If you pass out, you crash doing this. The Angels and Thunderbirds are pros, years of professional practice and they choreograph the routine repeatedly. Mistakes still happen.... They are legends
And their flight suits are made with air compartments to squeeze the legs a bit to allow more blood to stay in the upper body. Peace. And they lean back in the seats at the best angle so blood doesn't go down. TMI.
@@doncourtreporter Thunderbirds have those, they're called g-suits. The F-18's flight controls, "stick between the legs" don't allow for them to be worn, the Angels just learn tricks that help the cope with the huge amount of g-force that their routine puts on them.
to become a Blue Angel Each applicant must be career-oriented, carrier-qualified, active-duty Navy or Marine Corps tactical jet pilot with a minimum of 1,250 flight hours.
@@CDRhammond Thank you for that. I just got to see them when they came to town while my dad was a Marine Captain driving F-4s way back when. The F/A-18s are more thrilling than the Phantosaurus (his term), but always amazing.
I'm so blessed to live in Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels, and love that I get to watch them practice throughout the year; it's like a private airshow weekly while sitting on the beach!!
When you pass out 1 of 2 things happens. The plane's computer can recognize this and level out the plane to prevent a crash, or you become a smoking crater in the ground.
@@ldbrush9941 You are talking about Auto-GCAS, and you are right. The Classic Hornet does not have it. I don't think the Thunderbirds have it in their F-16s, either, because it occasionally butts in when nobody asked it (like some problem child grabbing the wheel while you're driving). The Blue Angels had to reprogram some of the software in their Super Hornets for a similar reason. The alarms just get annoying and distracting when you are trying to perform unusual maneuvers.
@@EthanBSide To Courtney, when you see him on his side he's probably pulling 6 to 7 and maybe more G's which cause you or me to pass out. He has training to squeeze his legs and torso to keep the blood up to his brain. Mike
The Blue Angels just recently did a flyover over various parts of the United States. Since we couldn't gather in crowds they were doing this just for us citizens. I work outside so I was watching for them on the day they were here. I live north of Detroit and they were doing a flyover near Sterling Heights where I just happened to be on that day. I didn't get a good view but they did fly past low on the horizon. It was quick but it still made me smile. The Blue Angels (Thunderbirds, too) are amazing to see in reality. Well worth a trip just to see them perform. Peace
Various units also did flyovers in areas with lower populations. We had a trio of F-35s from the PA ANG fly the length of Lake Chautauqua as part of their refueling training with the tankers from Niagara Falls.
There were many flyovers during COVID. Many were over hospitals to honor frontline healthcare workers. They even came over the small community hospital where I work. All of our military members are true heroes.
When the Blue Angles and the Thunderbirds fly these formations, the lead pilot will be constantly talking over the radio, in a kind of sing song, chant like cadence. This provides the timing and guidance for all these tight maneuvers. And Practice, Practice, Practice When a pilot G-LOCs (G induced Loss Of Consciousness) at those low altitudes it pretty much means they drive into the ground
Yeah, the sing song cadence is very interesting on how they draw out words, etc.... almost like another language at times. The best of the best @ work.
I love that you reacted to this! My grandpa got asked to be apart of the blue angels in the 70s which is a huge honor! My grandpa was a navigator for 10 years (or more I’m not sure). I really wish I knew more about what he did, but he gave me a special coin from the Blue Angels which I still have.
I had the honor of seeing the Blue Angels here at Selfridge Air National Guard Base back in the mid-seventies. Maybe I saw your grandfather there. It was an amazing experience. I still remember it vividly. And that was almost 45 years ago. Peace
Abby Claussen What was his name? I still have the program from the 1976 Blue Angels airshow I attended, at age 10, at Naval Air Station, Atlanta Georgis. It would be interesting to see if he was a member then. I got every pilot's autograph as well. I have been fortunate enough to see the Blue Angels several times, once in '76 when they flew A4 Skyhawks & the others they flew F18 Hornets. A Blue Angels story you might find interesting, from '97 to '03 I managed some rental properties and one of the tenants told me her brother was a mechanic for the Blue Angels during the '70s. I had my doubts about her story & grabbed the program to check. Low & behold there was the name she told me to look for. The next day she gave me a Blue Angels cap her brother wore during his time with the team, complete with grease stains from an A4 Skyhawk.
@@abbyclaussen9092 I didn't see the name Claussen anywhere in the program I have including the list of officers from preceding years. He could have joing the team the next year or more after '76. I scanned the program many years ago and saved each page as a jpeg file. You're welcome to a copy if you'd like to check it out for yourself. If you're on Facebook that would be a more secure method of contact.
NOTHING comes close to seeing them in person. I live underneath a flight path to a local military airport. Whenever jets are returning, they go right over the house. Just a single jet flying over gives you goosebumps. It's the roar of the engine, the fact they are so low to the ground that you can see the details of the paint job, and sheer pride of knowing that's your country's military gives you an overwhelming feeling. Absolutely incredible.
I used to live just outside of Dyess AFB in Texas. The B-1b bombers there had a habit of doing high power takeoffs like they were giant fighters. The noise and vibration was so loud that it often shook the light bulbs loose in their sockets in my house.
I was a reactor operator aboard the USS Enterprise CVA(N)-65 during the Viet Nam war. For a while, my sleeping quarters were just under the flight deck and just outboard of the winches that rewound the arresting cables when the planes landed. Everyone else complained when we had "night operations" saying the noise kept them awake all night. I slept soundly every night. I don't know why, I just did.
Love seeing them fly over. After a while, the sound of jets going over your house is nothing and its to the point both babies can sleep soundly during flights and anything to do with planes
Anyone else seen these guys at the air show in Miramar, San Diego CA? I used to go there all the time but haven't been in probably 10+ years They are even more amazing in person (and f'ing LOUD!!!)
Both the Navy Blue Angels and their Air Force counterparts, the Thunderbirds, are simply phenomenal. This is the type of thing that video really can't do justice to. I've had a chance to see both groups perform in person on numerous occasions, and it is simply breathtaking. That strange angle shot is actually a 360 degree camera mounted on the side of the cockpit.
So are the Canadian Snowbirds and the British Red Arrows. These two demonstration teams also perform at air shows in this country. And sometimes the British Red Devils do the parachute demonstration at air shows in this country.
A jet is a type of plane. "Jet" is the propulsion, meaning powered by at least one jet engine. You also have propeller planes, turboprop planes, gliders (no engines), and even rocket-powered planes like the Bell X-1 and X-15.
If you check out the Thunderbirds take note of #5, the solo pilot, she's a major by the way. She spends so much time flying upside down that the 5 on her plane is painted on upside down.
The Marines fly with this group as well. Usually there's at least one Marine piloting one of the jets. There's also a Marine C-130 painted in Blue Angels colors that transports all the necessary support equipment and personnel. That aircraft is called 'Fat Albert'. Fat Albert usually does a show as well. In fact, one of the coolest things about watching the Blue Angels was watching Fat Albert do a rocket assisted takeoff using JATO packs. Sadly, they no longer do that anymore as the JATO packs are no longer manufactured and the stockpile is running low. Do a reaction to Fat Albert JATO takeoff.
My older brother was in the Navy and was stationed on the USS America (CV-66) before she was decommissioned. We went to the final homecoming of the ship in Norfolk, VA and the Blue Angels put on a show. This was back in the late 90s. We got to see Fat Albert do a JATO.
Absolutely LOVE the Blue Angels ... my dad was in the navy my whole childhood, soo the blue Angels I saw ALL THE TIME practicing !! But still AMAZING EVERYTIME THEY FLY !!
I remember working on condos in Gulf Shores, Alabama 30 stories up and the Blue Angels would fly right by just meters away. So close that you could see their facial expressions.
My husband had that happen too, working on top of condos in Florida. I am so afraid of heights. Have been all my life. I used to ask my husband how he could stand being in up there. He said it was neat. Condos were right on the gulf and they could look down and see sharks and manta rays swimming in the water. If Im up high, I cant look down. I think I would pass out. LOL.
Friend of mine flies F-18E's for the Navy. Flying formation comes with practice and lots of it. As for them blacking out that's called GLOC (G-LOCK) stands for G induced loss of consciousness. When it happens their hands fall off the stick so the aircraft typically will stop pulling Gs and they regain consciousness within a second or two. At that low altitude it can and has been fatal. Some newer Jets will automatically level off if they sense the pilot is incapacitated.
I’ve seen them in person and they’re amazing. They’re experienced pilots (a minimum of 1,500 hours flight time), and they train to do the coordinated maneuvers during the off season. All the maneuvers they do are standard Air Combat Maneuvers (ACM) that all fighter pilots learn how to do. They just do them in a group and (at times when flying in formation) less than three feet apart.
