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formation flying
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Four U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jets with red, white, and blue markings fly in tight formation against a blue sky. fighter aircraft A restored U.S. FJ-4B Fury naval jet fighter of the 1950s (top) flying in echelon with two restored Soviet fighters of the same era—a MiG-17 (middle) and a MiG-15 (bottom). Blue Angels
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Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
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Four U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds jets with red, white, and blue markings fly in tight formation against a blue sky.
Thunderbirds U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying in formation.

formation flying

aviation
Written by
Debbie Gary
Writer. Contributor to Air & Space Magazine; Aviation News and others.
Debbie Gary
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

formation flying, two or more aircraft traveling and maneuvering together in a disciplined, synchronized, predetermined manner. In a tight formation, such as is typically seen at an air show, aircraft may fly less than three feet (one metre) apart and must move in complete harmony, as if they are joined together. Formation flying developed in World War I, when fighter aircraft escorted reconnaissance aircraft over enemy territory. Fighter squadrons soon discovered that fighting in pairs...

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