Blue Angles are BACK!!!!

[Captain]

I just watched the Blue Angels perform today!! I flew near them practicing the other day but today was AWESOME! I've seen them before but forgot how great they are.

This was their fourth air show of the 2014 season. They were tight. They are gods of aviation. Thunderbirds are okay if you want to see how a modern fighter jet flies. Blue Angels are great to see airmanship mastery combined with arial theater!


BTW, 7 year Navy veteran I may be biased.

 

[Midpoint]

Sea fair is one of my favorite weekends in Seattle. They come over my work at about 200 or 300 feet in formation. I can look into the cockpit and see their eyes as they fly by. Love the blue angles, and I missed them last year.

 

[Luvrv8]

They flew twice out here in so cal, didn't get out to see them.

I am a ARMY vet, would rather watch Apache's fly in formation.

 

[Captain]

Sea fair is one of my favorite weekends in Seattle. They come over my work at about 200 or 300 feet in formation. I can look into the cockpit and see their eyes as they fly by. Love the blue angles, and I missed them last year.

No you can't because they wear helmets. With visors.

 

[Captain]

They flew twice out here in so cal, didn't get out to see them.

I am a ARMY vet, would rather watch Apache's fly in formation.

Ummmm, yeah. Okay. Helicopters. That's...umm...cool..

 

[Midpoint]

Touche. No less impressive though. Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

[Captain]

Touche. No less impressive though. Thanks for keeping me honest.

Nah, I'm just giving you static. The Blue Angels ROCK!!! That feeling you get when the sound rumbles right through you and you see them fly tight tight formation....proud.

 

[Captain]

They flew twice out here in so cal, didn't get out to see them.

I am a ARMY vet, would rather watch Apache's fly in formation.

I'm giving you crap too. All our services rock.

 

[Luvrv8]

I'm giving you crap too. All our services rock.

I figured that. What can I say the ARMY filled my head with want they wanted too, it just so happened it was Apache's and OH-58's.

Don't anyone flame me on this but I will pass on a military joke.

There are only 2 real Military services in the USA, ARMY and NAVY. The Air Force is a corporation and the Marines are a cult.

Not sure where I heard this, it could of been here.

 

[N3368K]

I've seen the Blues in the F-4, A-4 and F-18 and the T-birds in F-4, T-38 and F-16. Nothing compares to either's F-4 performance.

As a retired Army type, I don't have a dog in the fight between the two. The both kick ass.


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift

 

[Luvrv8]

I remember them in the A4. My dad worked in range communacations at PT.Mugu, I sat for many years at the airshows at the base of the tower as a kid. The only pilot that would talk to that kid was Bob Hover. He is why I fly today, what a real gentleman. The blues would walk past me within 3 feet and would sometimes return a hello. This is why today when we do airshows I will let any kid that wants to sit in the PT19 and take pictures. When their parents thank me I tell them to thank Bob, they look confused.

 

[poadeleted20]

This was their fourth air show of the 2014 season. They were tight.

You think they're tight now? Wait until September. This time of year they're probably still running 36-48 inches wingtip-to-canopy. By fall, they'll have it down around 18-24 inches.

 

[poadeleted20]

I've seen the Blues in the F-4, A-4 and F-18 and the T-birds in F-4, T-38 and F-16.

I remember watching them in F11F's and F-100's. Getting old, eh?

Nothing compares to either's F-4 performance.

The smoke and thunder of the Double-Ugly is unmatched by anything they've flown since, but it was a really poor plane for the mission, and the resulting carnage nearly put both teams out of business in 1973.

 

[Velocity173]

I remember watching them in F11F's and F-100's. Getting old, eh?

The smoke and thunder of the Double-Ugly is unmatched by anything they've flown since, but it was a really poor plane for the mission, and the resulting carnage nearly put both teams out of business in 1973.

Would love to have seen them in F-11s. The takeoffs at 7:22 are awesome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf4MvIHChz0

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Yup, there they are!

 

[Velocity173]

Lol! That's a good one. I didn't even notice the spelling error.

 

[david0tey]

I almost cried when the 2013 season was cancelled...seriously.

