Randy Johnson (“RJ”), a friend of my wife (Tracy), died last year in Mississippi. His step-mom who lives here in San Diego, setup a memorial ceremony that Tracy was invited to attend. Randy had been a SEAL, so his step-mom requested a Navy Honor Guard for the memorial service. Since Randy was a private pilot, Tracy suggested a fly-by. His step-mom loved the idea so I set about figuring out how to make it happen.

When it comes to doing a fly-by you can either show up sometime during the ceremony, make a few passes, and head for home, or you can arrive overhead at a specific point during the ceremony. The former offers the challenge of finding the event and getting a good looking formation across the crowd. But throw in timing so you arrive at just the right time and you introduce a whole ‘nother layer of effort.

Back in my A-7s days in the USAF I had an operations officer (LTC Larry Hoppe) whom I didn’t care for too much but he drilled one thing into my head that I will never forget: “Piss poor planning produces piss poor performance.” Translated, that means: the more you think about it ahead of time, the less you will have to pull it out of thin air when you get up in the air. In my A-10 days (before they had computed bomb dropping systems -- 1978-1981) I learned how to drop “manual bombs”. To drop consistently good bombs you had to hit certain parameters -- dive angle, airspeed, release altitude, G, and offset -- when you pressed the pickle button. So by doing a lot of thinking and choosing specific parameters to shoot for I came up with a way to fly over the target at just the right time. We used it for RJ's fly-by and it worked nicely. I figure some of you might have use for in the future, so here goes.

Timing

By specific time I don’t mean a specific clock time like 11:25 AM. That would actually be pretty easy, but no ceremony is going to stick to a schedule such that you can blindly fly over at exactly 11:25. The time I’m referring to is a specific point during the ceremony that you are flying over. Given the call (by someone on the ground with a transceiver observing the ceremony) how do you arrive overhead exactly X+YY (minutes + seconds) later? That’s what this article is all about.

Let’s say that amount of time lead time you need is 2 minutes and 50 seconds -- that is the “minimum queue time” we needed for RJ’s flyby. I’ll show you where that number came from in a while.

A “queue time” implies two things: First, they have a specific point in the service where they want you to be overhead, and, second, that you need to find an event during the ceremony that is 2+50 (or more) before the moment the flight is suppose to appear overhead. For RJ’s fly-by, I went to great lengths to figure that out. In fact, I put more time into that than anything else.

How great an effort? I found out that they were going to have a Navy Honor Guard ceremony followed by a bugler that would play “Danny Boy” followed by “Taps”. They wanted the fly-by to be overhead shortly after Taps was over. “Shortly” = 10 seconds in my book.

I went to nearby Ft Rosecrans (Pt Loma CA) and watched three Navy Honor Guard ceremonies and timed the ceremony. On a busy day they are scheduled every 30 minutes. I not only timed how long the whole ceremony took but time to specific events during the ceremony. While at Ft Rosecrans the guy who runs the place told me that each service has its own version of the honor guard ceremony. He also told me about a flight of jets that did a fly-by at Ft. Rosecrans. I'm ashamed to say they were USAF jets and he said they missed the ceremony by a mile. Between ceremonies I chatted with the honor guard personnel and found out that they come from all over the USA for a 90-day temporary duty tour in San Diego. Back in the rest area, some of them would pull out their smokes and goof around, but during the ceremony they were all pros.

Then I called the bugler (his name was Riz) and asked him how long it would take to play “Danny Boy” and “Taps”.

I called Riz while I was driving somewhere. He told me right then and there to time him. I happen to have a digital clock in my car with a timer. When he said ”go” and I hit the button. Then silence. Then he said “stop”. 1+30. He did the same time for “Taps”; 0+35. He said he’d wait a few seconds after the 21-gun salute and a few seconds between “Danny Boy” and “Taps”. I can’t put “a few seconds” in a spreadsheet so I asked him for 5 seconds apiece. He said that would be fine. If I had asked him for 3 and a half seconds, I don’t think he would have flinched. Riz was a real pro. That all adds up to 2+25 including the 10 second pause after “Taps” until we were overhead. I needed 2+50. Where was I going to get another 25 seconds?

