In flightsims I have the impression that flying close formation is difficult. But cutting the distance into half feels like it gets 10 times more difficult, which would make flying formation with
These are active combat Navy pilots. The team changes some members every year. The oversimplified way they operate is the lead pilot (big Number 1 on his tail) gives commands in a very sing-song manner to maintain a rhythm. The have a routine, so they each know what they will do next, but the lead pilot flies the routine and the other pilots maintain an exact position in relation to the lead aircraft. In these extreme closeup videos you can see the little movements in formation, but from the ground they look so smooth its crazy. Even the way they takeoff is awesome, walk to the plane in formation, and take off together, with the #4 sliding into position a few meters off the ground. Incredible to watch
Yup, we had a former Blue Angels pilot in the Air Wing that was attached to the carrier I was on..got to see him practicing some stuff for a show for our Family Day Cruise..he was doing things I didn't know those jets could do.
Slight correction: the Blue Angels do not stick their most experienced pilot as the lead. Instead, they stick their equivalent of "the rookie" as the lead. Why? Because they are new, they are not yet attuned to the minutiae of the other pilots, so rather than having them worry about maintaining their position elsewhere in the formation throughout the routine as they also remember the routine, by flying lead, they only have to worry about the routine itself, and the veterans can handle maintaining the extremely close formations they do. So in these formations, the leader is actually more likely to fly #4, which allows them to see everything the others are doing and call out any issues building. As an example of this, there was one story from a Blue Angel pilot talking about his start with the team. On his first flight with them, he was in the #1 position, and during the flight, he felt an itch on his nose, and he gave it a very quick scratch. Immediately after he did that, the flight leader called out to him, saying, "Do not scratch your nose. Focus only on flying."
The Blue Angels are the US Navy's flight demonstration team based out of Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola is my hometown. They have long flown the FA-18 A/B/C/D models but have recently switched to the FA-18 E/F super hornets. I go to their homecoming show every year. They are absolutely amazing to watch. They do their routines with 6 aircraft. However, for much of their show, two split off and do maneuvers together while the other four do maneuvers together. They then join up and do more together with all six aircraft. I could go on and on. If you get a chance to, go see them.
@@robman6583 yes, it is a very nice museum. I'm not sure if it's reopened to civilians completely yet. There was an incident on base a few years back and since then, they haven't allowed civilians more than a few days out of the year. I'm not sure if that has changed but, if you're in Pensacola, and are able to go and get on base, go. It's really cool.
Here in Jacksonville FL many years ago, the Blue Angels were here at NAS JAX. A day or so before...we were outside, we lived by the base and in our field.. they flew over. We waved to them....like maniacs....I stood and I saluted one of the pilots.....he circled back around....was just up over our tree line..and SO close....he saluted me back! I cried. I'm not military, though my family members are retired military and ...DoD. A LOT of respect for the pilots. Simply amazing to see. We now have Amana Lee... A female pilot joined in 2022! You GO girl!
The pilots of the Blue Angels are active-duty Naval and Marine combat aviators (the USMC is part of the Department of the Navy). They have a long history as a flight demonstration squadron, generating enthusiasm for military aviation. The Blue Angels have flown a variety of different jets, with the logical requirement that the aircraft have to be usable on aircraft carriers, since they generate enthusiasm for Naval Aviation. The abilities of the jets help shape the types of maneuvers used in their shows. For example, when they used the A-4 Skyraider, they flew a lot of very close-formation precision maneuvers, where the wings were routinely coming as close as 20cm (8 inches) to the wings of their squadron-mates. When they were using the F-4 Phantom, there were more prominent vertical power-climb maneuvers.
There was a Thunderbirds pilot (The U.S. Airforce's aerobatic team) who had taken a ride with the Blue Angels and said they get WAY closer to each other than the Thunderbirds do. And the Blue Angels don't wear pressure suits so those pilots are taking all the G forces without any assistance from a G suit.
I saw the blue Angels in Texas two years ago flying over parts of city Austin. I was on a small hill bluff and they banked towards the bluff at about 1000 ft elevation maybe 1/4 mile from me….Awesome!
Sad that the Thunderbirds fly further apart in the diamond formation than the Blue Angels do. I grew up as an Air Force kid and I would watch the Thunderbirds perform at almost every airshow I went to growing up. I never did get a chance to watch the Blue Angels perform though. The only chance I had was in 1992 when they were going to perform at Luke Air Force Base where my dad was stationed at the time, but my mother had to go to the hospital the day they were supposed to perform so we never made it there. I also served in the Air Force when I got old enough and when I would see the Thunderbirds perform at the airshows of the bases I was stationed at I noticed they did seem to fly a little further apart than before. When I asked about why that was, I was told the Thunderbirds had been given certain restrictions due to two aircraft clipping wings during one of their performances.
I've seen the Blue Angels several times, and the Thunderbirds once. The Blue Angels are the more impressive acrobatics team, and probably the most entertaining military team on the planet. I would argue their planes are designed for more precise maneuvers as well - the F-18 needs to be nimble and precisely adjustable to land on a rocking airstrip. The F-16 doesn't need that precision. That said, the air force also has some pretty impressive soloists on their better platforms. if you're in Pensacola, the local civilian soloists are more exciting for me than the Blue Angels. Chip Stewart typically does a stunt each year in a biplane where he cuts through a ribbon held a few feet above a peir at the peak of an inverted barrel roll with his wing, as well as stalling himself dozens of times with negative Gs.
Saw them buzzing the needle from i5 last year while we were there. It was nice to see something familiar as we are from FL and see them 2 times a year there
I lived in Colorado Springs for a couple of years where the Air Force Thunderbirds call home. Several times the Blue Angels came to practice there. Really cool to see both teams doing their stuff from your backyard.
There is no more famous team than the Blue Angels....there is no more famous international Air team than the Blue Angels...anyone who's been to a European airshow....has seen the Blue Angels......?......?...I dont understand how you drive around d the country 2 years and don't see something...?...!
Came here to say this! And contrary to popular belief, Seattle is sunny a fair amount, especially in the summer. Source: Lived in the greater Seattle area my whole life.
@@potatoesandgravy7021 Yeah, I don't think Seattle is even in the top 10 of cities with the most precipitation. It is cloudy often though and drizzles a lot. I wanna move there to be honest. But Long Island to Seattle is a huge move that scares me, especially since the cost of living is about the same. As in....expensive as hell.
Top Gun Maverick actually had to hire a Blue Angels pilot to do the extremely low and fast scenes because it had to be done that way and no other Naval pilot could do it.
When I was in the US Navy (1974-1980) stationed on a ship homeported in Norfolk, VA. I got to see The Blue Angels perform in an airshow at Naval Air Station Oceana. The fun part was other Navy and Marine pilots also performing in a variety of other aircraft who were every bit as good as The Blue Angels.
My American Government teacher, in high school, had a son that was stationed on a ship in Norfolk. On a class trip to Williamsburg, VA(1979)we were able to stop in Norfolk and tour his ship. We were originally going to tour a submarine but for some reason we were unable to.
The point in the Video at 7:10, Where you asked for a location... That is looking north over Mercer Island in the middle of Lake Washington in the State of Washington just east of Seattle. The Double Floating Bridge is Interstate 90, the other Floating Bridge to the North is State Route WA 520. The Event they are flying is called "SeaFair" the first weekend of August and this is the Half-Time Show of the Hydroplane Races. All the Boats they are flying over are spectators (big parties on the boats too) of both the Race and the Blue Angels.
The unlimited hydroplane drivers are insane lol. Watching them hit speeds of 200+mph on the water, like seeing the Blue Angels is something I will never forget. I live on the other side of Puget Sound and have been to Seafair a few times but its been a long time since I have. I was one of the lucky ones who had relatives living in Seattle with a boat we could watch it from.
This is why America's interstate system is wild. I grew up about 15 minutes north of I-90, but I was in upstate NY. I regularly used I-90 to get to Boston and in college, Syracuse. Yet I can hop on that road and stay on that road all the way through Seattle.
@@liamengram6326 The Seattle end of I90 will drop you right between TMobile Park (Mariners) and Lumen Field (Sounders/Seahawks). Hop on 90 and catch a game in Seattle.