I was on the Air Crash Rescue Team at the Winter Training grounds in EL Centro Calif. I worked very closely with these guy our Fire Dept. was next door to their Hanger. Amazing group of guys and gals.
So, when I lived in South Carolina along time ago. My parents took me and my best friend to see the air show. We were there when one of the Blue Angel pilots crashed. Sadly, the pilot didn’t get to eject . The source of it was that it was so hot out that day, that he passed out and he couldn’t do anything about it. It was really hard to deal with. Secondly, my dad was in the US Navy and he was an aviation metal smith. He told me at times that he had to do a lot of inspections on jets in the hanger bay. He said he had a chance to work with the Blue Angels, but he chose not to.
I get to see the Blue Angels practice every year because they use the air space over my house in Maryland to practice considering I live near the airport. It's pretty cool. Also, they are so nice. I once met some of them when they visited the pediatric hospital I worked at.
I've seen the blue angels throughout my whole life. I've always lived next to a base or air port they do their shows at. So cool. I do appreciate how lucky I've been. Even now I'm only 5 miles from the airport they do air shows from.
I live in Seattle. We have a 27 mile long lake about 1.5 miles east of downtown called lake Washington. Every August the first 2 weeks, Seattle has an event called Seafair. Culminating on the last weekend with Unlimited Hydroplane races. The course is a long straight on 2 sides connected by 2 equal size corners. One side of the course is just off the waters edge on a public park while the other is created by a log BOOM about 3/4 of a mile long. For a small fee you can park a boat on the log boom. Midway through the race day they stop everything for an air show. The Blue Angels fly their routine over the course and crowd at low level on usually perfectly blue skies in the 80's. Up to 500k people attend. One hell of a show in that setting on the water. Best place to see them anywhere as far as I'm concerned.
There’s other videos that tell you and show how close they fly next to one another and they train all of winter to put on these shows . And they usually fly next to each other about 18 inches apart
I have gotten to see them live! They are amazing! My grandfather was in the Navy during World War 2. My family roots for Navy during college football season. Go Navy! Fly Navy! Sing second! Go Navy Beat Army!
I remember staring up at the sky at a Blue Angels show at the age of 6 years old and being so mesmerized by how precise and how strikingly beautiful the formations are. Now I am even more so now that I understand the dangers that may arise and how robotically precise you must be since one error can be catastrophic!
Those are all basic maneuvers (sp??) that all pilots are taught, but they take them to a higher level. Lots of practice. You should see a show in person.
These guys are the best of the Navy and Marine Corps. They train and train. Early on in their career of flying, they get use to the pressure they feel when pulling g-forces. By the time a Navy/Marine pilot gets selected to fly for the Blue Angels, they are no going to pass out. But, when a pilot does...most likely it is from faulty gear. And even the ground crew and mechanics for these guys are the best around. The do several days of training above the city that they do a show above before hand. That way they know the terrain, landmarks, and such so the show goes perfectly. The commanding officer is constantly talking in his/her mic, giving commands, and keep the timing just right. Then...it boils down to hours and hours of training.....
One of my favorite times in the US Navy was shortly before I got out. I was stationed in Norfolk. My submarine was in drydock. We were getting out of drydock on Friday afternoon. When a ship gets out of drydock, everybody is stuck on board the entire time. When the sub finally gets to its mooring area, you want to get shore power hooked up as quickly as possible, so that the diesel generator can be shut down and people can leave the boat. To that end, you send two electricians to the new mooring point (Pier 22 t Norfolk) to hang danger tags on the shore power circuit breakers. Those two electricians then sit around doing nothing until the sub gets there (as opposed to sitting around doing nothing on the sub). As it happens, the Norfolk Naval Station (and Naval Air Station) were having an open house that weekend. The highlight was to be an air show with the Blue Angels on Saturday. On Friday, they practiced. The runways, where the show was to be on Saturday, were in use, so they couldn't practice there. So they used a strip of concrete that was nearby that was about the same size as the runway with the same orientation as their performance area. They chose Pier 22. My buddy and I were sitting there the entire time, watching our own private airshow. (Yes, I did go to see the real show the next day).
At 3:02 you said "that's two planes," did you notice that one was up-side down? This is a great video, but to see them "live" is so much better! Too have them doing these manuvers up above your head is amazing!
I've been a fan of the Blue Angels since I was a little guy. My dad is a Marine and we lived in Cherry Point, NC on the base and we would see them all the time. We moved to Texas when he got a job with General Dynamics and then it was the Thunderbirds. It is pretty cool watching them in person.
If I remember correctly they'll sit in a conference room with their eyes closed and essentially 'fly' thru their entire routine as preparation for the real flight.
As a Navy Veteran I have to say this video doesn't do the show justice. You simply need to attend a show and FEEL it. Also look up the video for Van Halen's Dreams video. It has a few versions. The first is from when the Blues flew the A-4 (now long since retired) and an updated version with the F/A-18.
The teams have two women (many fighter pilots are women nowadays) on team, I’m not sure who’s (their names) on the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels now. They constantly practice and choreograph all the different stunts over and over and over. They’re also the best of the best with years of experience! Thanks 🙏🏼 for reacting, love your RUclips channel!!!
I had the privilege of working the flight line when I was in the USAF. They would come in a couple days ahead of the annual air show. They alternated every other year with the USAF Thunderbirds and both teams staged on our ramp for obvious security reasons. Those experiences inspired me to become a commercial pilot and flight instructor in the civilian world. I have flown formation and can attest that it involves a lot of practice and careful preparation and execution. The military teams take it to the next level. I also had the pleasure to work around the Navy F14 when they performed a solo demonstration. That aircraft was decommissioned in 2007. I was in an F16 unit and loved it. The USAF Thunderbirds F16 are actually louder on the ground than the Blue Angels F18. Definitely do a video on the Thunderbirds. The F16 will pull 9gs versus the the F18 7g limit. (Obviously Im biased towards the USAF)....🤣
If you wanna see it from inside the cockpit seeing how close they get to each other. Check out the Movie "Threshold" my friends father flew with them and did all the photography. There is also an interview with David and his partners son called "Behind the Scenes of Threshold The Blue Angels Experience" David has recently passed.
First time I was in a plane by myself I was expecting to just be nervous the whole time. Instead it was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I have experienced nothing else like it in my life. Been flying mostly on my own for about 13 years now.
Pure practice, over and over again. They also are selected as being the finest pilots in their military divisions. Plus, being in constant communication with each other and with the lead pilot of the group helps to synchronize the group following the leader's commands.
Special thanks to CMDR. Tom Frosch, I’ll never forget the ride of my life. Thank you for arranging the opportunity of a lifetime. After serving in the Army Airborne, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane doesn’t come close to the adrenaline rush of going up in a ride along in the Blue Angeles.
I mean. If you pass out, there are certain safety systems on aircraft that are supposed to prevent a crash, but only at certain altitudes. These guys and the Thunderbirds fly too close to the ground for it to assist them with a lock up or blackout.
Question: "How do they get so close together? ... How is everything so exact? ... How do they do it?" They are literally just that good, and that well trained. I had the honor of working as an engineer in support of US Fighter Pilots and Fighter Aviators several times in my career. They really are just that damn good at it. Even in a simulator, where it is basically a video game, most of us would struggle to keep an F-16 in the air. The Fighter Pilot tester would grab the HoTaS and make the simulator bird dance without even showing effort.
Also, Martin, the Blue Angels F/A-18 sticks have special spring tensioners of some kind to allow more precise inputs than are possible in a run-of-the-mill fleet Hornet. I suspect that they will make the same modification to their Super Hornets.
When I left boot camp for "A" school in Pensacola, Florida, I got the barracks next to the Blue Angels flight line so I got to watch them practice all the time. It was awesome!
Not necessarily! It depends on many things like altitude, orientation, and airspeed. GCAS (Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems) are also being developed by Lockheed Martin, which corrects the aircraft in order to save it and the pilot in the event that the pilot GLOCS.
@@xykeem4805 You can actually watch a GCAS recover an F-16 from a dive where the pilot loses consciousness. Search Auto-GCAS Saves Unconscious F-16 Pilot-Declassified USAF Footage on youtube. Pretty cool stuff.
I remember two years ago, that spring the Blue Angels had performed at the Heart of Texas Airshow. At the time, they hadn't been there in thirty years. We were so excited to see them doing their practice runs over our neighborhood before the show. It was amazing. Also, I'm a huge My Little Pony fan, and there's a group of pegasi ponies called the Wonderbolts in the show that are basically based off of these amazing flyers.
