Lead is taxiing out to Marshal

Lead taxiing out to the runway

All four of us on the runway. 172 - Ben, 188 - Griff, and 109 (tiger) - Allen

The initial rendezvous climbing away from NAS Meridian. Ben is the close one

Ben almost joined up (no zoom)

Griff and Allen begin their join up

We're all joined up and heading out to the Birmingham Military Operating Area (MOA). You can see my instructor chillin' in the back seat

We all changed sides

The first Break-Up and Rendezvous (BNR). I'm almost close enough to join Lead and Griff is waiting to begin his join up.

Allen executing his join up on the second BNR.

He's getting closer!

Now we're doing cruise maneuvering (high Angle-Of-Bank turns). I'm flying off lead, Griff is a little "stepped-down," and Allen is obscured by my aircraft.

Now Griff is obscured and you can see Allen

Good cruise position on a left turn. Ben, Griff and Allen all in a row.

A turn to the right again. Griff is a little acute (to far forward) and Allen is really acute.

After we "shuffled" the flight (4 became 3, 3 became 2, and 2 became 4), Allen and I are in port parade position.

We went through some BNR's from our new positions. Here Griff is close enough to join-up with lead. Allen and I are further out waiting for our turn.

After another round of cruise maneuvering, we're joining back up (Griff on the other side).

Getting back into parade position.

There we go.

Griff and I are behind Allen (109) and about to cross-under Lead to the other side.

Griff is following me as we cross-under the formation.

Some more turns. See the halo on the clouds below us (upper left). Griff's tail is just sticking out above my fuselage (next to the red light)

A close-up of Allen and his instructor. His right hand is raised to signal me that we are about to execute a cross-under.

Griff joining up again.

Allen joining up. You can see he's leaning really far forward to see lead around his canopy support.

Allen's getting closer.

Now we're all joined back up.

Allen "moving" so the camera man can see me and Griff. ;-)

Getting our spacing for one more round of cruise maneuvering. Griff (188) and I (172) get out space on this side, while Allen (109) moves to the other side to balance the formation.

Now we're all on the inside of the turn (and having a little trouble getting into position)

Griff getting a little acute.

Much better.

Allen, Ben and Griff all lined up nicely.

Now to the right. But where is Griff?

There's Griff

Now we've shuffled back into our original positions and are ready to go home.

Leaving the Birmingham MOA

Lead commanded me to cross-under to the other side to balance out the flight.

Griff and Allen fill in the gap where I just was.

Now I'm established on the port side.

Beginning our descent.

Making our turn to line up with the runway.

Griff and Allen in position.

Making our last turn towards the runway. You can see us flying over I-45 that runs just south of the field.

After Griff made a hole for me, I crossed back under so that we're all on the same side. We're ready to enter the landing pattern back home at NAS Meridian.