Enough with the typing. On with the lookie-lookie...
We start with the taxiing. Even on the ground, these birds are impressive:
But once they're in the air, they're downright spectacular. Here's a fly-by:
And here's the tight formation flying they're famous for:
(I couldn't imagine driving cars that close together. Let alone flying an airplane at 800 MPH...)And, finally, the last peel-out before the show concluded. This was all six planes right after they separated from the final diamond configuration:
Awesome. Truly awesome.That is all.
8 comments:
Spectacular isn't it! I've seen the Thunderbirds and it was sooo excellent.
Looks like it was quite a show. Back in my college days, a bunch of us geeks went to the Armed Forces Day Air Show at Dobbins AFB, Marietta, GA. The most impressive thing for me was being "buzzed" by an F4 Phantom goin' at about 500 knots less than 100 feet off the deck. I think about this and I can still feel the concussion. A very close second was a demo of an A-10 squadron making low altitude runs, simulating the blasting of bad-guys with the 7-bbl, 30mm rotary cannon. I do so love the smell of depleted uranium in the morning . . . it smells of dead jihadists.
One question for those airplane geeks like me . . . . are the 'Angels flying the original Hornet, or are they flying the new_and_improved SuperHornet?
When they come to Milwaukee, the run-off area during the practice sessions is over the mostly industrial Menomonee River valley - less than half a mile south of our office. They come screaming over the valley, just over the tops of the smokestacks. Did I mention we have a whole bank of south-facing windows? Not much gets done on those Fridays.
I have seen them three times. The first time I was terrified (2 yrs old) so I'm told. The next time was about 10 yrs later. My house was less than a mile from the airport. Before the FAA tightened distance regulations and they could use that airport. We got free tickets as long as we left our homes for a certain time each day for them to practice. They used the road in front of my house for a backup runway and had to close it to traffic for the week they were there. They were wonderful.
A couple of years ago they came again. We had to go out to an airport in the desert. A couple of their planes had mechanical difficulties and didn't make it to the show. It was okay, but not like the one before.
Saaa-weeet.
Once, I was down at the Beach House in Corpus (the one I was staying at on the last vacation) with my boss while we were working on the house's audio/video rig. The house is right near the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, and it was the week before the big air show. The Angels did rehearsals every day we were there RIGHT OVER OUR HOUSE on the channel.
It was a free air show. And it kicked @$$.
Glad you got to see it. Hope the kiddos got to tag along!
tweaker
neener. i've seen them probably four or five times, and never paid a dime. they come to my hometown about every other summer. AFAIK they're still flying the "C" hornet, but i can't swear to that; the official website is not definite on the point.
still want to see the USAF thunderbirds, though.
The Blue Angels are awesome. That is all.
I had the fortune of living within an hour of Pax River Naval Air Station for about seven years, and went to the air show every year they offered it. Every time, it was as spectacular as the first.
I was stationed in Pensacola twice while in the Navy and was fortunate to see these guys practicing pretty often.
It was cool to be in your backyard grilling or having a beer and look up to see them going through their paces.
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