Seeing a Blue Angels air show is one of those bucket list things every American has to witness. It is amazing. It's essentially military flight and dog fight formations taken up to the highest level. These guys are the best of the best. They fly just inches apart at super high speeds as you saw. Practice practice practice. Oh and all military jet pilots wear pressure suits [or G-suits] that help with the physical and natural ability of blood rushing to and from your head on G-force maneuvers by constricting the rush of blood, otherwise they would surely pass out.
@@artsilvaOne reason Naval Aviators don't wear G-suits because they might have to eject over water . Wearing air inflated quipment on the lower half of their body would put them in the condition of floating upside down , where they would quickly drown . They wear inflatable Personal Flotation Devices that keep their heads and faces above the water . Any sailor can understand.
The Blue Angels, and presumably the AF Thunderbirds, do not wear G-suits because they say its activation could affect the fine inputs required to precisely maintain their formations. So they're doing it old school and grunting in high-G maneuvers. Hick, Hick, Hick.
We used to live near the Naval Academy and every May during graduation (Commissioning Week) the Blue Angels would fly over the river and put on a show. The would fly so close while upside down that you could see their faces. Really loud and really cool.
I was stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS), now Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro with VA-174 Det, from 1979 to 1981. This base is the winter training base for the Blue Angles. Of course back then they were flying the A-4 jets. The Blue Angles have two parts to the show, the main part is the group of four, normally jets 1-4, which always starts and most times finish each pass as a group. The two solo pilots, normally jets 5 & 6 are the two which come through in front of the crowd while the group of four is maneuvering setting up their next pass. They go to each show with seven jets, with number 7 being a two seater jet, to take someone from the media in the area on a flight. Number 7 can also be used in case one of the other jets has a mechanical issue. Each year either one or two new pilots replace one or two of the older pilots, and they have to be trained for the next years shows. The Blue Angles fly almost a show every weekend during their season. For their training they come out to El Centro and start practicing over a restricted area of desert, to train the all the pilots to fly in formation, but especially the new pilots. If you notice when they are flying the diamond, the pilot never takes his eyes off his focal point on the lead's jet, he never looks forward, just at the focal point. The right and left pilots have their head's turned left and right staring at their focal points on the lead's jet. As you can see by the number four pilot he is so focused on his focal point, he does not even move his head when he turns on and off the smoke generator. Only the lead pilot, when flying in formation is looking out the front. Once the new pilots get comfortable, they switch from flying over the desert to flying over the airfield. This focal point is so important in 1982 the Air Force's demonstration team, The Thunderbirds, all four of the group formation was killed as all four followed the lead right into the ground. Our squadron and the Blue Angles had to work our flight schedules, so they could have the base, to preform their practices. For their shows, they will always fly right to left or vice a versa in front of the spectators, and at a distance from them if there is a crash the spectators hopefully will not be harmed. Since 1988 it is always a regulation for airshows the planes and jets can head toward or fly over the spectators. This rule was put in place after the Ramstein Airshow Crash of 88, because the Italian Air Force display team flew where the group was flying toward the crowd when the solo pilots were to cross them. One of the solo pilots missed his mark and crashed into the group of jets and the group of crashed jets' momentum and line of travel took them right into the spectators, killing 70 and injuring 364.. The Blue Angles will park a large vehicle off the side of the runway they are using, as their target point for meats of the solo pilots. Our day would start with us launching our jets early in the morning for the first instructor to take his four to six student pilots out to fly, their two hour mission over the bombing range. The Blue Angles would then launch to fly their airshow over the airfield. We would sit outside the hangar and watch the airshow. The Blue Angles would finish their practice and land, our jets would return sometime after the Blue Angles were landed. After the first instructor and his students got out of their jets to go do their debrief, we had an hour to make the jets ready for the next class. The second instructor with his students, would take the jets our for two hours, come back, we had an hour to get the jets ready again, for the first instructor to take his class back out. We launched the first instructor and his students again, and then the Blue Angles would take off for their second practice show of the day. As soon as we launched the first class our shift ended and the second shift took over, so we could go home or sit and watch the Blue Angles practice again. It got to the point we were able to judge if the solo pilots were off and by how much, of their meet point of just over the buss. Several times on my days off, I would take the wife to a place where we had a good view of the Blue Angles practicing. Oh to be young again.
Living in Annapolis we see the Blues every year. I personally love practice day as the blast around for several hours then perform a practice show. The next day is the show day. The reason for all the practice is the show is done over the Severn River and not a runway so the shut part of the river down the place Navy YP boats to make a centerline. I known several Blues pilots over the years and they admit the Annapolis show is the hardest yet they get to fly over their Alumni. My friends old home across from the Naval Academy was a waypoint for the Blues for decades so we always had a great view and I mean we literally felt the heated blast and the pilots waved at us, me being a pilot I totally got it.
Back in the late 90's during Officer Candidate School and follow-on tours, you could watch the Blue Angels practice over Pensacola before their season started. There's a documentary you should watch that shows the process they go through in training for a show. The pre-flight script session is fascinating. Almost like a meditation session, they're all sitting at a table with their eyes closed, visualizing their maneuvers with the flight lead calmly counting out the maneuvers, which is precisely what he says during the flight. It's definitely precision flying and not stunt flying...exact altitudes, flight angles, course directions and timing. An absolute joy to watch.
This brings back memories. I was in the Maines as an aircraft maintainer. I was trained at NAS Pensacola Which is the home of the Blue Angels. They would train almost every day so on smoke breaks we were all treated to a show. It was awesome.
15:45 How do they get so close together? There's no software aiding them in positioning the plane. They plan every move ahead of time and then practice the same flight for months. When they're new to the unit or when they're practicing a new flight, they start out spaced further apart and slowly get closer together the more they practice. They're also constantly talking to each other on the radio. The guy in the lead plane is the leader, directing when to start turns and other maneuvers.
These pilots make this look so easy.... it is absolutely epic flying skills in motion.... the precision it takes to fly in those tight formations have to be extremely perfect
The lead flying instructor at an airbase in Texas was a customer of my dads, he got my son and me 45 minutes in a t-38 talon simulator, it was great and its in my private pilot logbook.
They come to my local airport every year or every other year. I watched them practicing last year and they actually adjusted the flight path and had a couple of the jets doing maneuvers over the parking lot we were watching from.
I've never seen the Blue Angels, but just recently saw the Thunderbirds do a fly over. They did a fly over in a couple of cities in Texas to honor the Healthcare worker, first responders, and other essential workers during this covid 19 pandemic . It was an amazing site to see!
This team is why I love living where I do right now because when they come for an air show, the base is close enough that they actually practice over the apartment complex. Same with the raptor team. It's amazing and needless to say, I live for air shows. Seen the blue angels personally ten times now
Im from Pcola, home of the Blues, been to many airshows and it never gets old. My favorite stunt is the "Slow Ride" they do where they play the Slow Ride song on the loud speakers at the beach and they angle their nose up and cruise by at a very slow speed. They also will have one do a crazy low fly by out of no where to intentionally scare the crap out of you while they distract you into looking the opposite direction at the rest of the jets. The air shows are always fun.....traffic just sucks on airshow days lol
One of the amazing things about the Angels is that they arrive at the site of the air show days before their scheduled performance so they can practice their routine in the new air space. They fly a practice routine every day at the same time as their performance is scheduled for at the air show. I live just a few miles from the airport where we have our air show and it is totally amazing to see them zooming around in the sky - sometimes low enough that you can see the pilot in the cockpit! What a treat!!!
I got to park #4 Blue Angel at the 1986 Moffett Airshow here in California when I was 15. As a member of the Aerospace Explorer Scouts we toured NASA, Air Force and aviation facilities in California and helped out during airshows. I was doing crowd control on the taxi way in front of the V.I.P. stands where the Blue Angels would park after the show. I got to talking to one of their crew chiefs who taught me ground control signals. I'm sure he was right behind me the whole time but he let me guide #4 into it's parking spot. Even when parking, their movements are crisp and precise, so when the A-4 Skyhawk stopped on it's mark the nose of the aircraft was right in front of my face. I was looking right into the engines intake. The sound was deafening. It was scary, exhilarating, and a moment I will never forget. After graduating, I joined the US Army as an aircraft electrician and got to fly in an OV-1D Mowawk reconnaissance plane on a test flight, while stationed in S. Korea. I wore a G-suit, sat on an ejection seat and filmed with a video camera as the pilot did loops, barrel rolls and high G turns. Chewing gum helps the inner ear adjust to rapidly changing altitude. Grunting and squeezing your but keeps blood flow to your brain and sucking on 100% Oxygen helped me from getting sick. I later worked on the civilian side at an avionics shop at the San Jose Airport. I love all forms of transportation, but will always have a soft spot for military aircraft and fighter planes. Watch the Van Halen 'DREAMS' official video for an amazing video of the Blue Angels set to an awesome song. It shows the old A-4 in action. It was a smaller and lighter ground attack fighter but with shorter wings which allowed the Angels to fly even closer than the current, larger and more powerful, F-18. ruclips.net/video/h2WMwISL3Tw/видео.html
You need to see them in person sometime. They practice in Pensacola, FL several days per week (check their calendar online) and the practices are open to the public. Amazing shows!