 

[nddons]

Nah, I'm just giving you static. The Blue Angels ROCK!!! That feeling you get when the sound rumbles right through you and you see them fly tight tight formation....proud.

No kidding. When I was a kid my dad took me to an airshow at the Glenview Naval Air Station, and the Blues were performing in their F-4 Phantoms. Of course, I wasn't aware of the solo Phantom coming at low level from my six until he was past me.

After I got out of the ditch that I fell in, I knew I wanted to be a military pilot.

 

[nddons]

I've seen the Blues in the F-4, A-4 and F-18 and the T-birds in F-4, T-38 and F-16. Nothing compares to either's F-4 performance.

As a retired Army type, I don't have a dog in the fight between the two. The both kick ass.


Jim R
Collierville, TN

N7155H--1946 Piper J-3 Cub
N3368K--1946 Globe GC-1B Swift

Agreed. See post 18.

 

[denverpilot]

Love the Blues. Dad made it a point to go see them anytime they were nearby. Our last trip with him before he passed was to see the Blues.

I hope the tradition of Grand Junction every three years continues.

Awesome venue with the mesa as a backdrop. They still doing the "Hello!?l schtick with the slot guy? Radio roll call was Lead, then you'd hear "2", "3", "Hello?!" like some one woke him up.

We had a scanner going and we would all laugh each time. He hammed it up perfectly.

 

[Velocity173]

I enjoy watching both teams but I prefer the Blues. More dynamic, closer to the crowd on "flat shows." One thing I've noticed in recent years is that the Tbird don't fly as tight in the diamond pass as the Blues (doesn't matter what time of year). You can see a difference in the pics. If you look at pics pre 2005ish (Chicago Air & Water) you'll see the Tbirds used to be pretty tight with wing overlap on the diamond. Not saying that I could do any better but it's just an observation.

 

[denverpilot]

T-Birds are busy taking selfies.

 

[redtail]

I just watched the Blue Angels perform today!! I flew near them practicing the other day but today was AWESOME! I've seen them before but forgot how great they are.

This was their fourth air show of the 2014 season. They were tight. They are gods of aviation. Thunderbirds are okay if you want to see how a modern fighter jet flies. Blue Angels are great to see airmanship mastery combined with arial theater!


BTW, 7 year Navy veteran I may be biased.

YES!

Nothing like seeing them, especially during formation takeoffs and overhead breaks to landing! Now you've made me want to watch my videos from 2012 KFRG. AWESOME!

Can't wait to see them this year.

 

[Captain]

Yup, there they are!

Lol.

Nice. I too missed the typo until this post! Keeping 'em honest with humor.

 

[NavAir]

I think we all missed them! The Pensacola News Journal reported 25,000 spectators at their first practice last week. Usually there are 1 or 2 thousand. If you get the chance, try watching a practice from the lighthouse on base (you will have to get there real early, since they only allow about a dozen up at a time and its a long climb). Truly a unique perspective, to look down on the show!

Steve

 

[Ghery]

I had the pleasure of watching them do their take-offs and landings at KBFI in 2008 from the deck of the Museum of Flight. The husband of a friend sells planes for Boeing and they had a couple tickets they couldn't use. Got to watch Fat Albert do its thing. Yes, I took lots of pictures. I've attached a few here, in no particular order. It was impressive.

 

[poadeleted20]

I almost cried when the 2013 season was cancelled...seriously.

That wasn't worth tears. Cancellation of the remainder of the 1973 season in mid-July due to the cumulative deaths of four team members, crippling of a fifth, and destruction of seven jets in six months was -- and I did, at the memorial service for Skip Umstead, Mike Murphy, and Ron Thomas at the NAS Pensacola base chapel, especially walking out into the daylight at the end and seeing the Thunderbirds come by for a missing man pass.

 

[Ghery]

That wasn't worth tears. Cancellation of the remainder of the 1973 season in mid-July due to the cumulative deaths of four team members, crippling of a fifth, and destruction of seven jets in six months was -- and I did, at the memorial service for Skip Umstead, Mike Murphy, and Ron Thomas at the NAS Pensacola base chapel, especially walking out into the daylight at the end and seeing the Thunderbirds come by for a missing man pass.

