I had the privilege of sitting on the flight deck while flying with this very same crew during an airshow practice in St. Cloud, Minnesota. One of the highlights of my life.
Yes, this video is awesome! Front left is the pilot /aircraft commander, front right is the co-pilot, guy in the middle is the engineer who monitors the engines and other aircraft systems. Guy taking the video is in the radio operators seat which is inop now days. Guy to the right mostly out of view is the navigator. Used to work on these in the Marines. Almost reenlisted for a shot at being the mechanic for this thing.
Fat Albert is one of the best parts of the show, the maneuvers are crazy. It’s easy to drift a drift car, but it takes a real professional to do it in a school bus
I like this video. During my european leave in Nov. 1971 I got to fly in the cockpit of a C130. That was a good trip. I was the only passenger on that flight.
@skateboy159 to maintain level flight in a 60 degree banked turn you pull about 2 g's. They are holding 60 for a few seconds and then rolling back to 45 so less than 2 g's for most of it.
@sandtr00per An all-Marine Corps crew of three officers and five enlisted personnel operate the Lockheed-Martin C-130T Hercules, affectionately known as Fat Albert Airlines. Fat Albert joined the team in 1970 and flies more than 140,000 miles each season. It carries more than 40 maintenance and support personnel, their gear and enough spare parts and communication equipment to complete a successful air show.
The guy in my video is staff sergeant Tommy Zurek, the plane's loadmaster. The pilots in the front two seats of this video are Captain Edward Jorge (right) and Major Drew Hess or Maj. Brendan Burks on left (I think). Flight engineer GYSGT Ben Chapman did most of the talking to our group.
The guy in the middle is the Flight Engineer. Pilot went past the bank angle limitation and the FE checked him on it. Unless you where looking at the gauge you probably wouldn't notice that small of a correction anyway.
these guys are superstars. best part is the final where they just drop it on the runway at 1 mile and make the first turnoff with that magnificent crosswind landing. all in a day's work for these guys. they make a hard job look really, really easy!
That's correct. A hurricane a few years ago washed out a lot of Bert's supply and once they ran out, no more JATO take off's as the bottles aren't made anymore. This and the taxi video are awesome by the way!
Awesome video!!!! Just saw the Sept 19th Performance at NAS Oceana! Watching the vid was like watching poetry in motion! Fat Albert Airlines is First Class all the way!!!!
THAT is how a crew works together. Incredible. It's not a lot of G...but it doesn't matter one bit...the precision of the flying and the coordination was inspiring.
Guy on the right is the co-pilot who supports the captain. He is watching the gauges and calling out altitude, airspeed, bank angle, rate of decent, etc... while the captain "flys" the plane. And occasionally when the captain can't see the airport or other visual references because they are on the right side of the aircraft, the guy on the right looks outside the cockpit while the captain flys the gauges, being directed by the co-pilot who can see , until captain can see, and says "contact".
@Louisthefish23 yeah... the kewl thing is that those are all maneuvers that are taught to pilots in (U/G)PT ([Undergraduate/Graduate] Pilot Training) for use in a combat situation...
@ziocody You're pretty much right, hes looking out for the airport so they can adjust to hit their profile if they need to. Because the pilot is in the left seat and he can't really see it the copilot does it for him. I'll have to watch it again, but I think the copilot takes the controls and the pilot does it for the other direction.
@jonesy97 I was onboard at the time and this takeoff was not JATO assisted. Several of the viewers have posted that Fat Albert no longer does JATO as a part of their airshow.
@Orangebike666 Pilot (left seat) of course flies the plane. Co-pilot (right seat) calls out airspeed and altitude so the pilot can concentrate on flying the plane. Flight engineer? (center seat) assumes calling out of airspeed and altitude when co-pilot is looking out of cockpit window. The co-pilot call out three sets of numbers, airspeed, altitude and the numbers before he says "set" is the angle of attack the plane is in.
as a pilot myself, i gotta say this is 100% more vocal in the cockpit than myself and my crew do. its pretty cool to see that fat bird twist in the air! fly 'er like she wants it!! The Blue Angels never disappoint, ever.
what was the specific issue with the bank angle at 4:54? The FO says "nice catch" to the guy in the middle shortly after. Whatever it was, it must've been pretty subtle, because the bank angle didn't change much between "set it" from right sat and the "bank angle" call from the center. This is incredible to watch and inspiring. Talk about a well-oiled machine.
