are only two things I do with my flying. Trips abroad with friends and formation flying. I was asked to join the team by members who were in before me, and to this day I enjoy it very much.”
“My wife once gifted me with a flying lesson at Vliegclub Rotterdam. A few years after getting my pilot’s license, I joined the formation team. I’ve been doing this for a very long time now. I am also one of two pilots training current formation students, occasionally.”