Aviationshotz: Blue Angels

Showing posts with label Blue Angels. Show all posts

Monday, November 5, 2012

BLUE ANGELS - FORMATION EXCELLENCE

The following photo's are my best of the Blue Angels during their Flying Demonstration.

The precision of the flying and the closeness of the wing tips during this display was just spectacular.

AVIATION EXCELLENCE...I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

In this photo you can see that each wing-tip is aligned
perfectly. The two centre jets are also in
perfect alignment.

BLUE ANGELS OFFICERS

A Total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels. The Chief of Naval Air Training selects the "BOSS," the Blue Angles Commanding Officer. The "BOSS" must have at least 3000 tactical jet flight hours and have commanded a tactical jet squadron. The Commanding Officer flies the Number 1 jet.

Career-oriented Navy and Marine Corps jet pilots with aircraft carrier qualifications and a minimum of 1250 tactical jet flight hours are eligible for the positions flying jets Number 2 through 7.

The Events Coordinator, Number 8, is a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) or a Marine Corps Weapons and Sensors Officer (WSO) who meets the same criteria as Numbers 2 through 7.

The C-130T Hercules pilots (FAT ALBERT) must be aircraft commander qualified with at least 1200 flight hours.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

BLUE ANGEL #6

Flown By LCDR. David Tickle, USN, in Blue Angel #6 as Opposing Solo.

In these series of photos, Blue Angel #6 demonstrates a high speed take off, then levels off at about 20 feet off the ground, then accelerates and does an amazing instant vertical climb, at the end of the runway with the afterburners at full noise.

IMPRESSIVE.

GEAR UP

Plenty of Power, and Noise

Very Fast, just missed the nose in this shot

JUST AWESOME !!

GOING UP !!!!

NEXT POST, FORMATION DISPLAY

Friday, November 2, 2012

FAT ALBERT AIRLINES

The Blue Angels maintenance and support crew travel aboard the Marine Corps C-130 Hercules, well known as "FAT ALBERT."
The C-130 tactical transport aircraft built by Lockheed Martin, is flown by an all-Marine crew consisting of 3 pilots and 5 enlisted aircrew. Fat Albert was first integrated into the Blue Angel team in 1970.

Parked on Ramp at Miramar

Beginning the Blue Angel Display

As well as providing logistical support to the team, Fat Albert opens the Blue Angel display, by showing off the tactical flight characteristics of the C-130.

Nose up at 45 degrees !!

Fat Albert always departs is home port (NAS) Pensacola in advance of the demonstration F-18's to prepare for their arrival before each show.

Fat Albert flies more than 100,000 miles each year during the Air Show season, carrying 45 maintenance and support crew.

End of Fat Albert Display

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Blue Angels - Miramar Air Show 2012

Well at last I finally made it to an Air Show that I have always wanted to attend, held each year in October, the

MCAS Miramar Air Show, San Diego.

The theme for this years show was, "Marines in Flight: Celebrating 50 Years of Space Exploration"

So here goes, and I hope you enjoy the photos over the coming weeks.

BLUE ANGELS....Start and Taxi Approved!!!

These first photos are of the Blue Angels Start up, Taxi Out and Take off Departure. As with the precision and timing that the Blue Angels are know for, This was all started on-time at 1445 hours.

All Jets Started

Taxi out

Blue Angel #1
CAPT. Greg McWherter, USN
Flight Leader / Commanding Officer

Blue Angel #1, #2, #3

History in brief of the Blue Angels:

The Blue Angels performed their first demonstration in June 1946, at their then home base, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida using the Grumman F6F Hellcat.

In 1947 the team introduced the now-famous "Diamond Formation" led by LCDR Robert Clark.

In December 1974 the team began to fly the A-4F Skyhawk II.

On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels completed their 40th anniversary year when they unveiled their present aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet.

The Blue Angels are currently based at (NAS) Pensacola, Florida.