I did training in the early 90's, IP the first time in late 90s/early 2000s and second time 2006-2010.

A few comments:

- Someone mentioned ground loops in the OA-1K. It's already happened.

- Wing landings: it was a single mishap in late 2019 at Vance (not Randolph) that led to the abrupt ending of wing landings. I believe it was the only wing landing Class A mishap in the 60 year history of the T-38.

- Since they couldn't do wing landings anymore in AETC, it forced them to "drop the wingman off" while the flight lead did a closed to a full stop behind the wingman.

- Ironically, 2 years later, that decision led to yet another fatality collision and crash on the runway that wouldn't have happened had it been a wing landing. Unintended consequences.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/instr ... -38-crash/
Knee jerking (the USAF standard) and throwing out wing landings maybe should be been thought through a little better?

- One person here posted this: "Even then, lead could go around and let wing land, or get some separation once they break out visually." Yeah, I agree. And one would think so. But someone died trying to do just that.

- I have no idea where the idea that formation landings had become "separate single ship landings on their half of the runway", but this is not the case from anything I've ever seen. Once going to stack level (and 10'-50' lateral spacing), the pilot maintains that position through the approach and touchdown. Yes, I've seen plenty of pilots chicken out in the flare and transition to their own landing... but that isn't what is taught.

- I've seen no significant changes in how T-38 formation approaches and landings are taught over the past 39 years.

Maybe USAF, USN and USMC just did them different?

IIRC the mishap report on the Vance fatality mentioned the each aircraft landing in the middle of their half of the runway.

I caught my eye was being a very bizarre way of doing them.

So you lead a plane down near landing and go around, and then the wing aircraft has to go around due to a vehicle on the runway. What then?

Well the lead plane has continued on and is above and to the left or right and he flies back up to join on his lead.
We must be missing something here in the conversation between formation talk, terms or services.

Well the lead plane has continued on and is above and to the left or right and he flies back up to join on his lead.
We must be missing something here in the conversation between formation talk, terms or services.

Pretty extreme...but three ideas.
First...Naval Aviation mins for single piloted aircraft are 200 1/2.
So shouldn't be attempting that approach.
Second if they did, why can't they conduct a section landing?
Third... maybe that is a one shot deal then.

Pretty extreme...but three ideas.
First...Naval Aviation mins for single piloted aircraft are 200 1/2.
So shouldn't be attempting that approach.
Second if they did, why can't they conduct a section landing?
Third... maybe that is a one shot deal then.