I'm from Annapolis, Maryland, home of the United States Naval Academy. I've been watching the Blue Angels perform for USNA graduation every year since I was born and it never gets old!
The main person talking in the four ship section is the Boss, Number 4 talks the other pilot that will speak in the four ship section will give a couple of calls in a lower tone of voice; the closest that they get is 18 inches of separation. The two ship section (Opposing Solos) talk to each other with the Lead Opposing Solo (Number 5) making calls on the maneuvers & breaks & doing most of the talking as well. When the Solos join up with the four ship section they both go quiet & the Boss continues to do the vast majority of the talking over the radio.
Never apologize for your kids wanting to be with you, anyone that complains more than likely doesn't have children nor do they deserve them. It takes a special kind of a person to be a parent, you did just fine.
9:33. Imagine being an enemy pilot and going to check out ONE return on your radar and you just walked up on four Navy/Marine Corps F/A 18s. Dude ends up in hell or something and gets asked "What happened?" "Someone sent the Blue Angels to war."
When i went to tech school in the AF my school was on Pensacola where the blue angles lived. I got to see them practice around 9 am every morning. Best alarm clocks ever lol. The humble misawa f16 demo team is also fun to watch. He does the stall crawl
I live in Chicago and every year in August we have what's called the Air and Water Show over Lake Michigan. The lineup of demonstrations can change; for example, last year, part of the roster included the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Demo Team, U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III Demo Team, and U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard A-10 Thunderbolt II. I think the Blue Angels are scheduled for this year. The Lake isn't far from the downtown area, so depending on where you work downtown, and what floor you're on, you'll see (and definitely hear) them on Friday, practicing for the Saturday/Sunday show. I live on the north side of the City and can hear and sometimes see them flying as they loop back to the lakefront.
I worked for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing St. Louis for years. Was always a treat to see the Blue Angels come in for maintenance, upgrades, oil change, who knows what. (I worked on missiles and radars.) I'd park on the back road to work and watch them come in. Way cool.
My daughters and I watched the Blue Angels perform last summer in Corpus Christi, TX and it was an absolute perfect treat to see them perform. Hope to see them again this year.
The guy in the slot position (bottom of the diamond) is the flight lead. He's constantly checking everyone's spacing, and giving direction as needed on coms. Also @5:14 you'll notice they aren't wearing G- suits Blue Angel pilots say that they couldn't fly as tightly as the do with them. They're not in the Super Hornet in this video, you can tell by the intakes. The Super Hornet has the large rectangular intakes, while the original Hornet has the rounded ones.
Growing up in Texas my dad always took my brother and me to go see the Blue Angels. I’ve been fascinated by them as long as I can remember! They’ve even flown directly over my house while practicing for an airshow they hold every couple years nearby. Love going to the yard to watch. I love watching these cockpit views of them!
They are active duty...something else amazing, in their briefs they all sit around a table and go over the whole show with their eyes closed and just off sound and talking to each other.
I used to be a TIG Welder who built some of the ignition system components that went into these and most other planes and even craft that went into space like the Space Station before it was ended. Supplying to all the huge Aerospace industry names. General Electric, Pratt Whitney, Rolls Royce, Boeing......This incredible team flew to our company in Rockford, Illinois. USA. To our nearby airport. Some of our people were chosen in a lottery to have a flight with them. They did stunts over our building and basically thrilled all of Rockford when they came for us. It was an amazing and fun time. Seeing them perform and meeting these great men. (no women on the team at that time. IDK if there is now) Great memories! Excellent video and reaction! Thanks. LOVE your kid.
Growing up I had friends who's father (David Gardner and his friend Paul Marlow) had made a Blue Angels movie called "Threshold The Blue Angels Experience" back in the 70's. I had the honor of seeing this movie often times when they would show it at their home to guests with David telling stories of how they were able to get certain shots and flying in the F-4's. Also happened to be at the house when Paul's son sat with David for an interview about the filming of the movie and that short clip is called "Behind the Scenes of Threshold The Blue Angels Experience." Both of them are available here on youtube. Threshold is around 2 hours of the Blue Angels flying the F-4 Phantoms I believe it was all short at a San Diego air show. The film you were watching was filmed in Seattle for the Seafair weekend where the Hydroplanes raced on Lake Washington.
A few Blue Angel pilots have died. Most recently Blue Angel #6, Captan Jeff Kuss. The incident happened at a practice session for an air show about 5 or 6 years ago in Smyrna Tennessee. We had seen them perform in Knoxville Tennessee just two weeks earlier. It hit me pretty hard.
It’s a very very beautiful thing they did for him in my opinion it’s literally a super hornet just chillin and it looks like it’s flying cause of whatever they have it sitting on pretty cool
Those aren't the FA-18 Super Hornet, it's FA-18 Hornet. They might look the same but they're actually completely different jets. The Super Hornet is bigger in every dimension, heavier, with a more powerful engines. It's fuselage is 4ft longer and wing span is 4ft wider with a larger leading edge with more hardpoints. You can tell the difference with the air intakes, the Super Hornets has large rectangular intakes and the Hornets are oval intakes. The Blue Angel said they use the Hornets because they're more acrobatic since they're smaller and lighter. FA-18 are so underrated. They're basically the workhorse of the US military air campaign. They have a long life span and is durable as hell with all those carrier take offs and landings. It's rival would be the MiG 29 Fulcrum, which on paper perform better than the Super Hornet, but we all know the MiG 29's airframe will deteriorate like milk left in the hot sun and the engine needs constant rebuilding after few hundred hours while it leaves a plume of smoke. India has reported damages after each landing, especially to it's electronics. Many have crashed that they withdrew from the Fulcrum deal with Russia. They could've gotten the FA-18 Super Hornet but they didn't want to hurt the feelings of their Russian BFF.
They've been using Super Hornets for the past two or three years. There were practice videos when they first started using them. But yes, the aircraft in this video are the legacy Hornets.
The "BOSS", the pilot flying number one, sets the pace and speaks on the radio. Everone else just listens and watches the jet they are assigned to key off of. The blues have several videos about what it takes to become a Blue Angel, and also shows the pre flight brief where the visualize the flight as tge boss talks it as if it is happening, and then they take you in cockpit to here the routine as it is being performed.
I always go to the air show because my dad was a USAF pilot. In 1981 one of the Thunderbirds (USAF Team) died due to a bird strike at our lakeside airport. Ever since they take off from our municipal airport inland, but the Navy Blue Angels still take off for the lakeside airport, which is the sight of the air show. There are 6 planes, but 4 usually do maneuvers together and two usually break off then "sneak up" from far away and scare the heck out of everyone as they charge back in and do stunts. info from my late father: They like to do things over the water in case something goes wrong, but hate cloudless days, because when they roll they can lose their sense of what is up or down, as the weather and sky are blue. Of course they instrument fly, but they do so many tricks in a row, the more "landmarks" they have the better.
A very good read about pilots is The Right Stuff. Part of the book is famous for detailing the early days of the. US space program and the first 6 missions. But the first astronauts were pilots first. The first half Od the book is about test pilots in the early days of jets and what the planes could do and not do. Very good read on what it was like to pilot a plane knowing that 25% of the test pilots were going to die in a plane crash. Even though the planes and technology is old, the courage of the human spirit is never ancient but part of being a fighter pilot with The Right Stuff
5 USN plus 1 USMC pilots, all active duty from the fleet, flying FA-18 also taken from the fleet. Pilots will return to the fleet once their tour with the Blue Angels is finished. Aircraft are maintained in standard configuration and could be returned to the fleet if needed. The maneuvers performed are again normal standard combat maneuvers with the exception of canopy to canopy upside down flying. USN and USMC pilots are trained to extremely high capability needed to to operate off of carriers in any weather night and day. Carrier ops are the most demanding flying in all of military aviation.
I live in the Bay Area and when Fleet Week comes thru, the Blue Angels fly DIRECTLY over my house in formation. Always get such a great shot of them in motion.
I live in Seattle and I love to see the Blue Angels every year. They will practice their routine for the three days leading up to the main show on Sunday. The show is centered over Lake Washington, but they do low and loud turns over the surrounding neighborhoods. Some people love it, others hate it. The F-18's they fly are the exact same planes used in fleet service, with the addition of a smoke generator and a blue paint job.