@antigonish63 They travel where ever the Blue Angels team goes, and most commonly to air shows. This flight was at Barksdale AFB two years ago. I wasn't able to locate a schedule on this internet but I'm sure there is one
@ziocody That sux. Probably gets a little expensive doing JATO all the time. That -G pushover around the 1 min. mark was great stuff. Damn, I miss the AF. I flew all over the globe on C-130's. The TDY train just kept on rollin'. Great post, bro. One of my favs.
@jonesy97 JATO pods are expensive to make and use. I would imagine that it was on the top of the list for budget cuts. They look cool and are useful in a combat situation, but they have no real use in the airshow circuit.
That landing stunned me. I thought all pilots lined up their planes with the runway within a fraction of a compass degree from like two miles out and made a calculated descent, and stayed straight on the runway until they stopped. In this video they approached the runway at at least 10 degrees from the approach end, and there was some yawing once they touched down. Quite similar to my BS landings in flight simulators.
Excellent vdo. quite a crazy ride. would have enjoyed it being inside also. They looked pretty low over some constructed areas. No problem over airports but should avoid low passes over populated areas. This is despite I love aerial demos and air shows where people gather to see it.
@lateintheday2007 Looks like, the pilot keeps an eye on what he sees outside, co-pilot is telling him his altitudes and climb / descent rates while guy in the middle is monitoring the engines and flight systems... since they are flying the aircraft different than normal, the pilot has to keep his eyes outside and cannot be looking at the instruments, which is why the other is giving him cues..
@djvizion lol that's pretty straight forward from what I thought. The part that makes sense is when they change roles. Thanks.... another question is why are they not strapped down?
@pwnjeez he is the flight engineer, basically a walking, talking, breathing C-130 Manual... If there is ever a problem onboard he knows how to fix it without thinking about it... He can also act as an extra set of eyes and ears for the pilot and co-pilot, as well as operating the auto-piloting system and controlling all generators, electrical bus systems, and fuel flow
@kill3r197 Cutting their use to save money makes sense, of course, but they do, occasionally show their usage at airshows. I just wanted to know, when they do use them at airshows, how, out of all their stops, to they decide which shows to employ them? The ones with the largest attendance?
Awesome! Could would someone mind explaining the role of each individual in the cock-pit as well as the reason they are not strapped down? Also, I can guess most of the indications they are talking about ... but not all of them...(any info) Thank You! Note: I saw the point that they level @60 ft.( 4:32) OMG my palms are sweating!!
@antigonish63 They have done this show at every AirShow I have attended. I am a Pensacola native and I guess that it gets to be pretty expensive doing this.
Sometimes the engineer (Center) will actually leave his seat during the pushover move. After the maneuver is over, he will settle in the Navigator's seat which is behind him (located off camera, to the right). Crazy. Hand Salutes to all those in the armed forces, even those in the Marine Corps. Go Navy!
Roughly 12 of the 28 or so passengers got sick. Each one of the turns creates about 3-4 Gs inside the plane. You have weightlessness after takeoff and diving in for the landing. The Blue Angels are nice enough to provide air sickness bags to everyone. I did not need mine, so I had the IndyCar drivers that were flying sign my barf bag.
@ziocody I have seen Fat Albert at shows, but never heard of it doing this flight routine. Are they only allowed to do this demo in certain locations? Just wondering if I can see it in person. Thanks for the info.
Right seat is spotting position and looking for any air traffic..the turn is so hard that the left seat cant see what they are turning into...Right seat is also calling altitude, airspeed and degree of turn, descent and ascend..when he's looking out the window "outside" Back seat is calling it
Hands down the BEST cockpit recording on youtube...... This is great!
