COLUMN: I'm a fan, but let's keep formation flying over the Gulf

I'm an avid World War II history buff and enjoy hearing and seeing the old trainers in the air, especially in tight formations. 

I suspect the constant throttling up and back means that he’s having a little trouble staying right where he needs to be in the formation — kind of like over-steering a car. 

I agree with a previous writer that these proud flyers should not be practicing formation flying over residential areas, but over the water instead. If an inexperienced flyer makes an error, it could cause him to drift into another aircraft. 

If that were to happen over the Gulf, there might be better chance of survival for the pilots.  If the accident were to occur over a residential area, the scene would be hundreds of times uglier that the worst fender bender on U.S. 98. 

Houses, automobiles, adults, children, or pets might fall victim to heavy things falling from the sky such as large pieces of torn aluminum and steel accompanied by flaming cascades of high octane fuel. 

Personally I’d be proud to own and fly one of those planes, but I’d be very naïve to think that nothing could ever go wrong during formation flying. If indeed the pilots are flying over residential areas to show off their skills, then they are anything but professionals. 

A serious and safety minded pilot with such a hobby wouldn’t risk a collision over a city. He would participate in regional air shows instead where specified flight paths are designed to minimize the risk of harm to spectators, or he’d work from an outlying field somewhere in the boondocks. 

In our location, the Gulf of Mexico is a grand place to practice. It’s safe for pilots and spectators alike. 

I like aircraft of any kind, but when two or more planes are flying just a few feet from one another over homes, schools, and commercial property, and one of them seems to be a little sloppy about it, somebody with authority needs to take charge and say no to it. 

Better to be the person who wisely puts an end to this than to be the person who has to defend his decision for not doing so during an investigation after an accident. 

We don’t need new laws or to throw a huge tea party about this.  We just need somebody with some authority to put common sense to work.

Phil Turner is a Miramar Beach resident.