How should formation flights be controlled?

Formation flights should be controlled as a single aircraft due to their operational characteristics that allow the participating aircraft to maintain a specific arrangement and follow a lead aircraft. This approach simplifies the radar assessment and communication tasks for the controller, treating the entire formation as one entity rather than managing multiple separate flights.

When controlling a formation flight as a singular unit, it streamlines coordination and helps ensure the safety and efficiency of air traffic management. The lead aircraft is typically responsible for navigation and altitude changes, which enhances the cohesiveness of the formation, allowing the controller to issue clearances and instructions that can be applied to the entire group without the need for articulating instructions individually for each aircraft.

The other options such as controlling the formation as two separate flights or requiring individual clearances can lead to confusion and increased complexity in communications, which is not ideal for maintaining safety and efficiency in airspace. Similarly, a lead-follow configuration, while involving a lead aircraft, does not encompass the collective nature of the formation in the same way as treating it as a single entity. Hence, managing formation flights as a single aircraft enhances clarity and effectiveness in air traffic control.