Textbook cockpit coordination. The FO was outstanding. That short approach was absolutely stunning.
Awesome in the truest definition.
Co-pilot: "Going outside" and the engineer takes over reading altitude and attitude. Very cool.
I had the privilege of sitting on the flight deck while flying with this very same crew during an airshow practice in St. Cloud, Minnesota. One of the highlights of my life.
BigLaker
I know most of them. Great times in Marine Hercs!
Jealous
Yes, this video is awesome! Front left is the pilot /aircraft commander, front right is the co-pilot, guy in the middle is the engineer who monitors the engines and other aircraft systems. Guy taking the video is in the radio operators seat which is inop now days. Guy to the right mostly out of view is the navigator. Used to work on these in the Marines. Almost reenlisted for a shot at being the mechanic for this thing.
Fat Albert is one of the best parts of the show, the maneuvers are crazy. It’s easy to drift a drift car, but it takes a real professional to do it in a school bus
I like this video. During my european leave in Nov. 1971 I got to fly in the cockpit of a C130. That was a good trip. I was the only passenger on that flight.
Awesome video guys...I love the banter between a well oiled and proffesional team!
This is an ridiculous amount of awesome CRM
This is the greatest video Ive ever seen. Watching it multiple times, such incredible teamwork
@skateboy159 to maintain level flight in a 60 degree banked turn you pull about 2 g's. They are holding 60 for a few seconds and then rolling back to 45 so less than 2 g's for most of it.
Terrific aircraft, check out the steep descent and quick stop, fabulous, good crew.
@sandtr00per An all-Marine Corps crew of three officers and five enlisted personnel operate the Lockheed-Martin C-130T Hercules, affectionately known as Fat Albert Airlines. Fat Albert joined the team in 1970 and flies more than 140,000 miles each season. It carries more than 40 maintenance and support personnel, their gear and enough spare parts and communication equipment to complete a successful air show.
The guy in my video is staff sergeant Tommy Zurek, the plane's loadmaster. The pilots in the front two seats of this video are Captain Edward Jorge (right) and Major Drew Hess or Maj. Brendan Burks on left (I think). Flight engineer GYSGT Ben Chapman did most of the talking to our group.
Early May, part of the Barksdale AFB air show in Bossier City
Good Ole Shreveport
Best CRM video ever! Old SIP for RW and FW. ROcked it!!
Wow, Just wow. That's more entertaining than any of the jet videos I've watched. Very nicely done.
HELLO EDDY JORGE! phenomenal pilot.
The guy in the middle is the Flight Engineer. Pilot went past the bank angle limitation and the FE checked him on it. Unless you where looking at the gauge you probably wouldn't notice that small of a correction anyway.
these guys are superstars. best part is the final where they just drop it on the runway at 1 mile and make the first turnoff with that magnificent crosswind landing. all in a day's work for these guys. they make a hard job look really, really easy!
That's correct. A hurricane a few years ago washed out a lot of Bert's supply and once they ran out, no more JATO take off's as the bottles aren't made anymore. This and the taxi video are awesome by the way!
these pilots are the best! I could watch them all day!!
Awesome video!!!! Just saw the Sept 19th Performance at NAS Oceana! Watching the vid was like watching poetry in motion! Fat Albert Airlines is First Class all the way!!!!
Excellent demonstration of flight crew coordination. Semper Fi!
Great video! Absolute best Fat Albert video I've ever seen.
that looks like a lot of fun! watching fat albert is great! its a great lead in to the blues
THAT is how a crew works together. Incredible. It's not a lot of G...but it doesn't matter one bit...the precision of the flying and the coordination was inspiring.
Awesome video guys !!!!! Does anybody know what the Flight Engineer flicks off when they level out ??
Guy on the right is the co-pilot who supports the captain. He is watching the gauges and calling out altitude, airspeed, bank angle, rate of decent, etc... while the captain "flys" the plane. And occasionally when the captain can't see the airport or other visual references because they are on the right side of the aircraft, the guy on the right looks outside the cockpit while the captain flys the gauges, being directed by the co-pilot who can see , until captain can see, and says "contact".
