Page 110 - Never Fly Solo

LOSE SIGHT, LOSE FIGHT | 83
Never take for granted the relationships you have with
your current suppliers and partners. In today’s business, sad
as it sounds, it’s “here today, gone tomorrow.” You never
know what’s going to happen. As the old saying goes, “out of
sight, out of mind.” And once out of sight, you will lose the
fight.
Today, with the tough competition out there and rapidly
changing demands of prospects and clients, you can’t afford
not to be seen or heard by your current partners and
customers.

LOST WINGMAN

There are times when pilots fly in very close proximity (about
three feet) in a formation called “fingertip.” We do this when
the weather gets really bad or if a wingman loses navigation
ability or has some other type of system malfunction. Flying
in fingertip provides mutual support and minimizes the tasks
for the pilot experiencing the problem. The lead aircraft
guides the wingman to the target or back to the airfield to
land.
But if the weather gets so bad that the wingman can’t even
see the aircraft he’s flying off of, he should then switch to
instrument, turn away from the last known position of the
other aircraft, and call out “Lost wingman.” While this can
be quite confusing and disorienting for the wingman who is
lost, it’s critical for maintaining safety. The flight lead’s job is
to stay in contact with the lost wingman, get rejoined on him
again (in clear skies), or make sure air traffic control can get
him on the ground safely.
In your personal life, have you ever gone “lost wingman”
on a friend or wingman? You haven’t seen this person in a