In a formation flight, how far should one maintain from the leader in standard formation?

In a standard formation flight, the recommended distance to maintain from the lead aircraft is crucial for safety and effective communication between the pilots. The correct distance is no more than 1 mile horizontally and 100 feet vertically from the leader. This spacing is designed to ensure adequate separation while allowing for visual reference, ensuring pilots can maintain situational awareness of both their own aircraft and the leader's movements.

Maintaining this specific distance helps to minimize the risk of collision and enhances coordination within the flight formation. The 100 feet vertical separation reduces the chance of wake turbulence interference, while the 1 mile horizontal separation provides enough buffer to react to any changes in the leader's flight path.

The other options suggest larger separations which could detract from the effectiveness of a formation, making it more challenging for the pilots to maintain formation integrity and situational awareness.