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Most of us wouldn't dare tailgate 18 inches off the car up front, even at a crawl in heavy traffic. But how about at 500 mph, upside down, in a synchronized loop with five other drivers?
The Blue Angels pride themselves on precision, not pretension. Their formations are real, sophisticated and dangerous. Their powerful F/A-18 Hornets nearly touch as they scream by, creating the sensation of a death-defying stunt.
"But it's important to understand that what we do aren't stunts," says Lt. Commander Garrett Casper, a spokesman for the Blue Angels at Naval Air Station Pensacola. "We are not showboating. We do actual maneuvers taught to all naval aviators."
"The only day we aren't flying a demo is Monday," Casper says. "Too much time off isn't a good thing because you lose muscle memory."
That comes in handy when attempting tight aerial choreography, such as the four-plane Diamond Formation or the six-jet Delta Formation. To fly in flawless synchronization, the team lines up each plane's paint schemes, and listens to the leader, or "boss."
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"They follow certain commands and cadences, and the inflection in his voice can mean a stiff pull up or a soft one," Casper says. "It's a skill set they all have to develop. As they do it day after day and month after month, they get very tight."
To stay tight, the Blue Angels study their shows on film. After Saturday's event, for instance, the team will look at every turn and loop of their routine.
"We fly, debrief, and watch tape for two hours," says Casper. "They will sit there and go over each maneuver in minute detail, even a mismatched smoke trail."
When the Blue Angels begin a show, each Hornet takes off with a full load of fuel, about 9,000 pounds. They will burn most of it, but stop well short of "bingo" - jargon for an immediate landing. As they drink fuel, the planes also become slicker and lighter against the unchanging engine thrust. This affects handling, and attention to detail becomes critical. Any unexpected turbulence must be countered as a group.
"If somebody over-reacts or under-reacts, there can be an issue," Casper says. "So you power through as a team, recognizing that what's happening to each pilot is happening to everyone else. You just work through the maneuver."
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Any maneuver involves an element of risk, but the intense training keeps it low. Still, the unexpected is part of what keeps the team so focused - and eager to fly over and over again.
"It's still a rush for these guys," Casper says. "It never gets old. They get butterflies even in practice. When it starts becoming the same, that's when you should be nervous. You always want to be ahead of the plane."
Article Source
I also have some unedited video my pops took so go easy on him...lol
He didn't do too bad for an old man , those F18's were screaming by. The video and pictures really don't do these guys any justice (You really can't see the precision). If you get the chance you should really see these guys live. This was my sixth consecutive year that I have seen them.
This is just some raw footage. The stuff in the beginning is kinda weak but it gets better.
[google]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3532849277157725237[/google]
And here is something a little better
Most of us wouldn't dare tailgate 18 inches off the car up front, even at a crawl in heavy traffic. But how about at 500 mph, upside down, in a synchronized loop with five other drivers?
The Blue Angels pride themselves on precision, not pretension. Their formations are real, sophisticated and dangerous. Their powerful F/A-18 Hornets nearly touch as they scream by, creating the sensation of a death-defying stunt.
"But it's important to understand that what we do aren't stunts," says Lt. Commander Garrett Casper, a spokesman for the Blue Angels at Naval Air Station Pensacola. "We are not showboating. We do actual maneuvers taught to all naval aviators."
"The only day we aren't flying a demo is Monday," Casper says. "Too much time off isn't a good thing because you lose muscle memory."
That comes in handy when attempting tight aerial choreography, such as the four-plane Diamond Formation or the six-jet Delta Formation. To fly in flawless synchronization, the team lines up each plane's paint schemes, and listens to the leader, or "boss."
.
"They follow certain commands and cadences, and the inflection in his voice can mean a stiff pull up or a soft one," Casper says. "It's a skill set they all have to develop. As they do it day after day and month after month, they get very tight."
To stay tight, the Blue Angels study their shows on film. After Saturday's event, for instance, the team will look at every turn and loop of their routine.
"We fly, debrief, and watch tape for two hours," says Casper. "They will sit there and go over each maneuver in minute detail, even a mismatched smoke trail."
When the Blue Angels begin a show, each Hornet takes off with a full load of fuel, about 9,000 pounds. They will burn most of it, but stop well short of "bingo" - jargon for an immediate landing. As they drink fuel, the planes also become slicker and lighter against the unchanging engine thrust. This affects handling, and attention to detail becomes critical. Any unexpected turbulence must be countered as a group.
"If somebody over-reacts or under-reacts, there can be an issue," Casper says. "So you power through as a team, recognizing that what's happening to each pilot is happening to everyone else. You just work through the maneuver."
.
Any maneuver involves an element of risk, but the intense training keeps it low. Still, the unexpected is part of what keeps the team so focused - and eager to fly over and over again.
"It's still a rush for these guys," Casper says. "It never gets old. They get butterflies even in practice. When it starts becoming the same, that's when you should be nervous. You always want to be ahead of the plane."
Article Source
I also have some unedited video my pops took so go easy on him...lol
He didn't do too bad for an old man , those F18's were screaming by. The video and pictures really don't do these guys any justice (You really can't see the precision). If you get the chance you should really see these guys live. This was my sixth consecutive year that I have seen them.
This is just some raw footage. The stuff in the beginning is kinda weak but it gets better.
[google]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3532849277157725237[/google]
And here is something a little better
Last edited by Kmarion (2007-04-02 17:09:26)
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