I am retired Navy and have seen the Angels a number of times; however, my best memory is when I enlisted and as an incentive to join I attended my first Angel show and afterwards had lunch with them.
At Wright Patterson AFB they do air shows every year. Remember going all the time as a child. My dad was Air Force stationed there. It was great. Now they fly over my sisters house. They just sit in backyard and watch them. Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.
my dad was a navy recruiter for part of his career... i always remember when he broght home 35mm film of the "Blues" back around 59...think they were Panther jets then.. always loved to watch them...now they fly F18s The Hornet
They've done an air show several times at an Air Force Base where I live and with my house being right in the flight line, they fly directly over. The show is scheduled again I think May of 2021 and they are slated to perform again. Seeing the show up close is an unforgettable experience.
Hi Courtney, my name is Karl I'm from America. The video of the Blue Angels pilots doing their show, is amazing in person. I have watched both, the Blue Angels and the ThunderBirds, they fly 18 inches apart. Both of the team's mentioned have a female pilot that fly her own jet. They are truly amazing.
Just to give you a little bit of information a lot of people don't know this but when the blues fly they don't fly with G suits like just about every other fighter pilot out there. Their formations and their Maneuvers that they do they are so close together that's most times only 16in apart. That the G-Suites could interfere with how they fly and how close they can be. I really miss my job in a Navy I was an Operation Specialist also was Surface Warfare qualified. And I was also qualified as AIC, Air Intercept Controller. Which Means I would be all the various radio circuits with the pilots. God I miss my job.
Lived in Shalimar, Florida for a while (They are stationed close by in Pensacola, FL). Have seen the Blue Angels many many times. They never cease to impress. Best pilots in the world.
I grew up in Pensacola, which is where their home base is located. They are the pride of the city and I've loved watching them ever since I was a kid. Great timing on the video as today marks their annual homecoming airshow on Pensacola Beach.
I used to live in Pensacola where they are based and you can just go to the base on a Wednesday or Thursday and watch them practice - essentially the same show they do at air shows. And you can meet the pilots as well. How they do it is being the top pilots in the Navy. Each year, after training with the new guys, they fly about 3 ft (1 meter) apart. By the end of the year, they fly 18 inches (0.5 meters) apart. when that close, the #1 plane is directing the maneuvers and the others are looking at his plane and following. They don’t even wear G-suits as any unexpected changes in the suit’s inflation could cause the joystick to be moved slightly, and at those distances they could collide.
they usually have assistance against passing out, which would be 2 things, one is called a `g-suit' which fighter pilots put on that have what are called inflatable bladders within in them which is connected to the aircraft itself and the bladders inflate when g's are pulled to help push the blood back up from the legs to the upper area of the body, and there is also what is called the energy-straining maneuver (pardon the expression, however it is compared to straining on the toilet if one is constipated, which also helps maintain blood in the head to help prevent passing out).
Watched them at air base in SC fri thur Sunday. The last day for main viewing (Sunday)they had three planes/Jet break down and they still put on a great show😊
At 8:15 into the video check out the exhaust on the jets. It looks as if they are only using half of the engine when you see the steam coming out the back.
Courtney, if you look at 2:11 in the video, the plane to the right is Plane #1 which is the head guy of the Blue Angels or the Commanding Officer (CO). the one on top the #2 or the Right wing, #3 is the Left Wing, #4 is called the Slot. Then you have planes 5 & 6 which are the lead (#5) and opposing (#6) soloists. Number 7 which is in the beginning is a 2-seat F/A 18 Hornet to take VIP's or local media on short trips. At 3:06 is a formation that they call the Delta Formation where theyline up front to back then left to back 1,3,2,5,4,6.
The Blue Angels surprise me from time to time! I live in Gulf Breeze Florida, which is next to Pensacola Florida home of the Blue angels.they practice quite often and fly low above my home occasionally!
I use to work on Delta Airline's flight simulators which teach pilots how to fly and handle airplane emergencies. If you are ever passing through Atlanta, Georgia, please let me know and I will arrange a tour for you of their flight simulators and even let you try at flying one. They are a lot of fun and you can't get hurt in one, even if you crash.
every pilot in the formation focuses on a specific point on the number 1 jet, they listen to the calls from the number 1 pilot sort of like cadence and they fly the profile based on that
i live about an hour away from their home base and go every few years to see them. its amazing to see them do these maneuvers in person while at the beach.
I've never had the chance to see the Blue Angels but I did get a chance to see the Thunderbirds. Saw them when I was 7 or 8 while we were stationed in Turkey at, I believe Incirlik Air Base, back in 1964 or '65. The Blue Angels draw their pilots from both the Navy and Marine Corps. In fact at one point their was a female Marine aviator who flew the support plane a C-130 called "Fat Albert".
I live an hour away from where they are stationed in Pensacola FL I've seen them practice all the time and actually one day while I was at the beach in Gulf Shores they flew in formation right past our condo I could see the guys in there lol it was pretty cool
a couple of things to note though is that the blue angels fly their shows without the aid of g suits,and to help keep the jets steady for those close profiles,they install a spring on the control stick that adds about 40 pounds of resistance
I was lucky enough to get to fly in a WWll fighter plane as a passenger where we got to do some barrel rolls which I handled fine but after he did the 4 leaf clover which consists 4 loops connected like a 4 leaf clover. I'll admit that I got a little nauseous but it didn't last long and I never got sick. The pilot told me that I did great and that the men were the ones who usually threw up. He then opened the top of the plane as we flew over Lake Mead and the Hoover dam like we were in a convertible. It was so awesome! The Blue Angels are elite pilots and the planning of these actions are carefully choreographed and studied before anybody gets in a plane.
If you pass out, you crash doing this. The Angels and Thunderbirds are pros, years of professional practice and they choreograph the routine repeatedly. Mistakes still happen.... They are legends
And their flight suits are made with air compartments to squeeze the legs a bit to allow more blood to stay in the upper body. Peace. And they lean back in the seats at the best angle so blood doesn't go down. TMI.
@@doncourtreporter Thunderbirds have those, they're called g-suits. The F-18's flight controls, "stick between the legs" don't allow for them to be worn, the Angels just learn tricks that help the cope with the huge amount of g-force that their routine puts on them.
ruclips.net/video/Dv7znERq2ME/видео.html
to become a Blue Angel Each applicant must be career-oriented, carrier-qualified, active-duty Navy or Marine Corps tactical jet pilot with a minimum of 1,250 flight hours.
@@CDRhammond Thank you for that. I just got to see them when they came to town while my dad was a Marine Captain driving F-4s way back when. The F/A-18s are more thrilling than the Phantosaurus (his term), but always amazing.
I'm so blessed to live in Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels, and love that I get to watch them practice throughout the year; it's like a private airshow weekly while sitting on the beach!!
wow! Thats so cool!! 🤩🤩🤩
When you pass out 1 of 2 things happens. The plane's computer can recognize this and level out the plane to prevent a crash, or you become a smoking crater in the ground.
FA-18s do not have a G-LOC system.
😢
Pops in VMFA-212 and HAMS-24 (Adversary Squadron) used "smoking hole" instead of "crater" . The results are... the same
@@ldbrush9941 You are talking about Auto-GCAS, and you are right. The Classic Hornet does not have it. I don't think the Thunderbirds have it in their F-16s, either, because it occasionally butts in when nobody asked it (like some problem child grabbing the wheel while you're driving). The Blue Angels had to reprogram some of the software in their Super Hornets for a similar reason. The alarms just get annoying and distracting when you are trying to perform unusual maneuvers.
@@EthanBSide To Courtney, when you see him on his side he's probably pulling 6 to 7 and maybe more G's which cause you or me to pass out. He has training to squeeze his legs and torso to keep the blood up to his brain. Mike
The Blue Angels just recently did a flyover over various parts of the United States. Since we couldn't gather in crowds they were doing this just for us citizens. I work outside so I was watching for them on the day they were here. I live north of Detroit and they were doing a flyover near Sterling Heights where I just happened to be on that day.
I didn't get a good view but they did fly past low on the horizon. It was quick but it still made me smile.
