Blue Angels practice postponed

The little dude (3-1/2 year old) is asking when we are leaving to go "see the Navy." šŸ¤£

I told him his brother has to get home from college first! He should be here around 1030 or so, and we'll head out at noon.

Debating on actually going closer to downtown and the docks ....... may have to settle for Eastport. But if traffic is a mess, I'll go with my original plan.
 
Sun just popped out. Praying for the ceiling to allow the ā€œhigh showā€ today for all the thousands of folks gathered. Iā€™ll be out on the deck in my chair, feet propped on the railing, awaiting the thunderous roars overhead and glimpses of the Blues.

Stand by for people on US50 to be absolute idiots in their cars and be looking out their windows and not at whatā€™s around them on the road.

To get you in the mood:

And a 2031 home video from a classic waterfront viewing point:
 
Huursoldaat said:
Blue Angel pilots are active duty?
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Yes. Also, their maintenance crews are active duty. Team is based out of Pensacola, FL.

Awhile ago they did a ā€˜Year in the Lifeā€™ documentary on the Blues. Itā€™s pretty good. Although dated, it pretty much still holds true how they select the team and what itā€™s like on the team.
 
Huursoldaat said:
Blue Angel pilots are active duty?
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Subscribe to the Blue Angels YouTube channel. The ā€œYear In The Lifeā€ is on there.

After a tour with the Blue Angels team, military members return to normal career path for their specialty.
 
You've seen the F-18s and Fat Albert but what about the officers on the team? For those with a general interest in the Navy or aviation aspirations, hereā€™s a link with their personal and professional background: https://www.blueangels.navy.mil/team/officers.htm. Note the various commissioning sources, where they attended college, and what they studied. They are a very accomplished group of officers representing the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Hope you enjoyed the show today.
 
Sat next to a USMC general officer during the BA show, who explained that Fat Albert is flown by a Marine because itā€™s a Marine platform, and that at least a couple of the F-18 pilots are Marines. Very cool to learn that.
 
Capt MJ said:
And a 2031 home video from a classic waterfront viewing point:
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Wow, I knew Batt Officers were all powerful, but to be able to look into the future (2031) ? No wonder Midshipmen can't get away with anything !;)
Great video !

WT Door said:
They are a very accomplished group of officers representing the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps
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Selection is very competitiv for both O's and E's. I've read articles about the standards they set for themselves to maintain the public image. It's a tough gig, especially for shore duty --they are on the road alot.

We got to visit the Blue Angels during Protramid in Pensacola ...pretty cool.
 
MidCakePa said:
Sat next to a USMC general officer during the BA show, who explained that Fat Albert is flown by a Marine because itā€™s a Marine platform, and that at least a couple of the F-18 pilots are Marines. Very cool to learn that.
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The entire Fat Albert team from pilots to air crew to maintainers are Marines. Usually 2-3 of the 1-8 will also be Marines. It varies by year.

My best friend spent years on the team. I got to see it up close for a good bit. The schedule for the pilots and other officers is pretty grueling. The maintainers rotate, so they donā€™t travel each week. The schedule is a tad lighter than years before after the crash in TN as they now have off weeksā€¦ although rarely. They do live a rockstar life for sure, but they always have to be ā€˜onā€™ when in public. As an introvert, it sounds terrible! As to the flying it is extremely dangerous, but they have ways to keep it from being monotonous and keep it as safe as possible. They work hard for sure and do a great job representing the Navy and Marine Corps.
 
We had the best spot out at Hospital Point to watch The Blues today. Away from the crowd, cooler full of food and drinks. It was the best low show I have ever seen, and I used to hang out in the parking lot where the pilots park their cars in Pcola.
 
I have seen shows all over the country, and the USNA is still my favorite. Water shows are always the best.

I can still vividly remember sitting on Hospital Point with my best bud as Plebes watching the Blues. Itā€™s crazy to think two kids from different parts of the country sat there and wondered how the next few decades would unfold. Never did the Blues enter our brains. But itā€™s possible! The things we have done since then are mind boggling. But neither of us would trade it. We still get together once a month as we are lucky to live close enough.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
Wow, I knew Batt Officers were all powerful, but to be able to look into the future (2031) ? No wonder Midshipmen can't get away with anything !;)
Great video !


Selection is very competitiv for both O's and E's. I've read articles about the standards they set for themselves to maintain the public image. It's a tough gig, especially for shore duty --they are on the road alot.

We got to visit the Blue Angels during Protramid in Pensacola ...pretty cool.
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Siri. That witch.
 
Was awesome. It's been years since I've seen them. Problem was, we got to our spot in Eastport at around 1330. With the main show not starting until nearly 1425, the little dude had worn out his patience. We had to start walking back to the car before the end of the show. Luckily, we caught glimpses of the finals maneuvers.

And he was asleep in the car before we even got to Forest Dr!

Plebe-to-be loved it though.

I told him as we were walking back to the car that the sound of them is intoxicating to me. :D
 
I grew up in the Bay Area, just a few minutes from the now-defunct Moffett Field NAS. So I saw the Blue Angels numerous times as a kid, when they came for the annual air show. When I mentioned this to a naval captain yesterday, he pointed out that back then they flew different jets ā€” probably the A-4, no doubt significantly different from todayā€™s F-18. To a kid, it was a spectacular show, no matter the aircraft. Fast is fast, loud is loud, wow is wow.
 
We caught the beginning part of the practice on Tuesday. We were touring the museum when we heard the roar and quickly made it outdoors. DS loved seeing them overhead. While he is currently not thinking about aviation he is excited for his Av week during Protramid. I told him to keep an open mind. I hope he gets to backseat in a jet.
 
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