I got to see them arrive at Glenview Naval Air Station in the late 70s. I was working in the supply office for VP-90, The Lazy Lions, when an announcement went out. "Now hear this, now hear this, Fat Albert Arriving", Fat Albert is the C-130 support aircraft. About ten minutes later we heard "Now hear this, now hear this, Blue Angels now Arriving". The entire squadron turned out for the arrival call.
Never get tired of the Blues!! My husband flew the same jets ( F-18 Hornet) for 20 years. It was my privilege to be a Navy wife and part of the community. Thank you to all those who serve and their families.
One of the main reason we have teams like this is to inspire the next generation to join the military and pursue their dreams...so one of the things they look for in a candidate is a great social personality, because the go sign autographs and talk with fans after the show...especislly the young kids.
I absolutely enjoy watching you react, but just like my spouse... it seems like you look away every time the best shots happen! Drives me nuts and makes me shout at the screen..."look up! Look up!" Like you can hear me. 😂😂😂
The Blue Angels home base is in Pensacola Florida where there's a viewing area were visitors can watch the team practice. The team visits the National Naval Museum at the base, on Wednesdays to answer questions from visitors and sign autographs. Those views where the coastal area of the panhandle of Florida.
The views at the beginning were from Florida. Later on, when he asked where they were, they were flying over Lake Washington in Seattle for their SeaFair show. There is a big air show for SeaFair every year, and the Blue Angels always do their show as the highlight of that. The hydrofoil races are also a big part of SeaFair.
My co-workers and I used to take a lunch to Coit Tower, in San Francisco, and watch the Blue Angels practice the day before Fleet Week. It was so much fun!
You’ve got to watch a non POV video of them. These are F-18 legacy hornets. They switched to the larger and more powerful F-18 SuperHornets a few years back.
Plan a trip down to Pensacola after looking up their schedule. From Spring through Veterans day they practise twice a week. One day a week you can watch them from the flightline and Navy's Museum. Note this was shot at Pensacola, this is a practise session.
There’s a documentary about the blue Angels, and it shows how they practice this run in El Centro California. Every winter they design the move, and the captain of the squad counts is counting every second as they’re flying, and every move is time to that.
Is that the 4 part documentary? if so... it was AMAZING. Really shows what goes into this kind of flying. I saw them at "Flight Over the Falls" in Great Falls, Montana. ( drove from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to see them ) was EPIC :)
Other services have a flight drill teams and THEY ARE ALL FANTASTIC...But the Blue Angels are the best of the best. After 22 years in the Navy and seeing them multiple times, I am convinced they are the best pilots in the world and right now, I live only 50 miles from them, in retirement. Lucky Me!!!!!
When I was a kid living in Milwaukke Wi. In the 60s the Blue Angels used to practice over Lake Michigan. They were flying F-4 Phantoms and the most impressive maneuver for me was when they flew line abreast just feet above the water kicking up a rooster tail hundreds of feet high. They were absolutely silent until about 45° past you and the sonic boom would hit and then all you could hear was the roar from the afterburners. They would then pull up into the spreading flower formation. The F-4s weren't the most maneuverable so it was mostly a power show much like the F-18s today. When they were flying the A-4 Skyhawk (Scooter) the maneuvers were incredible.
Their comms are pretty quiet during performances. The flight boss (in the #1 plane) directs the show and when he gives commands on manuvers, even the speed of how quickle he says the manuver dictates how quickly they preform the maneuver. They have 3 different main shows depending on weather conditions. Their flying is so percise that they can maintain an average of 18 inches (457.2 mm) apart wingtip to wingtip.
fun watching this, video taken during Seafair in Seattle, over the hydro race course and the I-90 floating bridge connecting Seattle and Mercer Island. And to answer your question, only the leader is talking, setting the cadence . Leader (called #1) looks ahead, everyone else focuses on the other aircraft so they can maintain position.
They come to Long Island every 4th of July weekend. I live right near the airfield so I hear them coming pre-game every year. You hear them long before you see them. It’s so loud but it gives you a feeling of patriotism just hearing them arrive in the area.
Got to see the Blue Angels perform at Willow Run Airport in Michigan almost 20 years ago. It was an amazing experience especially watching them take off on a shorter runway
Was sitting on my porch several years ago, in a perfect diamond formation not more than 500 feet they shot straight up in the sky in front of me. Another time I was in a parking lot at the mall and one of them made a practice strafing run. He was so low I could see his head. I saluted him and he tipped his wing returning my salute.
I've seen the Blue Angels a number of times, including once at the US Naval Academy during graduation weekend. Truly talented and amazing. You asked about aviation related books. There's an author who writes primarily military and spy fiction novels. His name is Stephen Coonts. He was a Navy pilot during Vietnam, flying A-6 Intruders from the deck of the USS Enterprise. While he's written numerous fictional novels, he's only written a handful of non-fiction. One of his non-fiction books is The Cannibal Queen, about a summer he spent flying an old Stearman bi-plane around America. In the early 90s Coonts and his teenage son got a bird's eye view of the U.S. from a few thousand feet in an open cockpit. No spies or military secrets, but a fun read.
There 7 planes, 6 in the shows. Number 7 is a backup and its a two seater for giving rides to vips. 1-4 fly the formation routine, 5-6 are the opposing solos (basically play high speed chicken). The most incredible thing is not the acrobatics, its lining up the acrobatic with exact spots on the ground for the show. 5 and 6 meet head on at about 400 mph miss each other by a few feet and do that precisely over the stands. Credit to 2 and 3 they do the whole routine looking over their shoulder.
7 is also a chase plane used for filming. And don't forget Fat Albert. The C-130 that transports spare parts and the ground crews. Watching all 8 buzz Pensacola Beach on the way home from an Air Show is a sight to behold, though when they do that 7 is usually split off filming it. :)
@@BetterThanLifeProd only seven travel. You likely won't see the others unless you see them in Pensacola. And even then, they may not be in an area that's very visible to the crowds.
They are active military members. They travel around the U.S. to highlight their skills at air shows. I saw them for the first time in the 1980s. They're incredible.
This was during Sea Fair; an event held every year in Seattle Lake Washington right in my backyard. They flew over the floating bridge that connects Seattle to Mercer Island, then Bellevue. They are seriously loud when they fly over my house. I heard them for hours for an entire week.
The Blue Angels were founded by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in 1946 and have been a part of U.S. Navy/Marine Corp aviation ever since. The 4 plane diamond formation at times is only 18 inches apart, wing tip to canopy. The only pilot watching where they are going is the commander in the number 1 plane, up front. The left and right wing are watching the leader's wingtip, and the slot, number 4 is following the leader just below his tail. The comander gives a candence much like marching. they all know what maneuver is next. But the leader will say something like "reeaady, hit it" and they all move through the maneuver at once. Over the teams 77 year history 26 pilots and 1 crew member have died in crashes. Starting in the 2022 airshow season, the left wing number 3 aircraft is being flown by the first female naval pilot to join the Blue Angels 4 plane diamond formation. Her name is Lieutenant Amanda Lee ruclips.net/video/m_dXZPeplnw/видео.html
I love that you left the interception in! My cousin was a Blue Angel in the 1960's . Whenever he was in town he took my oldest sister out to meet his friends! 😻😻.
The Blue Angels are amazing to watch from the ground. I haven't made it home to San Francisco for several years so they're one of the things I really miss: the Blue Angels, street buskers, and bright colored Victorian homes.
I lived in Annapolis when I was a kid (1970 to 1979). They would come every year i think at Labor Day. We watched them from my best friends mothers elementary school roof just across the bridge into Eastport. In later years we went out to the Severn River as I had a friend who's grandparents owned property on the river. They used to fly under the Severn River bridge but at some point that was considered too dangerous and they stopped. Awesome show to see!!
*Best Seat in the World* I was a female avionics tech during Vietnam era (the only one in my squadron for my 4 year enlistment) One day I was working on the line the farthest plane at the end of the runway. Early morning, all alone sitting high up in a cockpit and all of a sudden WHOOSH! Right above me, the Blue Angels! I knew they were coming for a show on the base but as I watched, they weren't just flying in, they were doing stunts! I was all alone with the BEST view in the world! I'll never forget that day, as they landed they were right behind each other and then they parked IN UNISON! Amazing show and I thought my own Blue Angels show! I think sitting up that high at the end of the runway with nothing else around just added to the incredible stunts. I sad part? no camera!