The Blue Angels (Thunderbirds, too) are amazing to see in reality. Well worth a trip just to see them perform.
Peace
Spartan from Rochester Hills here.
Various units also did flyovers in areas with lower populations. We had a trio of F-35s from the PA ANG fly the length of Lake Chautauqua as part of their refueling training with the tankers from Niagara Falls.
@@chipurBillWhite Go Green!
Haha, that's awsome" here in Georgia we had a thr Thunderbirds and Blue Angels flying in tandem all around Georgia. It was awsome!
There were many flyovers during COVID. Many were over hospitals to honor frontline healthcare workers. They even came over the small community hospital where I work. All of our military members are true heroes.
My favorite part of the video is Every time her eyes light up like a small kid at Disneyland 😁
When the Blue Angles and the Thunderbirds fly these formations, the lead pilot will be constantly talking over the radio, in a kind of sing song, chant like cadence. This provides the timing and guidance for all these tight maneuvers. And Practice, Practice, Practice
When a pilot G-LOCs (G induced Loss Of Consciousness) at those low altitudes it pretty much means they drive into the ground
Yeah, the sing song cadence is very interesting on how they draw out words, etc.... almost like another language at times. The best of the best @ work.
ruclips.net/video/Dv7znERq2ME/видео.html
Precisely correct.
I love that you reacted to this! My grandpa got asked to be apart of the blue angels in the 70s which is a huge honor! My grandpa was a navigator for 10 years (or more I’m not sure). I really wish I knew more about what he did, but he gave me a special coin from the Blue Angels which I still have.
I had the honor of seeing the Blue Angels here at Selfridge Air National Guard Base back in the mid-seventies. Maybe I saw your grandfather there. It was an amazing experience. I still remember it vividly. And that was almost 45 years ago.
Peace
A rare treasure you have. Cherish it.
🇺🇸
Abby Claussen What was his name? I still have the program from the 1976 Blue Angels airshow I attended, at age 10, at Naval Air Station, Atlanta Georgis. It would be interesting to see if he was a member then. I got every pilot's autograph as well. I have been fortunate enough to see the Blue Angels several times, once in '76 when they flew A4 Skyhawks & the others they flew F18 Hornets.
A Blue Angels story you might find interesting, from '97 to '03 I managed some rental properties and one of the tenants told me her brother was a mechanic for the Blue Angels during the '70s. I had my doubts about her story & grabbed the program to check. Low & behold there was the name she told me to look for. The next day she gave me a Blue Angels cap her brother wore during his time with the team, complete with grease stains from an A4 Skyhawk.
Renaissance Man that is too cool! his name is William Edward Claussen. honestly not sure what exact years he served but that would be so cool
@@abbyclaussen9092 I didn't see the name Claussen anywhere in the program I have including the list of officers from preceding years. He could have joing the team the next year or more after '76. I scanned the program many years ago and saved each page as a jpeg file. You're welcome to a copy if you'd like to check it out for yourself. If you're on Facebook that would be a more secure method of contact.
NOTHING comes close to seeing them in person. I live underneath a flight path to a local military airport. Whenever jets are returning, they go right over the house. Just a single jet flying over gives you goosebumps. It's the roar of the engine, the fact they are so low to the ground that you can see the details of the paint job, and sheer pride of knowing that's your country's military gives you an overwhelming feeling. Absolutely incredible.
I used to live just outside of Dyess AFB in Texas. The B-1b bombers there had a habit of doing high power takeoffs like they were giant fighters. The noise and vibration was so loud that it often shook the light bulbs loose in their sockets in my house.
I live across the street NAS Oceana. I have been tempted to paint No Landing on my roof. I love the sound of freedom.
I was a reactor operator aboard the USS Enterprise CVA(N)-65 during the Viet Nam war. For a while, my sleeping quarters were just under the flight deck and just outboard of the winches that rewound the arresting cables when the planes landed. Everyone else complained when we had "night operations" saying the noise kept them awake all night. I slept soundly every night. I don't know why, I just did.
Love seeing them fly over. After a while, the sound of jets going over your house is nothing and its to the point both babies can sleep soundly during flights and anything to do with planes
I live in Tennessee and have seen their shows many times. It is an amazing experience.
Anyone else seen these guys at the air show in Miramar, San Diego CA? I used to go there all the time but haven't been in probably 10+ years
They are even more amazing in person (and f'ing LOUD!!!)
KalandKara Zor-El that’s wear they filmed Top Gun if I’m not mistaken.
Both the Navy Blue Angels and their Air Force counterparts, the Thunderbirds, are simply phenomenal. This is the type of thing that video really can't do justice to. I've had a chance to see both groups perform in person on numerous occasions, and it is simply breathtaking. That strange angle shot is actually a 360 degree camera mounted on the side of the cockpit.
So are the Canadian Snowbirds and the British Red Arrows. These two demonstration teams also perform at air shows in this country. And sometimes the British Red Devils do the parachute demonstration at air shows in this country.
A jet is a type of plane. "Jet" is the propulsion, meaning powered by at least one jet engine. You also have propeller planes, turboprop planes, gliders (no engines), and even rocket-powered planes like the Bell X-1 and X-15.
If you check out the Thunderbirds take note of #5, the solo pilot, she's a major by the way. She spends so much time flying upside down that the 5 on her plane is painted on upside down.
Oh yeah, Mace is amazing.
The Marines fly with this group as well. Usually there's at least one Marine piloting one of the jets. There's also a Marine C-130 painted in Blue Angels colors that transports all the necessary support equipment and personnel. That aircraft is called 'Fat Albert'. Fat Albert usually does a show as well. In fact, one of the coolest things about watching the Blue Angels was watching Fat Albert do a rocket assisted takeoff using JATO packs. Sadly, they no longer do that anymore as the JATO packs are no longer manufactured and the stockpile is running low.
Do a reaction to Fat Albert JATO takeoff.
Thank you so much for your request! I will look more into this video :) :)
My uncle is in the marines and he was a part of the blue angels and he was on Fat Albert, I got to go in it during airshows it’s pretty dope
My older brother was in the Navy and was stationed on the USS America (CV-66) before she was decommissioned. We went to the final homecoming of the ship in Norfolk, VA and the Blue Angels put on a show. This was back in the late 90s. We got to see Fat Albert do a JATO.
Its usually the Slot pilot Blue Angel #4 that represents the USMC
Thanks for that! :) As a Canadian, I truly thought it was purely a Navy team. Didn't realize the Marine corp pilots also flew with them. Wow!
Absolutely LOVE the Blue Angels ... my dad was in the navy my whole childhood, soo the blue Angels I saw ALL THE TIME practicing !! But still AMAZING EVERYTIME THEY FLY !!
Spent 18 years of my life in Navy bases... the Blue Angels were always soo awesome !!
I remember working on condos in Gulf Shores, Alabama 30 stories up and the Blue Angels would fly right by just meters away. So close that you could see their facial expressions.
My husband had that happen too, working on top of condos in Florida. I am so afraid of heights. Have been all my life. I used to ask my husband how he could stand being in up there. He said it was neat. Condos were right on the gulf and they could look down and see sharks and manta rays swimming in the water. If Im up high, I cant look down. I think I would pass out. LOL.
Friend of mine flies F-18E's for the Navy. Flying formation comes with practice and lots of it. As for them blacking out that's called GLOC (G-LOCK) stands for G induced loss of consciousness. When it happens their hands fall off the stick so the aircraft typically will stop pulling Gs and they regain consciousness within a second or two. At that low altitude it can and has been fatal. Some newer Jets will automatically level off if they sense the pilot is incapacitated.
I’ve seen them in person and they’re amazing. They’re experienced pilots (a minimum of 1,500 hours flight time), and they train to do the coordinated maneuvers during the off season. All the maneuvers they do are standard Air Combat Maneuvers (ACM) that all fighter pilots learn how to do. They just do them in a group and (at times when flying in formation) less than three feet apart.
I was on the Air Crash Rescue Team at the Winter Training grounds in EL Centro Calif. I worked very closely with these guy our Fire Dept. was next door to their Hanger. Amazing group of guys and gals.
So, when I lived in South Carolina along time ago. My parents took me and my best friend to see the air show. We were there when one of the Blue Angel pilots crashed. Sadly, the pilot didn’t get to eject . The source of it was that it was so hot out that day, that he passed out and he couldn’t do anything about it. It was really hard to deal with.
Secondly, my dad was in the US Navy and he was an aviation metal smith. He told me at times that he had to do a lot of inspections on jets in the hanger bay. He said he had a chance to work with the Blue Angels, but he chose not to.
I get to see the Blue Angels practice every year because they use the air space over my house in Maryland to practice considering I live near the airport. It's pretty cool. Also, they are so nice. I once met some of them when they visited the pediatric hospital I worked at.
