Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 1600; Flight Crew Type 265
Situational Awareness
Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Bird / Animal; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Leading a 4-ship [formation flight] through the Washington; DC SFRA. Between wake turbulence and concern for birds the flight's altitude dropped below that prescribed in the briefing. Speed issues also were challenging due to the vectoring and instructions from Potomac TRACON. These type of aircraft; [are] a sleek and slick platform that does not have speed brakes. Further; rapid and random power changes are not recommended for engine safety and to maintain the integrity of the formation. Power reductions need to be done gradually for engine care and operation and they need to be done even more carefully when managing a formation flight where three other aircraft are all reading off of the lead airplane.  In short; consideration of the safety of the formation priority number one; making rapid changes would have been difficult and unsafe. The spacing and recommended speed changes made by TRACON required our 4-ship [formation] to encounter wake turbulence behind [other aircraft] prior to our entering of the airspace.  The altitude factors were not only wake-turbulence; specifically hawks and other bird life operating at and above the briefing altitude and the lead pilot made a command decision to be at the safe or lower than briefed altitude. Our 4-ship encountered numerous potential bird strikes at the briefing altitude on the inbound portion of the flight.  Safe operation of the flight required the lead pilot to descend below briefed minimum to avoid wake turbulence and wildlife. The problem was further enhanced by known photo ship aircraft; creating additional safety concerns in keeping with safe distance. Judgment was used in keeping ample speed and safe altitude to maintain flight path. At no time was the flight path deviated; but altitude and speed were used to maintain safe flight operations; formation integrity and safe flight.
Lead pilot of a warbird formation flight in Washington DC reported he deviated from assigned altitude because of concerns for wake turbulence and bird encounters.