I stepped though the timings I did of the Navy Honor Guard ceremony and found a distinct point that was 25 seconds before the end of the ceremony -- when the head of honor guard saluted the rifle-bearers: their signal to do the 21-gun salute.

If you can't find a point that works out exactly, as long as it is more than minimum queue time, it will work. More on that later.

So all they guy on the ground (we called her "Honor Ground"; we were "Honor Flight") has to do is watch for the salute and call “Alpha” (or whatever code word you want to use) to signal to the flight in holding to begin the run-in maneuver. Then lead executes the appropriate maneuver (see below), and the flight passes overhead at just the right time.

Here is a list of the timings I came up with:

Coming up with Minimum Queue Time

Working backwards is the way to come up with what you need to do.

• Identify the target.
• Pick the direction from which you want to run-in to the target.
• Find an easy-to-find IP (initial point) that is somewhere along that run-in course that is 2 to 3 miles away.

Then calculate the time it takes to get from IP to target, add 2 minutes to that (more on that later), and you have "minimum queue time".

The best way to do the above steps is to actually go to the location where the ceremony will be held. Take a GPS with you to get the exact coordinates of the “target”. While you are there you can figure out the best direction from which the run-in should be made, and you may be able to see a suitable IP.

How to figure out what the run-in heading will be? If you don’t have a mag compass with you, set a waypoint in your GPS for the target and walk outbound on the run-in heading a hundred yards and then use the GPS to figure out the heading back to the target.

If you can see a suitable IP from the target area, drive by the IP with your GPS if possible. Get the coordinates while you are there but the main thing you want to do is find out what the distance is from the IP to the target, and you can check that the run-in heading is as you figured it out at the target.

If you couldn’t see a suitable IP from the target, plot the target and the run-in heading on a chart and pick an easy-to-find IP somewhere along the run-in line. Adjust the run-in heading if the IP is not right on the run-in line you plotted. And measure the distance.

With target, IP, and distance between the two identified, figure out how long it will take to get from one to the other.

What is your average run-in speed going to be?

For RJ's fly-by we held at 120K and planned to be over the target at 150. Holding was about 700’ above run-in altitude so we used that altitude loss to pick up the airspeed. But we planned to get to 150 pretty quickly so I assumed 140K on run in.

Distance from target to IP was 1.9 miles. So time to get from IP to target is via some simple math is 50 seconds.

So, all you have to do is arrive at the IP exactly 50 seconds before you need to be over the target.

To make that happen, I played around with a race track holding pattern. What should you do at any point in the holding that will put you over the IP in exactly 2 minutes? 

What To Do When You Get The Call

For the holding pattern, as with a dive bomb pass, given a “standard” holding pattern, you can make pre-planned, easy-to-make adjustments on the fly to get what you want.

I chose a race track pattern for holding with the inbound leg pointed at the IP on the run-in heading. At the IP make a standard rate 180-degree turn (which takes 1 minute), fly out bound for a minute, and then make another 180-degree (1 minute) turn, and back to the IP again in a minute.  (I never did any figuring for winds. Even I have limits to how far I will go.)

So a full circuit in the pattern takes 4 minutes. But the point in the holding pattern I want to draw your attention to is the far point on the outbound leg (“A” in the diagram). If you stick with the standard rate turns, it is the farthest point -- time wise -- from the IP. One minute for the inbound turn and one minute for the inbound leg. That’s where I get the magic 2 minutes.

So, what do I do at any other point in the holding pattern so that I arrive over the IP again in exactly 2 minutes? I started from the IP itself and went around the pattern figuring that out. After a few points I quickly realized that there were simple rules for most places in the holding pattern to get back to the IP in exactly 2 minutes.

Oubound Turn & Outbound Leg

At the IP you simply do a 360 standard rate turn which takes 2 minutes.