I've seen the blue angels throughout my whole life. I've always lived next to a base or air port they do their shows at. So cool. I do appreciate how lucky I've been. Even now I'm only 5 miles from the airport they do air shows from.
I live in Seattle. We have a 27 mile long lake about 1.5 miles east of downtown called lake Washington. Every August the first 2 weeks, Seattle has an event called Seafair. Culminating on the last weekend with Unlimited Hydroplane races. The course is a long straight on 2 sides connected by 2 equal size corners. One side of the course is just off the waters edge on a public park while the other is created by a log BOOM about 3/4 of a mile long. For a small fee you can park a boat on the log boom. Midway through the race day they stop everything for an air show. The Blue Angels fly their routine over the course and crowd at low level on usually perfectly blue skies in the 80's. Up to 500k people attend. One hell of a show in that setting on the water. Best place to see them anywhere as far as I'm concerned.
There’s other videos that tell you and show how close they fly next to one another and they train all of winter to put on these shows . And they usually fly next to each other about 18 inches apart
I have gotten to see them live! They are amazing! My grandfather was in the Navy during World War 2. My family roots for Navy during college football season. Go Navy! Fly Navy! Sing second! Go Navy Beat Army!
I remember staring up at the sky at a Blue Angels show at the age of 6 years old and being so mesmerized by how precise and how strikingly beautiful the formations are. Now I am even more so now that I understand the dangers that may arise and how robotically precise you must be since one error can be catastrophic!
I live in Pensacola, Florida. They practice on Tuesday and Thursday! Love me some Blues!!
Who else after watching this is gonna watch the Van Halen "Dreams "!!!
Omg I was singing the song. I saw this comment at the end. Lol
I am.
My country music father watched the video with me. He used to be in the air force and he fought back tears. Wanted to watch it again
ruclips.net/video/KH7j185hotE/видео.html
@@andreadeamon6419 u know it!It's definitely emotional
Love that video with the Blues!!!
Those are all basic maneuvers (sp??) that all pilots are taught, but they take them to a higher level. Lots of practice. You should see a show in person.
I live near a lake that they train over sometimes its so cool watching them while im out fishing.
These guys are the best of the Navy and Marine Corps. They train and train. Early on in their career of flying, they get use to the pressure they feel when pulling g-forces. By the time a Navy/Marine pilot gets selected to fly for the Blue Angels, they are no going to pass out. But, when a pilot does...most likely it is from faulty gear. And even the ground crew and mechanics for these guys are the best around. The do several days of training above the city that they do a show above before hand. That way they know the terrain, landmarks, and such so the show goes perfectly. The commanding officer is constantly talking in his/her mic, giving commands, and keep the timing just right. Then...it boils down to hours and hours of training.....
Imagine what it must feel like for an enemy fighter pilot to watch this and know these are the people he will face in combat, should war happen...
And that we do this kinda thing for fun!
One of my favorite times in the US Navy was shortly before I got out. I was stationed in Norfolk. My submarine was in drydock. We were getting out of drydock on Friday afternoon.
When a ship gets out of drydock, everybody is stuck on board the entire time. When the sub finally gets to its mooring area, you want to get shore power hooked up as quickly as possible, so that the diesel generator can be shut down and people can leave the boat. To that end, you send two electricians to the new mooring point (Pier 22 t Norfolk) to hang danger tags on the shore power circuit breakers. Those two electricians then sit around doing nothing until the sub gets there (as opposed to sitting around doing nothing on the sub).
As it happens, the Norfolk Naval Station (and Naval Air Station) were having an open house that weekend. The highlight was to be an air show with the Blue Angels on Saturday. On Friday, they practiced. The runways, where the show was to be on Saturday, were in use, so they couldn't practice there. So they used a strip of concrete that was nearby that was about the same size as the runway with the same orientation as their performance area. They chose Pier 22. My buddy and I were sitting there the entire time, watching our own private airshow. (Yes, I did go to see the real show the next day).
At 3:02 you said "that's two planes," did you notice that one was up-side down? This is a great video, but to see them "live" is so much better! Too have them doing these manuvers up above your head is amazing!
And they were flying "dirty," with the landing gear extended....which makes control that much more difficult due to the increased drag.
I've been a fan of the Blue Angels since I was a little guy. My dad is a Marine and we lived in Cherry Point, NC on the base and we would see them all the time. We moved to Texas when he got a job with General Dynamics and then it was the Thunderbirds. It is pretty cool watching them in person.
If I remember correctly they'll sit in a conference room with their eyes closed and essentially 'fly' thru their entire routine as preparation for the real flight.
U r correct they also practice laying on the ground on creepers
As a Navy Veteran I have to say this video doesn't do the show justice. You simply need to attend a show and FEEL it. Also look up the video for Van Halen's Dreams video. It has a few versions. The first is from when the Blues flew the A-4 (now long since retired) and an updated version with the F/A-18.
The teams have two women (many fighter pilots are women nowadays) on team, I’m not sure who’s (their names) on the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels now. They constantly practice and choreograph all the different stunts over and over and over. They’re also the best of the best with years of experience! Thanks 🙏🏼 for reacting, love your RUclips channel!!!
The blue angels are just that good I’ve seen them plenty of times growing up live at the El Toro Air shell at the El Toro Marine base
I had the privilege of working the flight line when I was in the USAF. They would come in a couple days ahead of the annual air show. They alternated every other year with the USAF Thunderbirds and both teams staged on our ramp for obvious security reasons. Those experiences inspired me to become a commercial pilot and flight instructor in the civilian world. I have flown formation and can attest that it involves a lot of practice and careful preparation and execution. The military teams take it to the next level. I also had the pleasure to work around the Navy F14 when they performed a solo demonstration. That aircraft was decommissioned in 2007. I was in an F16 unit and loved it. The USAF Thunderbirds F16 are actually louder on the ground than the Blue Angels F18. Definitely do a video on the Thunderbirds. The F16 will pull 9gs versus the the F18 7g limit. (Obviously Im biased towards the USAF)....🤣
(Obviously Im biased towards the USAF)....🤣 ruclips.net/video/qRZ3sZbmjA0/видео.html
I worked on the F-14 Tomcat during my 4 years in the Navy. Incredible bird and forever my favorite.
If you wanna see it from inside the cockpit seeing how close they get to each other. Check out the Movie "Threshold" my friends father flew with them and did all the photography. There is also an interview with David and his partners son called "Behind the Scenes of Threshold The Blue Angels Experience" David has recently passed.
First time I was in a plane by myself I was expecting to just be nervous the whole time. Instead it was one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I have experienced nothing else like it in my life. Been flying mostly on my own for about 13 years now.
Pure practice, over and over again. They also are selected as being the finest pilots in their military divisions. Plus, being in constant communication with each other and with the lead pilot of the group helps to synchronize the group following the leader's commands.
Special thanks to CMDR. Tom Frosch, I’ll never forget the ride of my life. Thank you for arranging the opportunity of a lifetime. After serving in the Army Airborne, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane doesn’t come close to the adrenaline rush of going up in a ride along in the Blue Angeles.
I mean. If you pass out, there are certain safety systems on aircraft that are supposed to prevent a crash, but only at certain altitudes. These guys and the Thunderbirds fly too close to the ground for it to assist them with a lock up or blackout.
Question: "How do they get so close together? ... How is everything so exact? ... How do they do it?"
They are literally just that good, and that well trained.
I had the honor of working as an engineer in support of US Fighter Pilots and Fighter Aviators several times in my career.
They really are just that damn good at it.
Even in a simulator, where it is basically a video game, most of us would struggle to keep an F-16 in the air. The Fighter Pilot tester would grab the HoTaS and make the simulator bird dance without even showing effort.
Also, Martin, the Blue Angels F/A-18 sticks have special spring tensioners of some kind to allow more precise inputs than are possible in a run-of-the-mill fleet Hornet. I suspect that they will make the same modification to their Super Hornets.
When I left boot camp for "A" school in Pensacola, Florida, I got the barracks next to the Blue Angels flight line so I got to watch them practice all the time. It was awesome!
They will most likely never pass out, but if they do they’re dead
Not necessarily! It depends on many things like altitude, orientation, and airspeed. GCAS (Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems) are also being developed by Lockheed Martin, which corrects the aircraft in order to save it and the pilot in the event that the pilot GLOCS.
