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Velocity173
Looks cool. I remember seeing “The Magic of Flight” 28 years ago on opening weekend at NPA. Time flys.
Nope. Comes out in May.Is this out now?
The maintainers are hard workers. I’ve worked with the Blues and T-birds as an airshow maintenance support representative. They are first-class people, razor-sharp, and dedicated. Inspiring to be around, for sure.SWMBO and I saw it at the IMAX this afternoon. Very good, well done. The flying was gorgeous.
Wish there had been more about the support folks. I'm quite impressed by what it takes to keep those planes in the air show after show, and the planning and logistics to run an outfit like that.
The maintainers are hard workers. I’ve worked with the Blues and T-birds as an airshow maintenance support representative. They are first-class people, razor-sharp, and dedicated. Inspiring to be around, for sure.
They return to Pensacola after most airshows. I think they debrief at the show site on Sunday as they do on Friday and Saturday. When they’re done with the post-show matters, they load up and head home. They train/practice every Tuesday and Wednesday at home. If you’re out that way, it’s a free airshow with seating behind the Naval Aviation Museum (finally re-opened to the public).One of the questions from my kid.... do they go back to California after every airshow? It looks like they were doing the briefs and debriefs after every show there in that one office.
The California stuff was winter training (Nov-March) in El Centro. They don’t go back there once they hit the road in March. From then on out it’s living / practicing at Pensacola.
Pensacola is good but El Centro weather in the winter is perfect for flying. It’s remote and R2510 is a quick hop away and nothing out there to hit.Guess they don’t want to deal with the brutal Florida winters and low-altitude icing conditions.
Pensacola is good but El Centro weather in the winter is perfect for flying. It’s remote and R2510 is a quick hop away and nothing out there to hit.
Lived in El Centro for two years. Used to watch them (A-4s) practice in the morning before getting on the bus for school.
I was thinking the same thing on the constant quick clips. Would’ve been nice to slow it down a bit on some segments. Maybe show an entire maneuver with comms from the cockpit.I saw it Sunday...I have mixed feelings.
The good: the story / information is awesome...really impressive group of perfection-seeking fliers, and they have my respect. Movie really got in depth with their training, show schedule, support team, etc.
The bad: what HORRIBLE cinematography ! I HATED the way it was filmed. The damn director must be from TicToc, as I don't think there was a single camera shot of more than 3 seconds, ever. Constant one-second-flash of this, one-second-flash of that... If you want good flying shots of the Blue Angels, THIS video, OTOH, is a good one:
yeah I knew that.... I've seen other documentaries before as well as some reading and interviews about it. The gist as I understand it is that before every flight they find a private place and do the eyes closed chair fly of the entire flight. Then they go fly the show. Then after, they go back to the private place and fully debrief. every time.The California stuff was winter training (Nov-March) in El Centro. They don’t go back there once they hit the road in March. From then on out it’s living / practicing at Pensacola.
JJ Abrams. 'Nuf said.I saw it Sunday...I have mixed feelings.
The good: the story / information is awesome...really impressive group of perfection-seeking fliers, and they have my respect. Movie really got in depth with their training, show schedule, support team, etc.
The bad: what HORRIBLE cinematography ! I HATED the way it was filmed. The damn director must be from TicToc, as I don't think there was a single camera shot of more than 3 seconds, ever. Constant one-second-flash of this, one-second-flash of that... If you want good flying shots of the Blue Angels, THIS video, OTOH, is a good one:
...
The bad: what HORRIBLE cinematography ! I HATED the way it was filmed. The damn director must be from TicToc, as I don't think there was a single camera shot of more than 3 seconds, ever. Constant one-second-flash of this, one-second-flash of that......
There is a ton that goes into an airshow. The schedule starts two years in advance, as the Blues and T-birds set their schedules that far out. About nine months before the show, the work kicks up. The team’s support manual has all the requirements for lodging, courtesy cars, airfield layout, logistics, everything that happens. They need about 80 hotel rooms (the Navy pays for that), about 20 vehicles, a large hangar that can house all the planes, five semitrailers of ground support equipment, a gym, 30 drums of smoke oil (airshow pays), and 25,000 gallons of Jet A (they pay). Plus the recruiting and community outreach events have to be set up.yeah I knew that.... I've seen other documentaries before as well as some reading and interviews about it. The gist as I understand it is that before every flight they find a private place and do the eyes closed chair fly of the entire flight. Then they go fly the show. Then after, they go back to the private place and fully debrief. every time.
I realize now I wasn't as clear as I could be with my earlier comment...it was an unfortunate lack of attention to detail in the editing that they
a) kept cutting back to that winter training brief...and b) that they didn't address the logistics of how they work real world...exactly the points that @ateamer and you made...It sure did make it look like they go back there a lot...meanwhile, the families are back in Pensacola...
and that touches on what I was getting at that I would have liked to have seen more of a "complete airshow". What I meant was not a running real-time show.
I meant to include some more real-time maneuver sequences to give a better feel for some of the grunting and so forth that they go through to put on a show.
but more so the logistics about how the weekends flow and work. They touched a little bit on community outreach meetings and presentations, but all the other stuff was missed...rolling into a new town, how they go about finding places to stay, scheduling times to eat (what kind of lifestyle it is), when and how they debrief, how early they show up for it all, etc... and then if and how they go home, and how they get to their next show town....
all the questions my daughter was asking...and mostly all because the editors thought it "good enough" to keep cutting back to the training brief room back in the desert.
Yes…at one point in my head I was begging the director to just slow down so I could actually see what I was looking at.I was thinking the same thing on the constant quick clips. Would’ve been nice to slow it down a bit on some segments. Maybe show an entire maneuver with comms from the cockpit.
I am curious as to what got LCdr Lee the callsign “STALIN”?
I am curious as to what got LCdr Lee the callsign “STALIN”?
Wow! The planning for the upcoming combo airshow with the Thunderbirds must be close to melt down by now. Nov 1 and 2 at Pensacola.There is a ton that goes into an airshow. The schedule starts two years in advance, as the Blues and T-birds set their schedules that far out. About nine months before the show, the work kicks up. The team’s support manual has all the requirements for lodging, courtesy cars, airfield layout, logistics, everything that happens. They need about 80 hotel rooms (the Navy pays for that), about 20 vehicles, a large hangar that can house all the planes, five semitrailers of ground support equipment, a gym, 30 drums of smoke oil (airshow pays), and 25,000 gallons of Jet A (they pay). Plus the recruiting and community outreach events have to be set up.
That’s just for the jet team. The civilian performers and static displays also have accommodations and support requirements.
It takes a team to get everything set up and put together. Lots of effort, but incredibly rewarding to do and be part of.
Family went last night as it was the last showing on IMAX in our area.I saw it Sunday...I have mixed feelings.
The good: the story / information is awesome...really impressive group of perfection-seeking fliers, and they have my respect. Movie really got in depth with their training, show schedule, support team, etc.
The bad: what HORRIBLE cinematography ! I HATED the way it was filmed. The damn director must be from TicToc, as I don't think there was a single camera shot of more than 3 seconds, ever. Constant one-second-flash of this, one-second-flash of that... If you want good flying shots of the Blue Angels, THIS video, OTOH, is a good one: