My grandfather was a Master Chief at NAS Pensacola. He died before I was born, but my grandmother lived in Pensacola almost her whole life. She use to take me on base and watch the Angels practice. We could also watch them from her back porch as she lived right off Blue Angel Parkway, and .8 miles away from the base. They use to have bleachers set up right by the runway when I was a kid and I have some of the best memories watching these planes with her and spending days and days in the museum they have on base. She left this earth in 2019 and is buried with my grandfather on the base.
What a great story. Thanks for sharing - and watching! It’s so great that the Blues provided that opportunity for connection with your Grandmother. I hope seeing them these days brings back those fond memories. Have a great day!
I was a Surface Line officer in 29 years of naval service. I was Communications Officer of the USS Saratoga (CV-60) 1974-76. Sara was home ported in Mayport, FL and CAPT Charley Hunter, CO, had a home in Norfolk. So on the weekends when we were in port, he would have "navigation training" flights. He invited me to fly with him, and when flying, he asked me if I wanted to fly the Carrier On Board (COS) prop-driven plane. Of course I took the wheel, but I didn't know when you turn the plane you lose lift, so you have to pull the wheel back when you are turning. The CO's remark before I knew this was, "Are we on a roller-coaster." Great learning experience! I was a mustang for 6 years, was an Electronics Technician, ET-1 (Radar) until I went to Auburn Univ for my 1st Electrical Engineering Degree and then going to Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. I watched a fascinating Blue Angels video featuring a "mustang" who enlisted in the navy planning to be a doctor, saw a Blue Angels show, became an Officer, then a Lieutenant/Naval Aviator, then Blue Angel #3 this year! Wow, inspirational! Fly Navy!!
Thanks for your service! Sounds like a long and illustrious career! The #3 pilot you’re referring to is I believe Wes Perkins. One of his parents commented on this video as well. Seems like a great guy. Thanks for watching!
On the contrary I think you have to be one of the most sane and cool headed people to be able to pull this level of precision and control off. But yeah, they definitely seem crazy! Thanks for watching!
I realize Top Gun focuses on combat mission and Blue Angels focus on flight demonstrations. Yet what are the primary differences between the two entities? Can a TG pilot be an a member of the BA without the interview process? Are the maneuvers between the TG and BA pilots the nearly the same?
They are entirely separate programs from my understanding. Obviously some overlap because they’re both dealing with such elite pilots. The selection process for the Blues is the selection process. I’m sure being in Top Gun would help but would by no means let you bypass anything.
Top gun is simply a combat training program that many fleet aviators go through. The Blues are a demonstration squadron, volunteer staffed, with a highly competitive and selective acceptance standard. They're apples and oranges, although many Blues are grads if the top gun program, but it is by no means a prerequisite.
Awesome! Excited to see Wes fly this year. I saw him a few times last year in the Rhino demo. Excited for him and your family! I understand Wes did some RUclips stuff back in the day. Would be a thrill if he gets to see this video. The Blues have been heroes of mine as long as I can remember. And now I’m the same age as most of the pilots, which is a trip. Cheers!
Ya know, I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I know they are very similar. #1 stays the same both years. #4 is always a second or third year pilot because that slot position is really tough to fly. I know the solo rotation is similar too with lead solo being a second or third year pilot. My understanding though is that unlike the Blues, the Thunderbirds solos don’t switch sides of the delta in their second year.
Just to add to aerospacehorizon's reply, the rotation is very similar. Two year tour of duty (normally) and opposing solo transitions to lead in the second year, and it is correct that they fly the same side of the delta for both years. Recent changes that the Thunderbirds recently adopted from the Blues rotation is that #3 transitions to #4 in their second year, which was never the case before. Also, like the Blues, their narrator now moves into a demo position after a year of narrating.
@@siouxperb5570 thanks for adding some clarity! How did the #4 rotation work before? Seems like you'd definitely want a 2nd year pilot in that slot given how challenging it is.
@@aerospacehorizons The previous procedure was that a new pilot to the team assigned to fly #4 did so for two years, as with all positions in the diamond. I agree 4 should be a 2nd year pilot, it makes perfect sense. Why the Thunderbirds didn't do it that way, I can't speak to, I have no idea. Just know that's how they did it, but now adopted the same rotation as the Blues do in that regard. Just one more side note, in the entirety of the F-16 era, the narrator (#8) was a narrator for 2 seasons, then would rotate off the team like every other pilot. Prior to this, in T-38s and back, the narrator would be the voice for one season, then rotate into the diamond for 2 years, occupying whichever wing became vacant the next season, either left or right. Again, why they did away with that is unknown to me, I only know they did. But about two years ago they aligned rotation much more closely to what the BAs do, including the narrator being a 3 year pilot (1 as voice, 2 as demo). Guess you could say the Air Force took "Blues Clues". 😂
@@siouxperb5570 Ha! Well, take from the best, I guess. Glad the teams have decided to learn from each other. I wonder if the Blues have taken anything from the Birds.
tell me you're American without telling me you're American... " World's Best Flight Team" 😂 the world is not just the United States! In Europe there are Frecce Tricolori and Red Arrows! The Frecce Tricolori are the only patrol of 10 aircraft in the world, the only patrol that carries out all rejoins in front of the public.... You can't say that the Blue Angels are the best in the world...
Thanks for watching! Frecce Tricolori has killed spectators with their in front of the crowd rejoins so I don’t know that they are the best example. The Red Arrows are great too, but they fly trainers, not fighters… and don’t fly as close as the Blues do. The US having the world’s biggest military is certainly problematic but one of the benefits is we have the best flight demo teams. Yes, teamS plural. We have two. 😆
@@aerospacehorizons the accident you are talking about was the last of the Frecce, and dates back to 1988, blue angels are continuing to have accidents during performances, even in recent years. and speaking of proximity, the Frecce Tricolori are "wider" because they are a formation of 10 aircraft, but if you see them flying in a diamond pattern (like the blue angels) they are extremely closer. The blue angels when they fly in a triangle formation, in 6 aircraft, are much distant each other, imagine 10 planes...Furthermore you have to calculate the difference in aircraft, Frecce use a mb339, much more unstable, with direct controls, while the blue angels use the f18, extremely more stable and with flybywire controls... Let me ask you a question, have you ever seen it in person both patrols? go see their shows in person and you will understand the differences 😉
I’ve seen the Red Arrows. Frecce Tricolori are coming to the US this year and I’ll check them out! The slower jets with more of them in formation are graceful but I prefer the faster and closer flying of the Blues. Of course “my favorite flight team” doesn’t get as many clicks on RUclips. 🤣 Thanks again for watching and commenting. All aviation is good aviation in my book.
The only euro demo team that is remotely close to the blue angels is the Swiss F-5 demo team. Those guys do some cool stuff. I saw that they aren’t flying this season bc of Swiss budget, so that makes them less cool.
You can't realistically claim that the Red Arrows aren't as good as the Angels. Although obviously slower.the precision and formation variety is just as good.
Not necessarily better, just different. The large European teams have more jets and can do a larger variety of formations and maneuvers, but they can't match the impact that the larger, tactical fighters have on the crowd in terms of speed and noise. And nobody, but nobody flies a tighter formation than the Blue Angels.
European teams are famous in Europe. Blue Angels are world famous. A single ship F-16 or Raptor demo would headline a show over a European flight demo team.
I have an uncle that flew for the Blue Angels. Commander Bill Wheat. Thank you for doing this about their operations.🤗💕🇺🇸
My grandfather was a Master Chief at NAS Pensacola. He died before I was born, but my grandmother lived in Pensacola almost her whole life. She use to take me on base and watch the Angels practice. We could also watch them from her back porch as she lived right off Blue Angel Parkway, and .8 miles away from the base. They use to have bleachers set up right by the runway when I was a kid and I have some of the best memories watching these planes with her and spending days and days in the museum they have on base. She left this earth in 2019 and is buried with my grandfather on the base.
What a great story. Thanks for sharing - and watching! It’s so great that the Blues provided that opportunity for connection with your Grandmother. I hope seeing them these days brings back those fond memories. Have a great day!
I was stationed on the USS Lexington and Forrestal back in the day. I still live in Pensacola. Nice story.
My daughter will be joining the 2025 maintenance and support team for Blue Angels
I was a Surface Line officer in 29 years of naval service. I was Communications Officer of the USS Saratoga (CV-60) 1974-76. Sara was home ported in Mayport, FL and CAPT Charley Hunter, CO, had a home in Norfolk. So on the weekends when we were in port, he would have "navigation training" flights. He invited me to fly with him, and when flying, he asked me if I wanted to fly the Carrier On Board (COS) prop-driven plane. Of course I took the wheel, but I didn't know when you turn the plane you lose lift, so you have to pull the wheel back when you are turning. The CO's remark before I knew this was, "Are we on a roller-coaster." Great learning experience!
I was a mustang for 6 years, was an Electronics Technician, ET-1 (Radar) until I went to Auburn Univ for my 1st Electrical Engineering Degree and then going to Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. I watched a fascinating Blue Angels video featuring a "mustang" who enlisted in the navy planning to be a doctor, saw a Blue Angels show, became an Officer, then a Lieutenant/Naval Aviator, then Blue Angel #3 this year! Wow, inspirational! Fly Navy!!
