Does it have specific tactical advantages or is it just cool?
Edit to add: what about specific types of formations, like a Flying V vs a Diamond vs whatever else they can do?
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Didn’t really see this covered yet but one major reason we flew in formation was for safety.
One of us gets shot up? The other one can provide cover, shoot back, report the incident, and since helicopters are awesome, pick up our wingman.
Helicopters don’t fly close formation like jets because that spinny thing is bad when they touch. Close formation in a helicopter is 50 feet, but the reason for that is the same as others mentioned, in controlled airspace to operate as one.
In non-attack helicopters, really the only reason we practice formation is to be that support in case of a problem though all our combat formations are much further apart than 50 feet but we lose the support if we get too far apart.
Source, was combat rescue pilot
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