Narrative:

Took off chino airport VFR in trail of F7F tigercat, squawking 1200. Climbed VFR southwest of chino to approximately 4000 ft, turned to heading of 330 degrees, continued climb to 7000 ft. Leveled off at 7000 ft to stay below lax ILS glide path. Once clear of lax ILS glide path, continued climb. Passing approximately 7300 ft saw DC9 type aircraft cross from my 4 O'clock to 10 O'clock position approximately 1000 ft in front and 500 ft above. I instinctively pushed forward to descend, then returned to continue climb to 8500 ft. Continued northbound. Contacted joshua ATC for flight following around edwards ftc. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot was flying an A4N following an F7F tigercat when he saw the MD80 cross overhead on its departure from ont. Both pilots in the formation were monitoring ont departure frequency, but had not checked in and were not on flight following and were not required to accept that service. The formation continued to destination and returned without comment from ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR FORMATION CONSISTING OF A TCAT AND AN A4N HAD A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH AN MD80 DURING THEIR CLBOUT NEAR A DEP COURSE.

Narrative: TOOK OFF CHINO ARPT VFR IN TRAIL OF F7F TIGERCAT, SQUAWKING 1200. CLBED VFR SW OF CHINO TO APPROX 4000 FT, TURNED TO HDG OF 330 DEGS, CONTINUED CLB TO 7000 FT. LEVELED OFF AT 7000 FT TO STAY BELOW LAX ILS GLIDE PATH. ONCE CLR OF LAX ILS GLIDE PATH, CONTINUED CLB. PASSING APPROX 7300 FT SAW DC9 TYPE ACFT CROSS FROM MY 4 O'CLOCK TO 10 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 1000 FT IN FRONT AND 500 FT ABOVE. I INSTINCTIVELY PUSHED FORWARD TO DSND, THEN RETURNED TO CONTINUE CLB TO 8500 FT. CONTINUED NBOUND. CONTACTED JOSHUA ATC FOR FLT FOLLOWING AROUND EDWARDS FTC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT WAS FLYING AN A4N FOLLOWING AN F7F TIGERCAT WHEN HE SAW THE MD80 CROSS OVERHEAD ON ITS DEP FROM ONT. BOTH PLTS IN THE FORMATION WERE MONITORING ONT DEP FREQ, BUT HAD NOT CHKED IN AND WERE NOT ON FLT FOLLOWING AND WERE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT THAT SVC. THE FORMATION CONTINUED TO DEST AND RETURNED WITHOUT COMMENT FROM ATC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.