Next autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along in ‘V’ formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings,it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in ‘V’ formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone–and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting powerful of the bird in front.
When the head goose gets tired, it goes back in the wing and another goose flies point. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Finally–and this is important–when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up wifh their own.
People who share common direction and sense of communty can get where they are going more quickly and easily, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those people who are heading in the same direction as we are.
If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.