The Blue Angels fly out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. That is likely where this video is (not 100% sure), as they practice over the water to reduce the danger to civilians in case of an accident. They fly as close as 36 inches apart. The #1 pilot, the lead, talks the team through the various maneuvers during shows, and it is a very strict routine. He calls each maneuver in a cadence, controlling when the exhaustively-practiced moves start and end.
The maneuver around the 4:20 mark, the tight diamond, they are only 18 inches apart. Also, there are clips where you can hear the Boss talking them through. These are selected from active fleet pilots. One of them will always be a United States Marine. Also, the support aircraft, a KC-130J named Fat Albert.(painted in its own unique blue white and gold livery) is an all-Marine crew. The aircraft are F/A-18 E models for aircraft 1-6, and F/A-18F (two seat) for 7&8. #7 aircraft belong to the Narrator and Public Affairs officers, both pilots in their own right. These two aircraft can be a stand-in for 1-6 if needed because of maintenance issues. The 8 aircraft have been modified from front-line aircraft for performance, but the unit maintains all of the tools and hardware to convert them back, including the guns, and weapons racks.
Where I live, they take members of the local media uo in the two seater and do a few things in the publicity running ups to the show,, always leaving the reporter green in the face.🤢
They are active duty and everything is timed they have clock watches that they know when to start a roll, dive or bank. The flight commander also is the lead aircraft and runs any communications unless there is an issue. As a former controller and instructor in Pensacola they are amazing to watch.
The video at 8:38 is Seattle. That is the I90 floating bridge below them. (It floats on concrete pontoons) The center point of their show is just south of the bridge.
They’re all active duty. It’s only a few year assignment. I was an air traffic controller in the US Navy and we got to have an air show at our base. Best part is that I was about to transfer to Japan, so I didn’t have to work during the show. My “job” that day was to geek out on the roof of the control tower and take pictures for myself. September of 2011. Naval Air Station Fallon, NV ✌🏼
As a little kid, i absolutely loved the blue angels, to the point i had all the pilots names and ranks memorized. Few years later I was in the Marines, back home at the airshow, and got to fly on Fat albert for a Rocket assisted take off.
I remember going to a Blue Angels show when I was a kid. I used to live in San Diego so the show was at Miramar. Miramar was known as the base where they have the TOPGUN program, just like the movie with Tom Cruise. It's not there anymore but it was back in the late 80s which was when we went to the show. It was awesome watching their maneuvers and stunts. We ended up going to the beach afterwards to cool off because it was hot but it was fun. 😎👍
I was born in a Naval Hospital in San Diego when my dad was in the Navy. I remember going to a few Blue Angel shows and we could see them flying over when they were practicing near our home (Navy Housing).
They practice this so much in order to get so close to each other without worrying about getting too close. Will be some light comms during the show, but mostly they know what to do down to the second and position.
The Blue Angels are who made my nephew at five years old want to become a Navy fighter pilot. His family would go on vacation a couple of times per year from Tennessee to Pensacola to watch them practice. Several of the pilots befriended him and sent him care packages of memorabilia which would have cost a lot of money if bought. How very kind. That little boy went into the Navy after college, graduated from OCS and trained to be a fighter pilot. He became interested in both jets and helicopters and was qualified for both and was given his choice. He chose helicopters. He is truly the epitome of an officer and a gentleman. I wonder if they know what impression they have on kids.
Excellent. Appreciate your reactions. I'm fortunate because I live 5 miles from Oceana Master Jet Base, and I've witnessed dozens of airshows featuring the Blue Angels. The saying around here is, "Jet noise is the sound of freedom." An excellent book on pilots is "Top Gun: An American Story" by Dan Pederson, founder of the Top Gun program. Cheers!
Never heard of the Blue Angles... they've been doing for decades and doing it better then any team in the world ! I've seen them many times and they were spectacular every time !
Home Based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. the Blues closest formation is 18 inches wing-tip to wing-tip!! Sadly a few fatalities have happened with the team over the years. Some were during practice runs. In my humble opinion, the are the Best of the Best Globally!! Oh, and all of the Pilots are a mix of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines.
Blue angels train and are stationed in Pensacola. When the lead pilot Flys straight up and the others continue on in a straight line is called the "missing man formation".
6 fly in the show, most of the time 4 are doing the formation flying, and two solo pilots fly other maneuvers stage center while the formation regroups for their next pass. The 6 do fly together for only a few formations. Their is also a 7th jet flown by the announcer to and from the show, and #7 is also the one that takes media and other VIP's on flughts prior to the show.
In terms of communication, I believe that for the larger formation (there are two who may join, but also do their own demonstrations, like the head-to-head pass over the runway), it is pretty much only the flight leader who speaks on comms. But it is well rehearsed, but if you listen to audio of the shows, it is something like "going into left tuuuuuuuuuuurrrrnnnn" where they state the next maneuver (I remember a doc where they "rehearsed" around a conference table as the lead read out all his commands and they visualized it)... but it is "on the 't' we start the turn, and he draws out the word through the whole thing".
If you dig sci-fi space combat, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. Granted, the battles are few and far between (usually only one to three per book), but the development of characters and the story makes them very enjoyable. It's also one of the few times that I was actually scared for the characters, because they are definitely NOT immortal lol.
They perform practic from late March to early November ember at NAS PENSACOLA on Tuesday and Wednesday, and most of the Wednesday shows they have an autograph session in the National Naval Aviation Museum at the PENSACOULA base.
Retired Air Force here. These pilots are the elite of the elite.
My father was one of the first to break the speed of sound in the 50's in an F-100 Super Saber. Go USAF!
@@PS_testing321... Wow I never did anything that cool. I do remember that plane though.
@@michaeltipton5500 They all crashed! Thank goodness never with my father in one!
In flightsims I have the impression that flying close formation is difficult. But cutting the distance into half feels like it gets 10 times more difficult, which would make flying formation with
These are active combat Navy pilots. The team changes some members every year. The oversimplified way they operate is the lead pilot (big Number 1 on his tail) gives commands in a very sing-song manner to maintain a rhythm. The have a routine, so they each know what they will do next, but the lead pilot flies the routine and the other pilots maintain an exact position in relation to the lead aircraft. In these extreme closeup videos you can see the little movements in formation, but from the ground they look so smooth its crazy. Even the way they takeoff is awesome, walk to the plane in formation, and take off together, with the #4 sliding into position a few meters off the ground. Incredible to watch
Correction every 4 year. My Nephew was in the Blue Angeles.
Yup, we had a former Blue Angels pilot in the Air Wing that was attached to the carrier I was on..got to see him practicing some stuff for a show for our Family Day Cruise..he was doing things I didn't know those jets could do.
Slight correction: the Blue Angels do not stick their most experienced pilot as the lead. Instead, they stick their equivalent of "the rookie" as the lead. Why? Because they are new, they are not yet attuned to the minutiae of the other pilots, so rather than having them worry about maintaining their position elsewhere in the formation throughout the routine as they also remember the routine, by flying lead, they only have to worry about the routine itself, and the veterans can handle maintaining the extremely close formations they do.
So in these formations, the leader is actually more likely to fly #4, which allows them to see everything the others are doing and call out any issues building. As an example of this, there was one story from a Blue Angel pilot talking about his start with the team. On his first flight with them, he was in the #1 position, and during the flight, he felt an itch on his nose, and he gave it a very quick scratch. Immediately after he did that, the flight leader called out to him, saying, "Do not scratch your nose. Focus only on flying."
The Blue Angels are the US Navy's flight demonstration team based out of Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola is my hometown. They have long flown the FA-18 A/B/C/D models but have recently switched to the FA-18 E/F super hornets. I go to their homecoming show every year. They are absolutely amazing to watch. They do their routines with 6 aircraft. However, for much of their show, two split off and do maneuvers together while the other four do maneuvers together. They then join up and do more together with all six aircraft. I could go on and on. If you get a chance to, go see them.
Just at that base, it has an amazing museum there.