Quinten Moshy oh never knew that, thanks bro 🤟🏾
@@xykeem4805 You can actually watch a GCAS recover an F-16 from a dive where the pilot loses consciousness. Search Auto-GCAS Saves Unconscious F-16 Pilot-Declassified USAF Footage on youtube. Pretty cool stuff.
and she should also know they go through flight simulator training for months to know how to recognize/Manage it
Sean Powell ok I will
It takes practice, lots of practice. They also use radios and constantly tallk to each other when they are going to perform their stunts.
Well, they are 'planes', but they are technically "Jet Planes". ;)
I remember two years ago, that spring the Blue Angels had performed at the Heart of Texas Airshow. At the time, they hadn't been there in thirty years. We were so excited to see them doing their practice runs over our neighborhood before the show. It was amazing. Also, I'm a huge My Little Pony fan, and there's a group of pegasi ponies called the Wonderbolts in the show that are basically based off of these amazing flyers.
How? Being some of the best pilots in the world helps.
Seeing a Blue Angels air show is one of those bucket list things every American has to witness. It is amazing.
It's essentially military flight and dog fight formations taken up to the highest level. These guys are the best of the best. They fly just inches apart at super high speeds as you saw. Practice practice practice.
Oh and all military jet pilots wear pressure suits [or G-suits] that help with the physical and natural ability of blood rushing to and from your head on G-force maneuvers by constricting the rush of blood, otherwise they would surely pass out.
Blue Angels don't wear g-suits.
@@victorwaddell6530 carefully read again... but now that you mentioned it are you 100% Sure
@@artsilvaOne reason Naval Aviators don't wear G-suits because they might have to eject over water . Wearing air inflated quipment on the lower half of their body would put them in the condition of floating upside down , where they would quickly drown . They wear inflatable Personal Flotation Devices that keep their heads and faces above the water . Any sailor can understand.
The Blue Angels, and presumably the AF Thunderbirds, do not wear G-suits because they say its activation could affect the fine inputs required to precisely maintain their formations. So they're doing it old school and grunting in high-G maneuvers. Hick, Hick, Hick.
We used to live near the Naval Academy and every May during graduation (Commissioning Week) the Blue Angels would fly over the river and put on a show. The would fly so close while upside down that you could see their faces. Really loud and really cool.
I was stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS), now Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro with VA-174 Det, from 1979 to 1981. This base is the winter training base for the Blue Angles. Of course back then they were flying the A-4 jets. The Blue Angles have two parts to the show, the main part is the group of four, normally jets 1-4, which always starts and most times finish each pass as a group. The two solo pilots, normally jets 5 & 6 are the two which come through in front of the crowd while the group of four is maneuvering setting up their next pass. They go to each show with seven jets, with number 7 being a two seater jet, to take someone from the media in the area on a flight. Number 7 can also be used in case one of the other jets has a mechanical issue.
Each year either one or two new pilots replace one or two of the older pilots, and they have to be trained for the next years shows. The Blue Angles fly almost a show every weekend during their season. For their training they come out to El Centro and start practicing over a restricted area of desert, to train the all the pilots to fly in formation, but especially the new pilots. If you notice when they are flying the diamond, the pilot never takes his eyes off his focal point on the lead's jet, he never looks forward, just at the focal point. The right and left pilots have their head's turned left and right staring at their focal points on the lead's jet. As you can see by the number four pilot he is so focused on his focal point, he does not even move his head when he turns on and off the smoke generator. Only the lead pilot, when flying in formation is looking out the front. Once the new pilots get comfortable, they switch from flying over the desert to flying over the airfield. This focal point is so important in 1982 the Air Force's demonstration team, The Thunderbirds, all four of the group formation was killed as all four followed the lead right into the ground.
Our squadron and the Blue Angles had to work our flight schedules, so they could have the base, to preform their practices. For their shows, they will always fly right to left or vice a versa in front of the spectators, and at a distance from them if there is a crash the spectators hopefully will not be harmed. Since 1988 it is always a regulation for airshows the planes and jets can head toward or fly over the spectators. This rule was put in place after the Ramstein Airshow Crash of 88, because the Italian Air Force display team flew where the group was flying toward the crowd when the solo pilots were to cross them. One of the solo pilots missed his mark and crashed into the group of jets and the group of crashed jets' momentum and line of travel took them right into the spectators, killing 70 and injuring 364..
The Blue Angles will park a large vehicle off the side of the runway they are using, as their target point for meats of the solo pilots. Our day would start with us launching our jets early in the morning for the first instructor to take his four to six student pilots out to fly, their two hour mission over the bombing range. The Blue Angles would then launch to fly their airshow over the airfield. We would sit outside the hangar and watch the airshow. The Blue Angles would finish their practice and land, our jets would return sometime after the Blue Angles were landed. After the first instructor and his students got out of their jets to go do their debrief, we had an hour to make the jets ready for the next class. The second instructor with his students, would take the jets our for two hours, come back, we had an hour to get the jets ready again, for the first instructor to take his class back out. We launched the first instructor and his students again, and then the Blue Angles would take off for their second practice show of the day. As soon as we launched the first class our shift ended and the second shift took over, so we could go home or sit and watch the Blue Angles practice again. It got to the point we were able to judge if the solo pilots were off and by how much, of their meet point of just over the buss. Several times on my days off, I would take the wife to a place where we had a good view of the Blue Angles practicing. Oh to be young again.
Living in Annapolis we see the Blues every year. I personally love practice day as the blast around for several hours then perform a practice show. The next day is the show day. The reason for all the practice is the show is done over the Severn River and not a runway so the shut part of the river down the place Navy YP boats to make a centerline. I known several Blues pilots over the years and they admit the Annapolis show is the hardest yet they get to fly over their Alumni. My friends old home across from the Naval Academy was a waypoint for the Blues for decades so we always had a great view and I mean we literally felt the heated blast and the pilots waved at us, me being a pilot I totally got it.
ruclips.net/video/H9SpxrGMTSc/видео.html
Same here in Tennessee.
My dad worked with the Blue Angles back in the early 1960s as part of the Navy's parachute team. They traveled all over the country doing air shows.
Back in the late 90's during Officer Candidate School and follow-on tours, you could watch the Blue Angels practice over Pensacola before their season started. There's a documentary you should watch that shows the process they go through in training for a show. The pre-flight script session is fascinating. Almost like a meditation session, they're all sitting at a table with their eyes closed, visualizing their maneuvers with the flight lead calmly counting out the maneuvers, which is precisely what he says during the flight. It's definitely precision flying and not stunt flying...exact altitudes, flight angles, course directions and timing. An absolute joy to watch.
This brings back memories. I was in the Maines as an aircraft maintainer. I was trained at NAS Pensacola Which is the home of the Blue Angels. They would train almost every day so on smoke breaks we were all treated to a show. It was awesome.
15:45 How do they get so close together?
There's no software aiding them in positioning the plane. They plan every move ahead of time and then practice the same flight for months. When they're new to the unit or when they're practicing a new flight, they start out spaced further apart and slowly get closer together the more they practice. They're also constantly talking to each other on the radio. The guy in the lead plane is the leader, directing when to start turns and other maneuvers.
These pilots make this look so easy.... it is absolutely epic flying skills in motion.... the precision it takes to fly in those tight formations have to be extremely perfect
The lead flying instructor at an airbase in Texas was a customer of my dads, he got my son and me 45 minutes in a t-38 talon simulator, it was great and its in my private pilot logbook.
They come to my local airport every year or every other year. I watched them practicing last year and they actually adjusted the flight path and had a couple of the jets doing maneuvers over the parking lot we were watching from.
Our summer house is on the beach at Pensacola, FL. Often the Blue Angels make a run down the coastline just before sunset. Always a gorgeous sight.
The fact the keep their composure and character together is amazing.