After that depending on where you are, you fly along the outbound leg for some number of seconds.

For example, half way through the outbound turn you are 1+30 away from the IP. So how do you use up 30 seconds? Roll out on the outbound leg for 15 seconds (instead of a minute), then make a normal inbound turn and head for the IP.

At the roll-out point of the outbound turn, you are 1 minute away from the IP. To use up a minute, proceed outbound for 30 seconds (half the normal time), then make the inbound turn.

Half-way down the outbound leg you are 1+30 from the IP (standard rate 180-degree turn + half-way up the inbound leg) so you need to use up 30 seconds. Solution: Proceed outbound for 15 seconds before making inbound turn.

At the far point on the outbound leg you just fly the normal pattern.

By now you hopefully see the pattern and can figure out what you need to do in between one of these points. To minimize the amount of thinking I have to do in-flight, I created a diagram for my knee-board that told me what to do at various points in the holding pattern. I included it at the end of this article.

Inbound Leg

Getting back to the IP in 2 minutes at any point during the outbound turn was the most complicated, so I’m going to skip that for now.

To stretch the time-to-IP to 2 minutes at any point along the inbound leg, I chose to use a 360-degree turn to soak up the necessary minutes and seconds.

• At the IP, you simply do a standard-rate, 360-degree turn as discussed earlier.
• At the mid-point of the inbound leg you are 30 seconds from the IP so you need a 360-turn that will use up 1+30.
• At the far point on the inbound leg you are 1 minute away from the IP so need a tighter turn that will only use up 1 minute.

I suppose you can use a turn and bank indicator to help you find just the right bank angle, but I chose to calculate various bank angles to use up from 1 to 2 minutes. These two tables below list bank angles for 120 and 150 knots.

So for my 120 knot holding pattern, to use up 1 minute at the far point on the inbound leg I would use a 34 degree bank, 360-degree turn. To soak up 1+30 at the mid-point of the inbound leg, use 24 degrees of bank.

You don't have to make the 360 as soon as you get the call -- in fact you can do it at just about any point from where you are when you get the call until you are over the ceremony. But I recommend you do it before the IP -- the people on the ground may not appreciate the fact that the your second pass was the one that was suppose to be on time if you wait until you get to the target to do the 360. J

The Inbound Turn

Back to the inbound turn which I skipped earlier.

Halfway through inbound turn you are 1+30 from IP. How to you use up 30 seconds? At 120K, a 53-degree bank, 360-degree turn would do it (60-degree bank at 150K), but with a three other aircraft hanging on my wing, that is too much yanking and banking for me. Instead I went back to the drawing board (literally) and by playing around with my ruler and compass, I came up with the following: Rollout for 20 seconds (which should put you over the run-in course but 90 degrees off heading) then do a 135 degree turn toward the IP, rollout for 10 seconds, turn back 45 degrees rollout on inbound heading. You should be on time.

For other points on the inbound turn…use your imagination. I got tired of calculating and futzing with my compass.

Last Minute Adjustments

I’m sure a GPS could be used to fine tune the run-in. Though I have a handheld GPS, I haven’t figure out how to mount it where it is in view so I usually just turn it on and look at after the flight to see where I went! I did notice that with my Lorance Airmap 100, it tells me ETE based on going directly from where I am at to the selected coordinates. That works for when I’m on the inbound leg, but not when anywhere else in holding. Heck, a GPS could probably be used to tell you what to do at any point from takeoff until you are over the ceremony and skip the holding pattern. I’ll leave that for someone else to figure out.

Instead of trying to use the GPS, it is nice to know what point they should be at in the ceremony when you arrive over the IP. For us that was the end of "Danny Boy". Honor Ground (the person observing things at the ceremony) called “Bravo” (or whatever you want to use) to let us know that "Danny Boy" had just finished. We were right over the IP. If not, a little speed up or slow down (again, I'm tired of calculating) will get you there on time.