Nice video, looks like that c-130 is a blast to fly.
@Louisthefish23 yeah... the kewl thing is that those are all maneuvers that are taught to pilots in (U/G)PT ([Undergraduate/Graduate] Pilot Training) for use in a combat situation...
@ziocody Thank you for posting such a great video!! Awesome crew coordination in there. Godspeed sir!!
Missed out on the JATO, only select air shows and wasn't with Barksdale this year.
@ziocody You're pretty much right, hes looking out for the airport so they can adjust to hit their profile if they need to. Because the pilot is in the left seat and he can't really see it the copilot does it for him. I'll have to watch it again, but I think the copilot takes the controls and the pilot does it for the other direction.
That was awesome! I'm going into the Marine Corps as flight crew and there is a very good chance that I will be on C-130's.
@jonesy97 I was onboard at the time and this takeoff was not JATO assisted. Several of the viewers have posted that Fat Albert no longer does JATO as a part of their airshow.
That's because they have run out of rockets.
@Orangebike666 Pilot (left seat) of course flies the plane. Co-pilot (right seat) calls out airspeed and altitude so the pilot can concentrate on flying the plane. Flight engineer? (center seat) assumes calling out of airspeed and altitude when co-pilot is looking out of cockpit window. The co-pilot call out three sets of numbers, airspeed, altitude and the numbers before he says "set" is the angle of attack the plane is in.
as a pilot myself, i gotta say this is 100% more vocal in the cockpit than myself and my crew do.
its pretty cool to see that fat bird twist in the air! fly 'er like she wants it!!
The Blue Angels never disappoint, ever.
these pilots are on point
what was the specific issue with the bank angle at 4:54? The FO says "nice catch" to the guy in the middle shortly after. Whatever it was, it must've been pretty subtle, because the bank angle didn't change much between "set it" from right sat and the "bank angle" call from the center.
This is incredible to watch and inspiring. Talk about a well-oiled machine.
@ziocody he is calling out the airfield location.. you can hear him say "im outside"
he is telling the pilot where they are relative to the show
wow what a team fantastic film of such an amazing aircraft these blokes are all fighter jocks brilliant stuff!
Excellent CRM.
@antigonish63 They travel where ever the Blue Angels team goes, and most commonly to air shows. This flight was at Barksdale AFB two years ago. I wasn't able to locate a schedule on this internet but I'm sure there is one
Best video on Tube, man!!!
beautiful, just beautiful.
@ziocody That sux. Probably gets a little expensive doing JATO all the time. That -G pushover around the 1 min. mark was great stuff. Damn, I miss the AF. I flew all over the globe on C-130's. The TDY train just kept on rollin'. Great post, bro. One of my favs.
@jonesy97 JATO pods are expensive to make and use. I would imagine that it was on the top of the list for budget cuts. They look cool and are useful in a combat situation, but they have no real use in the airshow circuit.
That is pure teamwork. Love it
That landing stunned me. I thought all pilots lined up their planes with the runway within a fraction of a compass degree from like two miles out and made a calculated descent, and stayed straight on the runway until they stopped. In this video they approached the runway at at least 10 degrees from the approach end, and there was some yawing once they touched down. Quite similar to my BS landings in flight simulators.
xdragon5 I believe that is demonstrating a war zone landing. Dropping out of the sky like that makes it harder for the enemy to react.
Damn right! That was awesome! Thanks for sharing.
@Burnz2much this is a C-130T only the C-130J and C-130J-30 Frames have "HUDs"
Love lolita on the dash board !! Good job Buddy, nice
He flies it like a race car on a track. The landing was awesome.
Cool video!
Excellent vdo. quite a crazy ride. would have enjoyed it being inside also.
They looked pretty low over some constructed areas. No problem over airports but should avoid low passes over populated areas.
This is despite I love aerial demos and air shows where people gather to see it.
They are basically working as a single person with three brains. Communication is perfect.
@n1dp Thank you very much !!
HOLY CRAP on that landing
simply incredible!