@@robman6583 yes, it is a very nice museum. I'm not sure if it's reopened to civilians completely yet. There was an incident on base a few years back and since then, they haven't allowed civilians more than a few days out of the year. I'm not sure if that has changed but, if you're in Pensacola, and are able to go and get on base, go. It's really cool.
Yes the museum, lighthouse, and forts are completely open.....must have realID for base though
They are amazing!
Best museum I've been to. Do they have the sb2u vindiccator on display yet they were working on it the last time I was there.
Here in Jacksonville FL many years ago, the Blue Angels were here at NAS JAX.
A day or so before...we were outside, we lived by the base and in our field.. they flew over.
We waved to them....like maniacs....I stood and I saluted one of the pilots.....he circled back around....was just up over our tree line..and SO close....he saluted me back! I cried.
I'm not military, though my family members are retired military and ...DoD.
A LOT of respect for the pilots. Simply amazing to see.
We now have Amana Lee... A female pilot joined in 2022! You GO girl!
Don't ever apologize for the little man saying hi. Great stuff.
The pilots of the Blue Angels are active-duty Naval and Marine combat aviators (the USMC is part of the Department of the Navy). They have a long history as a flight demonstration squadron, generating enthusiasm for military aviation. The Blue Angels have flown a variety of different jets, with the logical requirement that the aircraft have to be usable on aircraft carriers, since they generate enthusiasm for Naval Aviation.
The abilities of the jets help shape the types of maneuvers used in their shows. For example, when they used the A-4 Skyraider, they flew a lot of very close-formation precision maneuvers, where the wings were routinely coming as close as 20cm (8 inches) to the wings of their squadron-mates. When they were using the F-4 Phantom, there were more prominent vertical power-climb maneuvers.
Not just a long history, the Blue Angels were the first such team.
@@ImpendingJokerFirst American team. Patroulle de France was formed in 1931. Angels in 1946 and Thunderbirds in 1953.
I have a Marine buddy who likes to say, "yes, the USMC is a department of the Navy; the men's department". ;)
@@bookman7409Navy tells the marines if it weren't for us you would always be late to the party.
yeap and then the British Red Arrows in 1964@@saplingthrasher23
There was a Thunderbirds pilot (The U.S. Airforce's aerobatic team) who had taken a ride with the Blue Angels and said they get WAY closer to each other than the Thunderbirds do. And the Blue Angels don't wear pressure suits so those pilots are taking all the G forces without any assistance from a G suit.
18 inches wingtip to canopy
I saw the blue Angels in Texas two years ago flying over parts of city Austin. I was on a small hill bluff and they banked towards the bluff at about 1000 ft elevation maybe 1/4 mile from me….Awesome!
This is true. Blue angels flew over houses more too. I’ve seen both and Blue Angels are way better. Very competitive.
Sad that the Thunderbirds fly further apart in the diamond formation than the Blue Angels do. I grew up as an Air Force kid and I would watch the Thunderbirds perform at almost every airshow I went to growing up. I never did get a chance to watch the Blue Angels perform though. The only chance I had was in 1992 when they were going to perform at Luke Air Force Base where my dad was stationed at the time, but my mother had to go to the hospital the day they were supposed to perform so we never made it there. I also served in the Air Force when I got old enough and when I would see the Thunderbirds perform at the airshows of the bases I was stationed at I noticed they did seem to fly a little further apart than before. When I asked about why that was, I was told the Thunderbirds had been given certain restrictions due to two aircraft clipping wings during one of their performances.
I've seen the Blue Angels several times, and the Thunderbirds once. The Blue Angels are the more impressive acrobatics team, and probably the most entertaining military team on the planet. I would argue their planes are designed for more precise maneuvers as well - the F-18 needs to be nimble and precisely adjustable to land on a rocking airstrip. The F-16 doesn't need that precision. That said, the air force also has some pretty impressive soloists on their better platforms. if you're in Pensacola, the local civilian soloists are more exciting for me than the Blue Angels. Chip Stewart typically does a stunt each year in a biplane where he cuts through a ribbon held a few feet above a peir at the peak of an inverted barrel roll with his wing, as well as stalling himself dozens of times with negative Gs.
The Blue Angels are in Seattle for Seafair every summer. Those views with the water and double bridge was over Lake Washington by Seattle
Saw them buzzing the needle from i5 last year while we were there. It was nice to see something familiar as we are from FL and see them 2 times a year there
I lived in Colorado Springs for a couple of years where the Air Force Thunderbirds call home. Several times the Blue Angels came to practice there. Really cool to see both teams doing their stuff from your backyard.
The #4 plane is piloted by the first woman Blue Angel fighter pilot. Amazingly proud of this fact!
You lived in the US how long and haven't heard of the blue angels?
They are active duty, selected from the fleet. They also don't wear G suits.
What most people don’t know is that they are not only navy pilots they are marine Corps pilots as well
There is no more famous team than the Blue Angels....there is no more famous international Air team than the Blue Angels...anyone who's been to a European airshow....has seen the Blue Angels......?......?...I dont understand how you drive around d the country 2 years and don't see something...?...!
@@Cody38SuperI don't know, the Red Arrows are very well known, if they aren't as well known as the Blue Angels, they're a very close second.
Let’s not forget the Air Force has the Thunder Birds
Calm down bruh 😂
Watching the Blue Angels is so incredible. They come to my area and I love to see them fly.
That's in Seattle Washington, it's for our Seafair celebration.
Seattle is gorgeous on the rare occasion that it's sunny.
Came here to say this! And contrary to popular belief, Seattle is sunny a fair amount, especially in the summer. Source: Lived in the greater Seattle area my whole life.
@@potatoesandgravy7021 Yeah, I don't think Seattle is even in the top 10 of cities with the most precipitation. It is cloudy often though and drizzles a lot.
I wanna move there to be honest. But Long Island to Seattle is a huge move that scares me, especially since the cost of living is about the same. As in....expensive as hell.
@@willvr4 Yeah, it definitely aint cheap here lol. But lots of jobs also paying higher than average wages too, depending on the field.
Top Gun Maverick actually had to hire a Blue Angels pilot to do the extremely low and fast scenes because it had to be done that way and no other Naval pilot could do it.
When I was in the US Navy (1974-1980) stationed on a ship homeported in Norfolk, VA. I got to see The Blue Angels perform in an airshow at Naval Air Station Oceana. The fun part was other Navy and Marine pilots also performing in a variety of other aircraft who were every bit as good as The Blue Angels.
My American Government teacher, in high school, had a son that was stationed on a ship in Norfolk. On a class trip to Williamsburg, VA(1979)we were able to stop in Norfolk and tour his ship. We were originally going to tour a submarine but for some reason we were unable to.
The point in the Video at 7:10, Where you asked for a location... That is looking north over Mercer Island in the middle of Lake Washington in the State of Washington just east of Seattle. The Double Floating Bridge is Interstate 90, the other Floating Bridge to the North is State Route WA 520. The Event they are flying is called "SeaFair" the first weekend of August and this is the Half-Time Show of the Hydroplane Races. All the Boats they are flying over are spectators (big parties on the boats too) of both the Race and the Blue Angels.
The unlimited hydroplane drivers are insane lol. Watching them hit speeds of 200+mph on the water, like seeing the Blue Angels is something I will never forget. I live on the other side of Puget Sound and have been to Seafair a few times but its been a long time since I have. I was one of the lucky ones who had relatives living in Seattle with a boat we could watch it from.
This is why America's interstate system is wild. I grew up about 15 minutes north of I-90, but I was in upstate NY. I regularly used I-90 to get to Boston and in college, Syracuse. Yet I can hop on that road and stay on that road all the way through Seattle.
@@liamengram6326
The Seattle end of I90 will drop you right between TMobile Park (Mariners) and Lumen Field (Sounders/Seahawks). Hop on 90 and catch a game in Seattle.
I have seen the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds when I was little. Best thing ever!
I'm from Annapolis, Maryland, home of the United States Naval Academy. I've been watching the Blue Angels perform for USNA graduation every year since I was born and it never gets old!
The Blue Angels "Fat Albert" is also fun to watch.
JATO!!!
That's the C-130 correct?