What if the queue event occurs more than the "minimum queue time" from when you are suppose to be overhead? Let's say 3+00 vs. 2+50. That's easy to fix. When you get the "Alpha" call, just wait 10 seconds and then -- based on where you are after those 10 seconds -- execute the appropriate move to arrive at the IP in exactly 2 minutes. I haven't tested that; only thought about it, but I think I got it right.

In-flight Guide

Here is the bring-it-all-together diagram for your kneeboard. One of the nice things about this method is that, except for when you are turning back in bound, you don't do any maneuvering other than flying the holding pattern right away when you get the call. The one thing you should do when you hear "Alpha" is hack your clock, then you can think about what comes next.

An Example

Given: IP to target is 1.9 nm. Average run-in speed will be 140K. Holding airspeed 120K (assume indicated is equal to true airspeed).

You are 20 seconds into the outbound leg when Honor Ground calls "Alpha".  First of all, hack your clock.

20 seconds is not quite half-way down the outbound leg. You can glance at your kneeboard and see that you want to do a little more than 15 but less than 30 seconds more on the outbound leg. You know you are closer to the 15 second point so you pick 20 seconds.

If you have the brainpower to fly and figure at the same time: You are 1+20 away from the IP if you turned right now (1 minute for the standard rate turn + 20 seconds back to the IP) so you have 40 seconds to kill. Fly outbound for half of that -- 20 seconds -- and then turn.

That's 20 seconds more on the outbound leg from when you got the call. So look at your clock and see how much longer you have to go. When the time comes, turn.

GPS trick: Holding is at 120K so the 1.9 nm from IP to target will take 0+57 vs. 50 seconds. So a glance at ETE on the GPS when you roll-out on the inbound leg should show 1+37 to go when you roll out on the inbound leg: You were 20 second out bound when you got the call + you flew 20 seconds more before turning back + 57 seconds from IP to target at 120K. Or just wait until you get to the IP and look for 57 seconds.

When you get to the IP execute whatever you had planned to pick up run-in speed and you've got it wired.

Landing lights on looks good if you don't have smoke.

RJ's Fly-By

Due to the number of events happening on Saturday, May 10, 2003, I had trouble finding three other T-34s to participate in RJ's fly-by. (There may have been other reasons: Here was some FAST certified wingman -- me -- who, out of the blue, was asking for volunteers to fly in a four-ship flyby that he was going to lead… Whatever the reason, several friends rose to the occasion. We ended up with three aircraft so we chose to fly finger-tip formation with a gap in the #3 spot, On Friday, 5/9, we did a full-briefing and practice run with Honor Ground making "Alpha" calls at random while we were in holding. On Saturday, we took off from Gillespie Field in El Cajon CA, entered holding, a few minutes later over Chula Vista, and nailed the timing exactly over the grassy area just outside the Little Chapel of the Roses at Glen Abbey Cemetery where RJ's family and friends gathered for the Navy Honor Guard 21-gun salute. At the reception after the service, everyone told Tracy how beautiful the flyover was and how much they loved it.

I would like to thank:

• Kathy Nette -- SR-20 owner who filled the role of Honor Ground.
• Chuck Ramm -- my brother who was radio relay for Honor Ground on a hill near the target which was in a depression and I was afraid we would not get the "Alpha" call from Kathy.
• Larry Bierma -- owner and pilot of N7900D, a Beech V-tail Bonanza, who lead the flight. Yes, a Bonanza looks a lot like a T-34 from the ground -- see below.
• Chris Lawler -- navigator and timer in N7900D so Larry could concentrate on flying
• Kyle Smith -- pilot in #2, Pam Salisbury's T-34A, N34TX, who put up with me riding in his back seat.
• John Flippen -- pilot in #3 in our T-34A, N12281.
• Craig Schwab -- USAF (Ret), CFI, CFII, MEI, etc. who sat in N12281's backseat to keep John safe.

Fly-by for Randy Johnson's Fly-by on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Photo by Kathy Nette.

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