Fat Albert was a nickname given to USAF C-5A Galaxy aircraft in the 70's.
So fucking awesome. Love the hula girl too...adds a nice effect haha
+GingahNinja
First thing I saw. I thought we were bad.
Absolute pro's. great flying.
@lateintheday2007 Looks like, the pilot keeps an eye on what he sees outside, co-pilot is telling him his altitudes and climb / descent rates while guy in the middle is monitoring the engines and flight systems...
since they are flying the aircraft different than normal, the pilot has to keep his eyes outside and cannot be looking at the instruments, which is why the other is giving him cues..
They fly that fat bird like it's a damn fighter. Love that plane. The crew is boss! I bet flying a routine is a damn blast!
Wow, amazing video! Semper Fi
@djvizion lol that's pretty straight forward from what I thought. The part that makes sense is when they change roles. Thanks.... another question is why are they not strapped down?
@sandtr00per it is an older c130 herc
@pwnjeez he is the flight engineer, basically a walking, talking, breathing C-130 Manual... If there is ever a problem onboard he knows how to fix it without thinking about it... He can also act as an extra set of eyes and ears for the pilot and co-pilot, as well as operating the auto-piloting system and controlling all generators, electrical bus systems, and fuel flow
GREAT CREW COORDINATION!!!!
if you want a definition of crew resource management this is it
Outstanding!
Now THIS is how you FLY!!! Freakin' Awesome!
Fantastic!!
excellent
Cool! Great vid. Thanks.
I loved the negative G scene.
that looks like so much fun
gorgeous!
@MrSamWhitehouse referring where the field is, making sure there is no one out there in the way.
@kill3r197 Cutting their use to save money makes sense, of course, but they do, occasionally show their usage at airshows. I just wanted to know, when they do use them at airshows, how, out of all their stops, to they decide which shows to employ them? The ones with the largest attendance?
That is really very cool
Outstanding CRM
Awesome! Could would someone mind explaining the role of each individual in the cock-pit as well as the reason they are not strapped down? Also, I can guess most of the indications they are talking about ... but not all of them...(any info) Thank You!
Note: I saw the point that they level @60 ft.( 4:32) OMG my palms are sweating!!
@antigonish63 They have done this show at every AirShow I have attended. I am a Pensacola native and I guess that it gets to be pretty expensive doing this.
What an awesome bird ♥️
Wow, pros. Pilot, on the ball. Awesome High Performance takeoff as well. A couple seconds of zero G.
Sometimes the engineer (Center) will actually leave his seat during the pushover move. After the maneuver is over, he will settle in the Navigator's seat which is behind him (located off camera, to the right). Crazy. Hand Salutes to all those in the armed forces, even those in the Marine Corps. Go Navy!
Awesome! Only thing that could make this video better is 1080p.
when he goes "OUTSIDE" what is he doing??
Roughly 12 of the 28 or so passengers got sick. Each one of the turns creates about 3-4 Gs inside the plane. You have weightlessness after takeoff and diving in for the landing. The Blue Angels are nice enough to provide air sickness bags to everyone. I did not need mine, so I had the IndyCar drivers that were flying sign my barf bag.
@ziocody i thought they got rid of it.... because i heard somewhere that they took it out of the show completely.. as in fat albert
@theratfarmer These guys are out of Pensacola NAS in Fla
ive seen them one time they rock !
the commands are so cool ...
Do these guys do this routine at all Blue Angels shows? Do they only do it down in Pensacola? WTF! I need to see this in person!
that was amazing!!!
I notice this wasn't a show because when they were flying back after taking off there was no crowd but a few B-52s down there.
@ziocody I have seen Fat Albert at shows, but never heard of it doing this flight routine. Are they only allowed to do this demo in certain locations? Just wondering if I can see it in person. Thanks for the info.
Right seat is spotting position and looking for any air traffic..the turn is so hard that the left seat cant see what they are turning into...Right seat is also calling altitude, airspeed and degree of turn, descent and ascend..when he's looking out the window "outside" Back seat is calling it