When the planes first approach the airstrip on Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands, they are still flying in formations. The "pitch out" one by one as they fly a hundred feet or so from the ground and then, individually, they do an almost vertical twist into the sky. You can see the first plane of this formation "pitching out" in this photograph. The "pitch out" gives each plane a lot of distance from its neighbor. Then they circle around and come in to land one by one. This is a vital safety measure to prevent jamming on the strip.
P-51's cockpit