I've never seen the Blue Angels, but just recently saw the Thunderbirds do a fly over. They did a fly over in a couple of cities in Texas to honor the Healthcare worker, first responders, and other essential workers during this covid 19 pandemic . It was an amazing site to see!
ruclips.net/video/H9SpxrGMTSc/видео.html
This team is why I love living where I do right now because when they come for an air show, the base is close enough that they actually practice over the apartment complex. Same with the raptor team. It's amazing and needless to say, I live for air shows. Seen the blue angels personally ten times now
Im from Pcola, home of the Blues, been to many airshows and it never gets old. My favorite stunt is the "Slow Ride" they do where they play the Slow Ride song on the loud speakers at the beach and they angle their nose up and cruise by at a very slow speed. They also will have one do a crazy low fly by out of no where to intentionally scare the crap out of you while they distract you into looking the opposite direction at the rest of the jets. The air shows are always fun.....traffic just sucks on airshow days lol
One of the amazing things about the Angels is that they arrive at the site of the air show days before their scheduled performance so they can practice their routine in the new air space. They fly a practice routine every day at the same time as their performance is scheduled for at the air show. I live just a few miles from the airport where we have our air show and it is totally amazing to see them zooming around in the sky - sometimes low enough that you can see the pilot in the cockpit! What a treat!!!
ruclips.net/video/qRZ3sZbmjA0/видео.html
I got to park #4 Blue Angel at the 1986 Moffett Airshow here in California when I was 15. As a member of the Aerospace Explorer Scouts we toured NASA, Air Force and aviation facilities in California and helped out during airshows. I was doing crowd control on the taxi way in front of the V.I.P. stands where the Blue Angels would park after the show. I got to talking to one of their crew chiefs who taught me ground control signals. I'm sure he was right behind me the whole time but he let me guide #4 into it's parking spot. Even when parking, their movements are crisp and precise, so when the A-4 Skyhawk stopped on it's mark the nose of the aircraft was right in front of my face. I was looking right into the engines intake. The sound was deafening. It was scary, exhilarating, and a moment I will never forget. After graduating, I joined the US Army as an aircraft electrician and got to fly in an OV-1D Mowawk reconnaissance plane on a test flight, while stationed in S. Korea. I wore a G-suit, sat on an ejection seat and filmed with a video camera as the pilot did loops, barrel rolls and high G turns. Chewing gum helps the inner ear adjust to rapidly changing altitude. Grunting and squeezing your but keeps blood flow to your brain and sucking on 100% Oxygen helped me from getting sick. I later worked on the civilian side at an avionics shop at the San Jose Airport. I love all forms of transportation, but will always have a soft spot for military aircraft and fighter planes.
Watch the Van Halen 'DREAMS' official video for an amazing video of the Blue Angels set to an awesome song. It shows the old A-4 in action. It was a smaller and lighter ground attack fighter but with shorter wings which allowed the Angels to fly even closer than the current, larger and more powerful, F-18. ruclips.net/video/h2WMwISL3Tw/видео.html
You need to see them in person sometime. They practice in Pensacola, FL several days per week (check their calendar online) and the practices are open to the public. Amazing shows!
I am retired Navy and have seen the Angels a number of times; however, my best memory is when I enlisted and as an incentive to join I attended my first Angel show and afterwards had lunch with them.
Every time I watch the blue angels and the thunderbirds I get the chills. Absolutely breathtaking. I am so proud to be American
I've seen them and the Air Force Thunderbirds several times at my local air show. They really are incredible!
I think it was last year when they had a show out here in Texas. Flew right over my house, seeing it in person was insaneeeee! And the sound!
At Wright Patterson AFB they do air shows every year. Remember going all the time as a child. My dad was Air Force stationed there. It was great. Now they fly over my sisters house. They just sit in backyard and watch them. Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.
my dad was a navy recruiter for part of his career... i always remember when he broght home 35mm film of the "Blues" back around 59...think they were Panther jets then.. always loved to watch them...now they fly F18s The Hornet
They've done an air show several times at an Air Force Base where I live and with my house being right in the flight line, they fly directly over. The show is scheduled again I think May of 2021 and they are slated to perform again. Seeing the show up close is an unforgettable experience.
Hi Courtney, my name is Karl I'm from America. The video of the Blue Angels pilots doing their show, is amazing in person. I have watched both, the Blue Angels and the ThunderBirds, they fly 18 inches apart. Both of the team's mentioned have a female pilot that fly her own jet. They are truly amazing.
Just to give you a little bit of information a lot of people don't know this but when the blues fly they don't fly with G suits like just about every other fighter pilot out there. Their formations and their Maneuvers that they do they are so close together that's most times only 16in apart. That the G-Suites could interfere with how they fly and how close they can be. I really miss my job in a Navy I was an Operation Specialist also was Surface Warfare qualified. And I was also qualified as AIC, Air Intercept Controller. Which Means I would be all the various radio circuits with the pilots. God I miss my job.
Hello ! I was an OS too . I wasnt AIC or ATACO , just a simple OS who made Surface / Subsurface watch Supervisor on a CG .
Lived in Shalimar, Florida for a while (They are stationed close by in Pensacola, FL). Have seen the Blue Angels many many times. They never cease to impress. Best pilots in the world.
the 5 and 6 jets,called the opposing solos,have their own set of visual references and the lead solo gives the calls during their part of the show
I grew up in Pensacola, which is where their home base is located. They are the pride of the city and I've loved watching them ever since I was a kid. Great timing on the video as today marks their annual homecoming airshow on Pensacola Beach.
Their winter home is NAF El Centro, California.
I grew up near Jacksonville Florida Navy Base. We went to see them every year. It was always amazing.
I live by the Naval Academy here in America. they perform every year at graduation. It's incredible to watch them.
Good evening Courtney! I got to see these guys fly back in the early 90s at an air show near DC. Super awesome, extreme professionals
I used to live in Pensacola where they are based and you can just go to the base on a Wednesday or Thursday and watch them practice - essentially the same show they do at air shows. And you can meet the pilots as well.
How they do it is being the top pilots in the Navy. Each year, after training with the new guys, they fly about 3 ft (1 meter) apart. By the end of the year, they fly 18 inches (0.5 meters) apart. when that close, the #1 plane is directing the maneuvers and the others are looking at his plane and following. They don’t even wear G-suits as any unexpected changes in the suit’s inflation could cause the joystick to be moved slightly, and at those distances they could collide.
they usually have assistance against passing out, which would be 2 things, one is called a `g-suit' which fighter pilots put on that have what are called inflatable bladders within in them which is connected to the aircraft itself and the bladders inflate when g's are pulled to help push the blood back up from the legs to the upper area of the body, and there is also what is called the energy-straining maneuver (pardon the expression, however it is compared to straining on the toilet if one is constipated, which also helps maintain blood in the head to help prevent passing out).
Believe it or not back in 1950's there used to be an American TV program about the Blue Angels.
Watched them at air base in SC fri thur Sunday. The last day for main viewing (Sunday)they had three planes/Jet break down and they still put on a great show😊
At 8:15 into the video check out the exhaust on the jets. It looks as if they are only using half of the engine when you see the steam coming out the back.
Courtney, if you look at 2:11 in the video, the plane to the right is Plane #1 which is the head guy of the Blue Angels or the Commanding Officer (CO). the one on top the #2 or the Right wing, #3 is the Left Wing, #4 is called the Slot. Then you have planes 5 & 6 which are the lead (#5) and opposing (#6) soloists. Number 7 which is in the beginning is a 2-seat F/A 18 Hornet to take VIP's or local media on short trips. At 3:06 is a formation that they call the Delta Formation where theyline up front to back then left to back 1,3,2,5,4,6.
The Blue Angels surprise me from time to time! I live in Gulf Breeze Florida, which is next to Pensacola Florida home of the Blue angels.they practice quite often and fly low above my home occasionally!
I use to work on Delta Airline's flight simulators which teach pilots how to fly and handle airplane emergencies. If you are ever passing through Atlanta, Georgia, please let me know and I will arrange a tour for you of their flight simulators and even let you try at flying one. They are a lot of fun and you can't get hurt in one, even if you crash.
every pilot in the formation focuses on a specific point on the number 1 jet, they listen to the calls from the number 1 pilot sort of like cadence and they fly the profile based on that
i live about an hour away from their home base and go every few years to see them. its amazing to see them do these maneuvers in person while at the beach.
I've never had the chance to see the Blue Angels but I did get a chance to see the Thunderbirds. Saw them when I was 7 or 8 while we were stationed in Turkey at, I believe Incirlik Air Base, back in 1964 or '65.
The Blue Angels draw their pilots from both the Navy and Marine Corps. In fact at one point their was a female Marine aviator who flew the support plane a C-130 called "Fat Albert".
I've seen the blue angels twice they are flawless very professional, I'm always astonished at their performance.
I live an hour away from where they are stationed in Pensacola FL I've seen them practice all the time and actually one day while I was at the beach in Gulf Shores they flew in formation right past our condo I could see the guys in there lol it was pretty cool
a couple of things to note though is that the blue angels fly their shows without the aid of g suits,and to help keep the jets steady for those close profiles,they install a spring on the control stick that adds about 40 pounds of resistance
I was lucky enough to get to fly in a WWll fighter plane as a passenger where we got to do some barrel rolls which I handled fine but after he did the 4 leaf clover which consists 4 loops connected like a 4 leaf clover. I'll admit that I got a little nauseous but it didn't last long and I never got sick. The pilot told me that I did great and that the men were the ones who usually threw up. He then opened the top of the plane as we flew over Lake Mead and the Hoover dam like we were in a convertible. It was so awesome! The Blue Angels are elite pilots and the planning of these actions are carefully choreographed and studied before anybody gets in a plane.