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

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

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.

The Commanding Officer waving his arms up to encourage
the crowd to clap and cheer !!

Blue Angel #3
CAPT, Brandon Cordill, USMC
Left Wing

Final Line Up

Blue Angel #4
MAJ, Brent Stevens, USMC
Slot

SHOW TIME !!!!

Gotta love that Power, Awesome Noise Also

CALSTAR Air Ambulance

The next series of posts will be from a recent trip to California for a vacation, and of course a few airplane photos. Stay Tuned !!!

The photos in this post were taken at Santa Monica Municipal Airport KSMO, Los Angeles.
See here is a Beechcraft King Air 200, N370CS operated by CALSTAR, an Air Ambulance operator for Trauma Patients in the California area.

Arriving Santa Monica

Culver City in Back ground

N370CS

Space Shuttle Endeavour OV-105

12th October 2012, Los Angeles, CA, was when the Space Shuttle Endeavour, OV-105 made history again. At 0200 hours the Shuttle rolled down the access point road next to runway 24R and at that point was transferred from the care of a Federal Facility,  Los Angeles Airport, to the People of Los Angeles. The Shuttles last 12 miles will be by road atop a large transporter.

I was very fortunate to be present at this historic moment, away from the large crowds that await her down the road. The photos below are of the Shuttle leaving LAX airport land and crossing Lincoln Boulevard.

Space Shuttle Endeavour OV-105

1. Was the 5th and final Shuttle built

2. First Flight: 7th May 1992 - STS-49, Launch PAD 39B

3. Last Flight: 11th May 2011 - STS-134, Launch PAD 39A

4. Orbiter Length: 122 feet

5. Tail Height on Runway: 57 Feet

6. Wing Span: 78 Feet

7. Total Days in Space: 299

8. Astronauts Flown: 173

9. Orbits of Earth: 4671

10. Total Miles Travelled: 122,883,151  Total 25 Flights

Coming down the access road at LAX Airport

About to cross Lincoln Blvd

Welcome Home, crossing Lincoln Blvd

Still with Re-entry burn marks

Crossing Lincoln Blvd

Forward Rocket Nose outlets

Leaving Lincoln Blvd

Citationjet CJ3+, ZK-TBM

Arriving from Tonga, on a wet Auckland afternoon...

Boeing 787, N787BA, ZA001

On my previous post of the visit to Auckland last summer of Boeing's B787-800, ZA001, promotional tour down under were photos of the outside of N787BA. Here are some of the inside now.

The ECIAS display showing Auckland Airport Chart

Loaded with Flight Test Computers

Falcon 50, VH-FOL

Arriving from Brisbane late in the afternoon on the 23rd September.

VH-FOL

VH-FOL

VH-FOL