Thanks for your service! Sounds like a long and illustrious career!
The #3 pilot you’re referring to is I believe Wes Perkins. One of his parents commented on this video as well. Seems like a great guy.
Thanks for watching!
Fly safe Angels ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
This is an excellent description of the teams growth schedule. Bravo.
Thanks for the kind words! Didn’t see enough videos about the Blues that went beyond the surface level. More in the works. Thanks for watching!
I watched them from the control tower at NAS Kingsville, TX in the '80s. Aww inspiring. I'll be at NAS Ft. Worth, TX April 12 and 13, 2024.
Enjoy! Thanks for watching!
The Best of the Best, Naval Aviation!
Major RESPECT for these amazing pilots!✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️🕊🇺🇸💜
They are indeed amazing! Thanks for watching!
This is a great documentary on a Make America Proud team of the Best of the Best!
The research and narration is fantastic!
Best of the Best ! GO NAVY !
Damn right! Thanks for watching!
Excellently put together video and documentary the Blue Angels! Probably the best I’ve ever seen 😊👍🏻
Wow, thanks so much for watching and the kind comment. Glad you enjoyed it!
The Angels are brilliant!
They sure are! Thanks so much for watching!
Most outstanding...those pilots are crazy!!!
On the contrary I think you have to be one of the most sane and cool headed people to be able to pull this level of precision and control off. But yeah, they definitely seem crazy! Thanks for watching!
Wow! Learned so much about the Blues! Thanks !
Hey, thanks for watching! Glad you learned more about the team. Believe me this only scratches the surface.
Nicely done, very accurate and informative
Thank you! Glad you liked it! More to come!
"Fly Paint" and be safe!
Awesome dude 😊😊
Thanks for watching!
Amazing stuff here for sure ❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊❤
Thanks so much for watching!
Blue Angels Are The Best In The World!!!
They sure are! Thanks for watching!
I realize Top Gun focuses on combat mission and Blue Angels focus on flight demonstrations. Yet what are the primary differences between the two entities? Can a TG pilot be an a member of the BA without the interview process? Are the maneuvers between the TG and BA pilots the nearly the same?
They are entirely separate programs from my understanding. Obviously some overlap because they’re both dealing with such elite pilots.
The selection process for the Blues is the selection process. I’m sure being in Top Gun would help but would by no means let you bypass anything.
Top gun is simply a combat training program that many fleet aviators go through. The Blues are a demonstration squadron, volunteer staffed, with a highly competitive and selective acceptance standard. They're apples and oranges, although many Blues are grads if the top gun program, but it is by no means a prerequisite.
Nice work man!
Thank you sir! Appreciate the continued support. Gotta do something while waiting for March!
@@aerospacehorizons Yeah dude, I hear you. Looking forward to an awesome 2024 season this year, maybe I'll see you out there at a show!
Great video! Our son is new Blue Angel #3!!! 2024
Awesome! Excited to see Wes fly this year. I saw him a few times last year in the Rhino demo. Excited for him and your family!
I understand Wes did some RUclips stuff back in the day. Would be a thrill if he gets to see this video. The Blues have been heroes of mine as long as I can remember. And now I’m the same age as most of the pilots, which is a trip. Cheers!
@@aerospacehorizonsWes did some videos of Airventure and other stuff, “Slick Hutto”. I sent him this video. Thanks for the comment!
Can The blue angels ever able to change smoke color , ??? Like how some. - other aerobatic jet teams can !!
Certainly no reason they couldn’t technically do it. It would require special equipment. But seems a bit too flashy for the Blues.
So. Is being a Blue Angel airshow pilot , is this ever a paid job , is it an actual volunteer position ??
How much experience must someone ever half to have in order to become a blue Angel airshow pilot ??
@@lanejohnson2433volunteer. They don’t get paid anymore than their fleet counterparts.
@@lanejohnson2433I answer the experience question in the video! There is a section about qualifications required.
Do the Thunderbirds have the same rotation?
Ya know, I can’t say with 100% certainty, but I know they are very similar. #1 stays the same both years. #4 is always a second or third year pilot because that slot position is really tough to fly. I know the solo rotation is similar too with lead solo being a second or third year pilot.
My understanding though is that unlike the Blues, the Thunderbirds solos don’t switch sides of the delta in their second year.
Just to add to aerospacehorizon's reply, the rotation is very similar. Two year tour of duty (normally) and opposing solo transitions to lead in the second year, and it is correct that they fly the same side of the delta for both years. Recent changes that the Thunderbirds recently adopted from the Blues rotation is that #3 transitions to #4 in their second year, which was never the case before. Also, like the Blues, their narrator now moves into a demo position after a year of narrating.