@@jonathanfalkenberg6457 Yep the short takoff and landing specialist.
Yeah they had that at Willow Run in Michigan when I got to see them
Fat Albert was retired in 2019, if I'm not mistaken. I've seen the Blue Angels in airshows several times.
The main person talking in the four ship section is the Boss, Number 4 talks the other pilot that will speak in the four ship section will give a couple of calls in a lower tone of voice; the closest that they get is 18 inches of separation. The two ship section (Opposing Solos) talk to each other with the Lead Opposing Solo (Number 5) making calls on the maneuvers & breaks & doing most of the talking as well. When the Solos join up with the four ship section they both go quiet & the Boss continues to do the vast majority of the talking over the radio.
Never apologize for your kids wanting to be with you, anyone that complains more than likely doesn't have children nor do they deserve them. It takes a special kind of a person to be a parent, you did just fine.
Love the Blue Angels! They always perform in Seattle at Seafair❤️❤️❤️
9:33. Imagine being an enemy pilot and going to check out ONE return on your radar and you just walked up on four Navy/Marine Corps F/A 18s. Dude ends up in hell or something and gets asked "What happened?"
"Someone sent the Blue Angels to war."
When i went to tech school in the AF my school was on Pensacola where the blue angles lived. I got to see them practice around 9 am every morning. Best alarm clocks ever lol. The humble misawa f16 demo team is also fun to watch. He does the stall crawl
I live in Chicago and every year in August we have what's called the Air and Water Show over Lake Michigan. The lineup of demonstrations can change; for example, last year, part of the roster included the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Demo Team, U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III Demo Team, and U.S. Air Force/Air National Guard A-10 Thunderbolt II. I think the Blue Angels are scheduled for this year. The Lake isn't far from the downtown area, so depending on where you work downtown, and what floor you're on, you'll see (and definitely hear) them on Friday, practicing for the Saturday/Sunday show. I live on the north side of the City and can hear and sometimes see them flying as they loop back to the lakefront.
I worked for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing St. Louis for years. Was always a treat to see the Blue Angels come in for maintenance, upgrades, oil change, who knows what. (I worked on missiles and radars.) I'd park on the back road to work and watch them come in. Way cool.
My daughters and I watched the Blue Angels perform last summer in Corpus Christi, TX and it was an absolute perfect treat to see them perform. Hope to see them again this year.
The guy in the slot position (bottom of the diamond) is the flight lead. He's constantly checking everyone's spacing, and giving direction as needed on coms. Also @5:14 you'll notice they aren't wearing G- suits Blue Angel pilots say that they couldn't fly as tightly as the do with them. They're not in the Super Hornet in this video, you can tell by the intakes. The Super Hornet has the large rectangular intakes, while the original Hornet has the rounded ones.
Growing up in Texas my dad always took my brother and me to go see the Blue Angels. I’ve been fascinated by them as long as I can remember! They’ve even flown directly over my house while practicing for an airshow they hold every couple years nearby. Love going to the yard to watch. I love watching these cockpit views of them!
They are active duty...something else amazing, in their briefs they all sit around a table and go over the whole show with their eyes closed and just off sound and talking to each other.
I used to be a TIG Welder who built some of the ignition system components that went into these and most other planes and even craft that went into space like the Space Station before it was ended. Supplying to all the huge Aerospace industry names. General Electric, Pratt Whitney, Rolls Royce, Boeing......This incredible team flew to our company in Rockford, Illinois. USA. To our nearby airport. Some of our people were chosen in a lottery to have a flight with them. They did stunts over our building and basically thrilled all of Rockford when they came for us. It was an amazing and fun time. Seeing them perform and meeting these great men. (no women on the team at that time. IDK if there is now) Great memories! Excellent video and reaction! Thanks. LOVE your kid.
Growing up I had friends who's father (David Gardner and his friend Paul Marlow) had made a Blue Angels movie called "Threshold The Blue Angels Experience" back in the 70's. I had the honor of seeing this movie often times when they would show it at their home to guests with David telling stories of how they were able to get certain shots and flying in the F-4's. Also happened to be at the house when Paul's son sat with David for an interview about the filming of the movie and that short clip is called "Behind the Scenes of Threshold The Blue Angels Experience." Both of them are available here on youtube. Threshold is around 2 hours of the Blue Angels flying the F-4 Phantoms I believe it was all short at a San Diego air show.
The film you were watching was filmed in Seattle for the Seafair weekend where the Hydroplanes raced on Lake Washington.
4:05 Those wingtips are 18 inches (45 centimeters) apart and the planes are traveling at 400 miles per hour in this stunt.
A few Blue Angel pilots have died. Most recently Blue Angel #6, Captan Jeff Kuss. The incident happened at a practice session for an air show about 5 or 6 years ago in Smyrna Tennessee. We had seen them perform in Knoxville Tennessee just two weeks earlier. It hit me pretty hard.
I just commented the same thing didnt scroll far enough I live 20 mins away from the memorial they did for him
It’s a very very beautiful thing they did for him in my opinion it’s literally a super hornet just chillin and it looks like it’s flying cause of whatever they have it sitting on pretty cool
Those aren't the FA-18 Super Hornet, it's FA-18 Hornet. They might look the same but they're actually completely different jets. The Super Hornet is bigger in every dimension, heavier, with a more powerful engines. It's fuselage is 4ft longer and wing span is 4ft wider with a larger leading edge with more hardpoints. You can tell the difference with the air intakes, the Super Hornets has large rectangular intakes and the Hornets are oval intakes. The Blue Angel said they use the Hornets because they're more acrobatic since they're smaller and lighter.
FA-18 are so underrated. They're basically the workhorse of the US military air campaign. They have a long life span and is durable as hell with all those carrier take offs and landings. It's rival would be the MiG 29 Fulcrum, which on paper perform better than the Super Hornet, but we all know the MiG 29's airframe will deteriorate like milk left in the hot sun and the engine needs constant rebuilding after few hundred hours while it leaves a plume of smoke. India has reported damages after each landing, especially to it's electronics. Many have crashed that they withdrew from the Fulcrum deal with Russia. They could've gotten the FA-18 Super Hornet but they didn't want to hurt the feelings of their Russian BFF.
They've been using Super Hornets for the past two or three years. There were practice videos when they first started using them. But yes, the aircraft in this video are the legacy Hornets.
Super hornet are now used
The "BOSS", the pilot flying number one, sets the pace and speaks on the radio. Everone else just listens and watches the jet they are assigned to key off of. The blues have several videos about what it takes to become a Blue Angel, and also shows the pre flight brief where the visualize the flight as tge boss talks it as if it is happening, and then they take you in cockpit to here the routine as it is being performed.
I always go to the air show because my dad was a USAF pilot. In 1981 one of the Thunderbirds (USAF Team) died due to a bird strike at our lakeside airport. Ever since they take off from our municipal airport inland, but the Navy Blue Angels still take off for the lakeside airport, which is the sight of the air show. There are 6 planes, but 4 usually do maneuvers together and two usually break off then "sneak up" from far away and scare the heck out of everyone as they charge back in and do stunts. info from my late father: They like to do things over the water in case something goes wrong, but hate cloudless days, because when they roll they can lose their sense of what is up or down, as the weather and sky are blue. Of course they instrument fly, but they do so many tricks in a row, the more "landmarks" they have the better.
A very good read about pilots is The Right Stuff. Part of the book is famous for detailing the early days of the. US space program and the first 6 missions. But the first astronauts were pilots first. The first half Od the book is about test pilots in the early days of jets and what the planes could do and not do. Very good read on what it was like to pilot a plane knowing that 25% of the test pilots were going to die in a plane crash. Even though the planes and technology is old, the courage of the human spirit is never ancient but part of being a fighter pilot with The Right Stuff
5 USN plus 1 USMC pilots, all active duty from the fleet, flying FA-18 also taken from the fleet. Pilots will return to the fleet once their tour with the Blue Angels is finished. Aircraft are maintained in standard configuration and could be returned to the fleet if needed. The maneuvers performed are again normal standard combat maneuvers with the exception of canopy to canopy upside down flying. USN and USMC pilots are trained to extremely high capability needed to to operate off of carriers in any weather night and day. Carrier ops are the most demanding flying in all of military aviation.
