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V formation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A V formation (sometimes called a skein) is the symmetric V-shaped flight formation of flights of geese, ducks and other migratory birds. V formations are also used on military flight missions.
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Flying in a V formation way aids the birds in covering long distances very efficiently by transferring much of the shedding of drag-inducing vortices to the birds at each tip of the formation, rather than allowing shedding from each bird individually. Energy efficiency can be as much as doubled in this manner. The birds flying at the tips are rotated in a timely cyclical fashion so as to spread out flight fatigue equally among the flock members. The formation also facilitates communication and allows the birds to maintain visual contact with each other.
Visual contact is why V formations (and the asymmetric echelon formations) are also commonly adopted by flights of military aircraft engaged on a common mission.
The basic flight formation for military aircraft in many air forces during World War II was a V formation. In the U.S. Army Air Forces the most basic formation for bombers was a three-plane "V" called an "element." Stacks of these elements were configured to form a defensive bombing formation called the "combat box".
The V formation is also common in ceremonial flyovers and airshow flights.
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- “What the Wild Goose Knows” Analysis by Paul Niquette