Which standard flight and landing formation places the lead aircraft at front with the rest on a diagonal line to the left rear?

• A. Trail
• B. Echelon right
• C. Echelon left
• D. Heavy left

Answer: (C)

In standard flight formations, followers are placed relative to the lead to create predictable, offset positioning that preserves visibility and clearance. An echelon formation places each subsequent aircraft behind and to one side of the aircraft ahead, forming a diagonal line.

The described setup—lead at the front with the others on a diagonal line to the left rear—matches the echelon left formation. The left-side offset means each aircraft sits behind and to the left of the one in front, creating that stepped diagonal pattern.

Trail would be a straight line directly behind with no lateral offset, which isn’t the diagonal left-rear arrangement. Echelon right would place the diagonal to the right rear, not left. Heavy left isn’t the standard naming for this left-diagonal lineup.