I live in the Bay Area and when Fleet Week comes thru, the Blue Angels fly DIRECTLY over my house in formation. Always get such a great shot of them in motion.
I live in Seattle and I love to see the Blue Angels every year. They will practice their routine for the three days leading up to the main show on Sunday. The show is centered over Lake Washington, but they do low and loud turns over the surrounding neighborhoods. Some people love it, others hate it.
The F-18's they fly are the exact same planes used in fleet service, with the addition of a smoke generator and a blue paint job.
They come to my biggest city near me, Cleveland, almost every Labor Day. We live 40 miles away and can still see them. They are the BEST!
I got to see them arrive at Glenview Naval Air Station in the late 70s. I was working in the supply office for VP-90, The Lazy Lions, when an announcement went out. "Now hear this, now hear this, Fat Albert Arriving", Fat Albert is the C-130 support aircraft. About ten minutes later we heard "Now hear this, now hear this, Blue Angels now Arriving". The entire squadron turned out for the arrival call.
Never get tired of the Blues!! My husband flew the same jets ( F-18 Hornet) for 20 years. It was my privilege to be a Navy wife and part of the community. Thank you to all those who serve and their families.
One of the main reason we have teams like this is to inspire the next generation to join the military and pursue their dreams...so one of the things they look for in a candidate is a great social personality, because the go sign autographs and talk with fans after the show...especislly the young kids.
I absolutely enjoy watching you react, but just like my spouse... it seems like you look away every time the best shots happen! Drives me nuts and makes me shout at the screen..."look up! Look up!" Like you can hear me. 😂😂😂
The Blue Angels home base is in Pensacola Florida where there's a viewing area were visitors can watch the team practice. The team visits the National Naval Museum at the base, on Wednesdays to answer questions from visitors and sign autographs. Those views where the coastal area of the panhandle of Florida.
The views at the beginning were from Florida. Later on, when he asked where they were, they were flying over Lake Washington in Seattle for their SeaFair show. There is a big air show for SeaFair every year, and the Blue Angels always do their show as the highlight of that. The hydrofoil races are also a big part of SeaFair.
My co-workers and I used to take a lunch to Coit Tower, in San Francisco, and watch the Blue Angels practice the day before Fleet Week. It was so much fun!
You’ve got to watch a non POV video of them. These are F-18 legacy hornets. They switched to the larger and more powerful F-18 SuperHornets a few years back.
Plan a trip down to Pensacola after looking up their schedule. From Spring through Veterans day they practise twice a week. One day a week you can watch them from the flightline and Navy's Museum.
Note this was shot at Pensacola, this is a practise session.
When I was young, I used to lay in the back yard and watch the Blue Angels practice for the local air show every summer.
63 years old here and the Blue Angels have been doing air shows all my life.
There’s a documentary about the blue Angels, and it shows how they practice this run in El Centro California. Every winter they design the move, and the captain of the squad counts is counting every second as they’re flying, and every move is time to that.
Is that the 4 part documentary? if so... it was AMAZING. Really shows what goes into this kind of flying. I saw them at "Flight Over the Falls" in Great Falls, Montana. ( drove from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to see them ) was EPIC :)
Other services have a flight drill teams and THEY ARE ALL FANTASTIC...But the Blue Angels are the best of the best. After 22 years in the Navy and seeing them multiple times, I am convinced they are the best pilots in the world and right now, I live only 50 miles from them, in retirement. Lucky Me!!!!!
When I was a kid living in Milwaukke Wi. In the 60s the Blue Angels used to practice over Lake Michigan. They were flying F-4 Phantoms and the most impressive maneuver for me was when they flew line abreast just feet above the water kicking up a rooster tail hundreds of feet high. They were absolutely silent until about 45° past you and the sonic boom would hit and then all you could hear was the roar from the afterburners. They would then pull up into the spreading flower formation. The F-4s weren't the most maneuverable so it was mostly a power show much like the F-18s today. When they were flying the A-4 Skyhawk (Scooter) the maneuvers were incredible.
Check out the Thunderbirds too; they're on their 71st year
As a Pensacola native that gets to watch them practice and do two shows a year here, they are amazing.
Their comms are pretty quiet during performances. The flight boss (in the #1 plane) directs the show and when he gives commands on manuvers, even the speed of how quickle he says the manuver dictates how quickly they preform the maneuver. They have 3 different main shows depending on weather conditions.
Their flying is so percise that they can maintain an average of 18 inches (457.2 mm) apart wingtip to wingtip.
Most of this was filmed during Seafair in Seattle.
fun watching this, video taken during Seafair in Seattle, over the hydro race course and the I-90 floating bridge connecting Seattle and Mercer Island. And to answer your question, only the leader is talking, setting the cadence . Leader (called #1) looks ahead, everyone else focuses on the other aircraft so they can maintain position.
They come to Long Island every 4th of July weekend. I live right near the airfield so I hear them coming pre-game every year. You hear them long before you see them. It’s so loud but it gives you a feeling of patriotism just hearing them arrive in the area.
Got to see the Blue Angels perform at Willow Run Airport in Michigan almost 20 years ago. It was an amazing experience especially watching them take off on a shorter runway
Was sitting on my porch several years ago, in a perfect diamond formation not more than 500 feet they shot straight up in the sky in front of me. Another time I was in a parking lot at the mall and one of them made a practice strafing run. He was so low I could see his head. I saluted him and he tipped his wing returning my salute.
I've seen the Blue Angels a number of times, including once at the US Naval Academy during graduation weekend. Truly talented and amazing.
You asked about aviation related books. There's an author who writes primarily military and spy fiction novels. His name is Stephen Coonts. He was a Navy pilot during Vietnam, flying A-6 Intruders from the deck of the USS Enterprise.
While he's written numerous fictional novels, he's only written a handful of non-fiction. One of his non-fiction books is The Cannibal Queen, about a summer he spent flying an old Stearman bi-plane around America.
In the early 90s Coonts and his teenage son got a bird's eye view of the U.S. from a few thousand feet in an open cockpit. No spies or military secrets, but a fun read.
There 7 planes, 6 in the shows. Number 7 is a backup and its a two seater for giving rides to vips. 1-4 fly the formation routine, 5-6 are the opposing solos (basically play high speed chicken). The most incredible thing is not the acrobatics, its lining up the acrobatic with exact spots on the ground for the show. 5 and 6 meet head on at about 400 mph miss each other by a few feet and do that precisely over the stands. Credit to 2 and 3 they do the whole routine looking over their shoulder.
7 is also a chase plane used for filming. And don't forget Fat Albert. The C-130 that transports spare parts and the ground crews. Watching all 8 buzz Pensacola Beach on the way home from an Air Show is a sight to behold, though when they do that 7 is usually split off filming it. :)
They actually have more planes than that. They have a #8 plane as well and potentially more "parts" planes for maintaining the fleet.
@shanepoppe861 I've never seen more than 7 plus Fat Albert in the air at once, though I'm sure there are back ups for the back ups.
@@BetterThanLifeProd only seven travel. You likely won't see the others unless you see them in Pensacola. And even then, they may not be in an area that's very visible to the crowds.
@@BetterThanLifeProd plus, they mainly use 7/8 as either back ups or for media purposes when celebrities or news personnel go for rides.
They are active military members. They travel around the U.S. to highlight their skills at air shows. I saw them for the first time in the 1980s. They're incredible.
This was during Sea Fair; an event held every year in Seattle Lake Washington right in my backyard. They flew over the floating bridge that connects Seattle to Mercer Island, then Bellevue. They are seriously loud when they fly over my house. I heard them for hours for an entire week.
How can you consider them seriously loud compared to a bunch of unlimited hydroplanes? Just asking.....
The Blue Angels were founded by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in 1946 and have been a part of U.S. Navy/Marine Corp aviation ever since. The 4 plane diamond formation at times is only 18 inches apart, wing tip to canopy. The only pilot watching where they are going is the commander in the number 1 plane, up front. The left and right wing are watching the leader's wingtip, and the slot, number 4 is following the leader just below his tail. The comander gives a candence much like marching. they all know what maneuver is next. But the leader will say something like "reeaady, hit it" and they all move through the maneuver at once. Over the teams 77 year history 26 pilots and 1 crew member have died in crashes. Starting in the 2022 airshow season, the left wing number 3 aircraft is being flown by the first female naval pilot to join the Blue Angels 4 plane diamond formation. Her name is Lieutenant Amanda Lee
ruclips.net/video/m_dXZPeplnw/видео.html
Love the Blue Angels. Saw them as a kid, so awesome.
