[alfa6]

Greetings Freeper Canteeners, It's Friday Flyby Time AND airshow weekend here in Kansas City and your humble poster has been teased the last two days with snippets of the Blue Angels show. Tomorrow I hope to attend the Kansas City Airshow and treat my grandson to his first airshow.

As promised tonites Flyby will by the US Navy's Flight Demonstaration Team, the Blue Angels>

The Blues have the distinction of being the FIRST offically sanctioned military flight demonstration team. On April 24, 1946 Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester Nimitz issued a directive ordering the formation of a flight exhibition team (the first such official venture by any of the Armed Services) to boost Navy morale, demonstrate naval air power, and maintain public interest in naval aviation. As orginally formed there were just three aircraft in the team, F6F Hellcats. After in year in the Hellcats the Blues upgraded to the F8F Bearcat. I also believe that they added a fourth ship at this time as well.

In the late 1940s the Blue Angels got there first jet aircraft the F9F-2 Panther. The team continued on giving demonstration till late in 1950 when they were disbanded owing to a shortage of pilots due to the Korean War. The Flight Demo Team formed the nuclues of VF-191 on the USS Princeton.

The Blue Angels were officially recommissioned on October 25, 1951, and reported to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Here they got the latest version of the Panther the F9F-5 model.

During the winter of 1954 the Blue Angels moved from Corpus Christi, TX to Pensacola, FL. In addition to a new home a new mount was waiting for the Blue Angels, the F9F-8 Cougar. The Blues would use the Cougar for the next several years untill 1957 when they would transition to the F11F Tiger. The Blue Angels would be the F11F Tigers claim to fame for the next 12 years.

Big changes came the way of the Blue Angels in 1969, the faithfull Tigers were retired and the double sonic McDonnell F-4 Phantom became the first non Grumman aircraft to be used by the Blue Angels. As a side note the Phanton was the only aircraft used by both the Blue Angels and the USAF Thunderbirds.

Much like the T-birds the Blue Angels moved to a smaller aircraft in 1974, the mighty Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Also in 1974 the Navy changed the Flight Demo Team to the Flight Demonstartion Squadron. This reorganization permitted the establishment of a commanding officer, a flight leader, added support officers, and further redefined the squadron's mission emphasizing the support of recruiting efforts.

In 1986 the Blue Angels celebrated thier 40th anniversary with the unveilling of thier new mount the F/A-18 Hornet. the Hornets outstanding power and aerodynamics allowed the Blue Angels to perform the "tail sitting" manuever and to do a loop in formation with the landing gear down. These are manuevers that the Thunderbirds do not perform.

Also as an integral part of the Blue Angels show is "Fat Albert" a C-130T that does a max performance take off and if conditions permit uses the JATO bottles as an added thrill. I will profile Mr. Albert next weekend :-)

Well that is it for tonight, hope ya'll didn't mind the shift in the Flyby's Format this evening. We will be back tomorrow nite with pics of the Blue Angels F/A-18 and maybe even some shots from the show. Have a great weekend

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

[Soaring Feather]

Evening alfa!

Nice flyover, thanks.

[Jet Jaguar]

Sweet!

[laurenmarlowe]

Awesome pics alfa, thank you!

And have a great time at the Air Show, very cool!

[Just Lori]

I always love seeing your airplane posts! I can never skunk my hubby on a single one, though. He knows every one of them! I'll get him one of these times. Hmmmphhh! =)

[AZamericonnie]

Awesome flyby Alfa.....I hope you & your grandson have a very special time together at the air show!

[TASMANIANRED]

Zowie...

The Blue Angels are lovely birds.

[MeekMom]

re: 12
Outstanding pics alfa6!
Thanks for sharing them!

[BIGLOOK]

Saw the Blue Angels perform in Michigan last summer......also enjoyed their practice above my brother's house across the lake. You're in for a great show and I'll be looking forward to Saturday's Flyby!

Have fun (and if you're a little late, it's perfectly understandable).

[pandemoniumreigns]

Great show alpha, Thanks...

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, alfa, for the Friday Flyby of the Blue Angels. They are spectacular. ((HUGS)) You and your grandson will have a great time.

[seasoned traditionalist]

The Angels were here last weekend (Virginia Beach, VA) and they were FANTASTIC, and that's saying something from an old fly boy who is somewhat partial and bias toward:

THE THUNDERBIRDS

[luvie]

LOL! You posted so early in the thread that I almost missed you, since I got home late!

Great pictures, as usual. I look forward to the ones tonight, too!

[trillabodilla]

Thanks for the pics of the "Blues"! My family and I love their airshows!

You've never "really" seen them until you've seen them do the "high" show at Pensacola Beach! Awesome!