No Navy vs. Air Force there. That would about do you in at the end of a service like that.

 

[Captain]

BTW, when did they remove the rockets from Fat Albert and why?

At my show it had to do a static takeoff, accelerate in ground effect and then zoom climb to try and be impressive. Truth be told it wasn't really. Couple of level and banked fly-by's were pretty cool though.

Steep approach landing at the end was okay but the pilot dorked it up. Too hot and landed nose wheel first. Wheelbarrow'd it for a while and the mains locked a bit when they did hit.

 

[Velocity173]

BTW, when did they remove the rockets from Fat Albert and why?

At my show it had to do a static takeoff, accelerate in ground effect and then zoom climb to try and be impressive. Truth be told it wasn't really. Couple of level and banked fly-by's were pretty cool though.

Steep approach landing at the end was okay but the pilot dorked it up. Too hot and landed nose wheel first. Wheelbarrow'd it for a while and the mains locked a bit when they did hit.

2009 season was the last. All the bottles were made decades ago and no one makes them anymore. I went on a JATO ride in 96 and the bottles were dated in the late 50s. Actually caught the grass on fire by the runway on our ride. Crash crew was putting it out when we taxied in.

 

[Captain]

2009 season was the last. All the bottles were made decades ago and no one makes them anymore. I went on a JATO ride in 96 and the bottles were dated in the late 50s. Actually caught the grass on fire by the runway on our ride. Crash crew was putting it out when we taxied in.

I did not know that. Thanks.

 

[asechrest]

Seen the in cockpit view of the fat albert show? Look it up on youtube if not, pretty impressive.

 

[Lawreston]

I wondered how long it would be before someone in authority would prompt the correct spelling in the thread title. Additionally, I think they're involved with aerial theater, not "arial" theater.

HR

 

[silver-eagle]

I wondered how long it would be before someone in authority would prompt the correct spelling in the thread title. Additionally, I think they're involved with aerial theater, not "arial" theater.

HR

Which reminds me, the last time I saw the Blue Angels was at the Great State of Maine Airshow at Brunswick. I flew up to Rockland in the Warrior for the weekend. As I passed Brunswick on Friday, I got a good show from them.
So I've seen them in F11s, F4s, A4s, and F18s. I recall watching them from the top of a local fire tower probably in '65. We were only about 5 miles from show center.

 

[Lawreston]

They're booked for Great State of Maine Airshow 2015. If then you need a place to stay, call me; the guest room shall be open. I'm 15 minutes from KBXM. Fly into Wiscasset; I'll pick you up.

Rockland, you say? On a bad day!

HR

 

[Captain]

I wondered how long it would be before someone in authority would prompt the correct spelling in the thread title. Additionally, I think they're involved with aerial theater, not "arial" theater.

HR

Well arnt ewe the spealing campion!

 

[madtrader]

I'm looking forward to both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds being back. I think I prefer the Blue Angels just slightly, but it may have to do with the fact that they were my school mascot in elementary school (I went to Wiley Post Elementary School, and we had a lot of aviation stuff, only much later did I realize how lucky I was). Hopefully I'll get to see both teams perform this year.

 

[Lawreston]

Great State of Maine Airshow 2012; Thunderbirds. We usually have the Blue Angels but that year they became unavailable(and I don't remember the reason unless it was the budget cuts). Shown here are four sequential shots. I hadn't yet bought my $2000 70-400mm lens; thus these images are the result of some serious cropping of the originals.

HR

 

[Lawreston]

Also seen at the Great State of Maine Airshow 2012. I was lucky, as one of hundreds of volunteers we got to see stuff during arrivals and set-up, before 100,000 or more came through the gates during the public hours. Working the Security crew, I was able to get places not accessible to others.

HR

 

[Gerhardt]

I've always wondered how they were so synchronized. I understand that they're great pilots, but that's just perfect flying. More than once I've thought that maybe the controls were synched by computer. Or maybe there really are pilots that are just THAT good.