I love that you left the interception in! My cousin was a Blue Angel in the 1960's . Whenever he was in town he took my oldest sister out to meet his friends! 😻😻.
Interruption! Not interception! I hate autocorrect!! 🤦🙄
The Blue Angels are amazing to watch from the ground. I haven't made it home to San Francisco for several years so they're one of the things I really miss: the Blue Angels, street buskers, and bright colored Victorian homes.
Lived just outside of the Navel Base in Pensacola Florida they are very very real. I got to see them practicing every Wednesday morning
I lived in Annapolis when I was a kid (1970 to 1979). They would come every year i think at Labor Day. We watched them from my best friends mothers elementary school roof just across the bridge into Eastport. In later years we went out to the Severn River as I had a friend who's grandparents owned property on the river. They used to fly under the Severn River bridge but at some point that was considered too dangerous and they stopped. Awesome show to see!!
*Best Seat in the World*
I was a female avionics tech during Vietnam era (the only one in my squadron for my 4 year enlistment) One day I was working on the line the farthest plane at the end of the runway. Early morning, all alone sitting high up in a cockpit and all of a sudden WHOOSH! Right above me, the Blue Angels!
I knew they were coming for a show on the base but as I watched, they weren't just flying in, they were doing stunts! I was all alone with the BEST view in the world!
I'll never forget that day, as they landed they were right behind each other and then they parked IN UNISON! Amazing show and I thought my own Blue Angels show! I think sitting up that high at the end of the runway with nothing else around just added to the incredible stunts. I sad part? no camera!
The Blue Angels fly out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. That is likely where this video is (not 100% sure), as they practice over the water to reduce the danger to civilians in case of an accident. They fly as close as 36 inches apart. The #1 pilot, the lead, talks the team through the various maneuvers during shows, and it is a very strict routine. He calls each maneuver in a cadence, controlling when the exhaustively-practiced moves start and end.
This was not Pensacola beach....
And they get as close as 18 inches wingtip to canopy
The maneuver around the 4:20 mark, the tight diamond, they are only 18 inches apart.
Also, there are clips where you can hear the Boss talking them through.
These are selected from active fleet pilots. One of them will always be a United States Marine.
Also, the support aircraft, a KC-130J named Fat Albert.(painted in its own unique blue white and gold livery) is an all-Marine crew.
The aircraft are F/A-18 E models for aircraft 1-6, and F/A-18F (two seat) for 7&8. #7 aircraft belong to the Narrator and Public Affairs officers, both pilots in their own right. These two aircraft can be a stand-in for 1-6 if needed because of maintenance issues.
The 8 aircraft have been modified from front-line aircraft for performance, but the unit maintains all of the tools and hardware to convert them back, including the guns, and weapons racks.
Where I live, they take members of the local media uo in the two seater and do a few things in the publicity running ups to the show,, always leaving the reporter green in the face.🤢
They are active duty and everything is timed they have clock watches that they know when to start a roll, dive or bank. The flight commander also is the lead aircraft and runs any communications unless there is an issue. As a former controller and instructor in Pensacola they are amazing to watch.
Retired USAF PJ - these guys and gals make me proud!
The video at 8:38 is Seattle. That is the I90 floating bridge below them. (It floats on concrete pontoons) The center point of their show is just south of the bridge.
They’re all active duty. It’s only a few year assignment. I was an air traffic controller in the US Navy and we got to have an air show at our base. Best part is that I was about to transfer to Japan, so I didn’t have to work during the show. My “job” that day was to geek out on the roof of the control tower and take pictures for myself. September of 2011. Naval Air Station Fallon, NV ✌🏼
As a little kid, i absolutely loved the blue angels, to the point i had all the pilots names and ranks memorized. Few years later I was in the Marines, back home at the airshow, and got to fly on Fat albert for a Rocket assisted take off.
They were out here in Grand Junction, CO sort of recently. They were flying all around my house. It was awesome.
I remember going to a Blue Angels show when I was a kid. I used to live in San Diego so the show was at Miramar. Miramar was known as the base where they have the TOPGUN program, just like the movie with Tom Cruise. It's not there anymore but it was back in the late 80s which was when we went to the show. It was awesome watching their maneuvers and stunts. We ended up going to the beach afterwards to cool off because it was hot but it was fun. 😎👍
Flying in the Face of Fear. Audio Book
I was born in a Naval Hospital in San Diego when my dad was in the Navy. I remember going to a few Blue Angel shows and we could see them flying over when they were practicing near our home (Navy Housing).
Me too! (SDNH)
They practice this so much in order to get so close to each other without worrying about getting too close. Will be some light comms during the show, but mostly they know what to do down to the second and position.
I got the chance to see them live, was utterly amazing! Will be seeing them again in a few months along with the Thunderbirds.
The Blue Angels are who made my nephew at five years old want to become a Navy fighter pilot. His family would go on vacation a couple of times per year from Tennessee to Pensacola to watch them practice. Several of the pilots befriended him and sent him care packages of memorabilia which would have cost a lot of money if bought. How very kind. That little boy went into the Navy after college, graduated from OCS and trained to be a fighter pilot. He became interested in both jets and helicopters and was qualified for both and was given his choice. He chose helicopters. He is truly the epitome of an officer and a gentleman. I wonder if they know what impression they have on kids.
I’ve taken vacations in the Pensacola area and was lucky enough to see them practicing a few times.
From the late 80’s to 90’s my dad was in the navy he was close friends with some of the pilots of the Navy blue angels
Excellent. Appreciate your reactions. I'm fortunate because I live 5 miles from Oceana Master Jet Base, and I've witnessed dozens of airshows featuring the Blue Angels. The saying around here is, "Jet noise is the sound of freedom." An excellent book on pilots is "Top Gun: An American Story" by Dan Pederson, founder of the Top Gun program. Cheers!
Never heard of the Blue Angles... they've been doing for decades and doing it better then any team in the world ! I've seen them many times and they were spectacular every time !
Home Based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. the Blues closest formation is 18 inches wing-tip to wing-tip!! Sadly a few fatalities have happened with the team over the years. Some were during practice runs. In my humble opinion, the are the Best of the Best Globally!! Oh, and all of the Pilots are a mix of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines.
Blue angels train and are stationed in Pensacola. When the lead pilot Flys straight up and the others continue on in a straight line is called the "missing man formation".
Bro don't EVER apologize for stopping something for your kids, they grow too fast as it is ❤
6 fly in the show, most of the time 4 are doing the formation flying, and two solo pilots fly other maneuvers stage center while the formation regroups for their next pass. The 6 do fly together for only a few formations. Their is also a 7th jet flown by the announcer to and from the show, and #7 is also the one that takes media and other VIP's on flughts prior to the show.
In terms of communication, I believe that for the larger formation (there are two who may join, but also do their own demonstrations, like the head-to-head pass over the runway), it is pretty much only the flight leader who speaks on comms. But it is well rehearsed, but if you listen to audio of the shows, it is something like "going into left tuuuuuuuuuuurrrrnnnn" where they state the next maneuver (I remember a doc where they "rehearsed" around a conference table as the lead read out all his commands and they visualized it)... but it is "on the 't' we start the turn, and he draws out the word through the whole thing".
The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose is a great historical book about a bomber pilot in WW2. Highly recommend
Good book
The Blue Angels fly every year at Seafest in Seattle. Amazing to watch.
If you dig sci-fi space combat, I'd wholeheartedly recommend the Honor Harrington series by David Weber. Granted, the battles are few and far between (usually only one to three per book), but the development of characters and the story makes them very enjoyable. It's also one of the few times that I was actually scared for the characters, because they are definitely NOT immortal lol.
They perform practic from late March to early November ember at NAS PENSACOLA on Tuesday and Wednesday, and most of the Wednesday shows they have an autograph session in the National Naval Aviation Museum at the PENSACOULA base.