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ACROWRX - Leader & Chase Airplane Selection
📢 - INFO
This page explains how to select the leader and chase airplanes in the Formation page, and the implications of these selections on the various views and controls.
Overview
The Formation page features a dual airplane selection system that controls how the views and tools behave:
- Leader Airplane — The primary reference airplane. Most views and measurements are oriented relative to this airplane.
- Chase Airplane — The airplane from which the Chase View camera is mounted, providing a perspective from within the formation.
These two selections work together to enable powerful formation analysis: you see the formation from the chase airplane relative to the leader airplane.
Selecting the Leader Airplane
The Leader Airplane selector is located at the bottom of the Map View, to the right of the playback controls. It displays a row of colored chips, one for each airplane in the formation.
How to Select
- Click a chip to select that airplane as the leader. The chip becomes highlighted.
- Click the same chip again to deselect it, returning to the "All" state (no specific leader).
- There is no explicit "All" button — deselecting any airplane implicitly selects all.
PPK Quality Color Coding
The airplane name text in each chip is color-coded based on the PPK (Post-Processed Kinematics) quality of the data at the current playback time:
| Color | PPK Quality | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Q = 1 (Fixed) | Best quality — position is precisely determined |
| Orange | Q = 2 (Float) | Moderate quality — position has some uncertainty |
| Red | Q > 2 (Single/Other) | Low quality — position may have significant error |
| White | No PPK data | PPK data is not available for this airplane |
📌 - TIP
The PPK quality color coding gives you an instant visual indicator of data reliability. Pay attention to these colors when analyzing formation spacing — if an airplane shows red or orange, its position data may be less accurate.
Blocked Selection
If an airplane is currently being used as the chase camera source, its chip in the leader selector is blocked and cannot be selected. A tooltip explains: "This airplane is currently used as the chase camera source." You must first deselect it as the chase airplane before selecting it as the leader.
Selecting the Chase Airplane
The Chase Airplane selector is located at the bottom of the Chase View panel. It appears only when a specific leader airplane is selected.
How to Select
- Click a chip to mount the Chase View camera on that airplane. The Chase View enters airplane mode.
- Click the same chip again to deselect it, returning the Chase View to orbital mode.
- The selector shows all airplanes except the current leader.
When It's Hidden
When the leader is set to "All" (no specific leader selected), the chase airplane selector is hidden entirely, and the Chase View operates in orbital mode only. A tooltip explains: "Target is set to All — chase is orbital only."
Implications of Leader Selection
Selecting a specific leader airplane affects many parts of the Formation page:
Configuration Sidebar
The Configuration Sidebar always edits the leader airplane. When you change the leader selection, the sidebar updates to show the configuration (model, alignment adjustments, sync offset) of the newly selected leader. If no leader is selected ("All"), the sidebar shows "No Airplane Selected."
Map View — Follow Mode
The Follow Mode button on the map requires a leader airplane to be selected. When enabled, the map automatically pans to keep the leader airplane centered. Without a leader, follow mode is disabled.
Judge View — Judge Line HUD
The Judge Line HUD in the Judge View displays the distance and angle metrics relative to the leader airplane. Without a leader selected, these metrics reference the overall formation.
Strip Chart — Indicators
When a leader airplane is selected, indicator markers on the strip chart are filtered to show only the leader airplane's data values. When set to "All", indicators for every airplane are displayed.
Chase View — Chase Airplane Availability
The chase airplane selector only appears when a specific leader is selected. Setting the leader to "All" forces the Chase View into orbital mode and hides the chase airplane selector.
Implications of Chase Selection
Selecting a chase airplane activates airplane mode in the Chase View and enables additional features:
Camera Perspective
The Chase View camera mounts on the selected chase airplane, providing a first-person perspective from within the formation. This is useful for understanding what a pilot in a specific position would see relative to the leader.
Chase View Controls
When in airplane mode, two additional buttons become available:
- Free-Look — Allows you to look around freely from the chase airplane's position, similar to looking around from a cockpit.
- Look at Center — Automatically points the camera toward the KML center or judge location.
Distance HUD
The Distance HUD in the Chase View only appears when both a leader and a chase airplane are selected. It measures the spatial relationship between the two airplanes in the leader's body frame:
Close Range (< 500 ft):
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Longitudinal | How far behind (+) or ahead (−) of the leader the chase airplane is |
| Lateral | How far to the right (+) or left (−) of the leader the chase airplane is |
| Vertical | How far above (+) or below (−) the leader the chase airplane is |
Far Range (> 500 ft):
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Range | Total distance between the two airplanes |
| Azimuth | Bearing from the chase airplane to the leader |
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The Distance HUD measurements are in the leader airplane's body frame, not in geographic coordinates. This means "longitudinal" is along the leader's flight path, "lateral" is to its side, and "vertical" is relative to its orientation. This is the most intuitive frame for analyzing formation positioning.
Typical Workflow
A typical workflow for analyzing a formation flight:
- Load all airplane data files via the
File Sidebar. - Select a leader airplane — usually the formation lead or the airplane you want to use as the reference.
- Select a chase airplane — the airplane whose perspective you want to analyze from.
- Use the Distance HUD in the Chase View to evaluate formation spacing.
- Use the Strip Chart to compare flight parameters (speed, altitude, G-load) across all airplanes.
- Adjust alignment in the Configuration Sidebar if you notice systematic offsets in any airplane's data.
- Use the Fine-tune Synch slider to correct timing differences between data units.
📌 - TIP
Try swapping the leader and chase selections to see the formation from different perspectives. Each pilot's view of the formation is different, and understanding these perspectives is valuable for improving formation flying.