@@siouxperb5570 thanks for adding some clarity! How did the #4 rotation work before? Seems like you'd definitely want a 2nd year pilot in that slot given how challenging it is.
@@aerospacehorizons The previous procedure was that a new pilot to the team assigned to fly #4 did so for two years, as with all positions in the diamond. I agree 4 should be a 2nd year pilot, it makes perfect sense. Why the Thunderbirds didn't do it that way, I can't speak to, I have no idea. Just know that's how they did it, but now adopted the same rotation as the Blues do in that regard.
Just one more side note, in the entirety of the F-16 era, the narrator (#8) was a narrator for 2 seasons, then would rotate off the team like every other pilot. Prior to this, in T-38s and back, the narrator would be the voice for one season, then rotate into the diamond for 2 years, occupying whichever wing became vacant the next season, either left or right. Again, why they did away with that is unknown to me, I only know they did.
But about two years ago they aligned rotation much more closely to what the BAs do, including the narrator being a 3 year pilot (1 as voice, 2 as demo). Guess you could say the Air Force took "Blues Clues". 😂
@@siouxperb5570 Ha! Well, take from the best, I guess. Glad the teams have decided to learn from each other. I wonder if the Blues have taken anything from the Birds.
I think the best is pushing it a bit. The RAF red arrows are way better.
Agree to disagree. Thanks for watching!
Sorry, Blue Angels are best in the world. Fact
US NAVY Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds are the best in the world 🌎, not even close 😂
Stalin!!!!!!!!!😊
tell me you're American without telling me you're American... " World's Best Flight Team" 😂 the world is not just the United States! In Europe there are Frecce Tricolori and Red Arrows! The Frecce Tricolori are the only patrol of 10 aircraft in the world, the only patrol that carries out all rejoins in front of the public.... You can't say that the Blue Angels are the best in the world...
Thanks for watching! Frecce Tricolori has killed spectators with their in front of the crowd rejoins so I don’t know that they are the best example. The Red Arrows are great too, but they fly trainers, not fighters… and don’t fly as close as the Blues do. The US having the world’s biggest military is certainly problematic but one of the benefits is we have the best flight demo teams. Yes, teamS plural. We have two. 😆
@@aerospacehorizons the accident you are talking about was the last of the Frecce, and dates back to 1988, blue angels are continuing to have accidents during performances, even in recent years. and speaking of proximity, the Frecce Tricolori are "wider" because they are a formation of 10 aircraft, but if you see them flying in a diamond pattern (like the blue angels) they are extremely closer. The blue angels when they fly in a triangle formation, in 6 aircraft, are much distant each other, imagine 10 planes...Furthermore you have to calculate the difference in aircraft, Frecce use a mb339, much more unstable, with direct controls, while the blue angels use the f18, extremely more stable and with flybywire controls... Let me ask you a question, have you ever seen it in person both patrols? go see their shows in person and you will understand the differences 😉
I’ve seen the Red Arrows. Frecce Tricolori are coming to the US this year and I’ll check them out! The slower jets with more of them in formation are graceful but I prefer the faster and closer flying of the Blues. Of course “my favorite flight team” doesn’t get as many clicks on RUclips. 🤣
Thanks again for watching and commenting. All aviation is good aviation in my book.
Blue Angels Are The Best In The World!!!
I have a friend who is a F16 demo pilot. He said that no one else as remotely close to what the Blue Angels does in formation flying.
European teams are much better.
The only euro demo team that is remotely close to the blue angels is the Swiss F-5 demo team. Those guys do some cool stuff. I saw that they aren’t flying this season bc of Swiss budget, so that makes them less cool.
You can't realistically claim that the Red Arrows aren't as good as the Angels. Although obviously slower.the precision and formation variety is just as good.
Not necessarily better, just different. The large European teams have more jets and can do a larger variety of formations and maneuvers, but they can't match the impact that the larger, tactical fighters have on the crowd in terms of speed and noise. And nobody, but nobody flies a tighter formation than the Blue Angels.
American display teams and also solo aircraft have been flying the same display for years. There is indeed more variation in Europe.
European teams are famous in Europe. Blue Angels are world famous.
A single ship F-16 or Raptor demo would headline a show over a European flight demo team.
Sorry Britain's red arrows are a much better
Agree to disagree. :) Thanks for watching!
The red arrows can’t do a dirty loop with afterburners
The Red Arrows can’t do afterburners. Period. 🤣
Red Arrows don't need afterburners to look much better.
@@eddymagielse4993 Agree to disagree! Any flying is good flying in my book. Appreciate you watching!
They're not the world's best flight team bro... there are even non military flight teams that are better than them..
Agree to disagree. 😂
Who?
Blue Angels are the gold standard across the world. Fact.
With Honor🇺🇸🫡🪽