The Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstation Squadron fly six F/A-18 Hornet
aircraft. The team is based at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the airshow season and spends January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.
During the display, Blue Angels (1-4) perform aerobatic maneuvers while in a tight four-plane Diamond Formation while Blue Angel 5 and Blue Angel 6 perform as opposing solos with cross-overs and mirror formations. At the end of the display all six of the aircraft join in the Delta Formation performing a series of flat passes, turns, loops, and rolls and concluding in the team's signature "fleur-de-lis" closing maneuver.
HISTORY
The Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Team was formed in 1946 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat and shortly after with the Grumman F8F Bearcat.
In 1947 they were performing the now famous 'Diamond Formation'. The Blue Angels first jet aircraft was the Grumman F9F-2 Panther which was used in the late 1940's. In the early 1950's they relocated to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, flying the the F9F-5 Panther. In 1954 they moved to their present home at NAS Pensacola, Florida flying the Grumman F9F-8 Cougar. They flew the Grumman F11F-1 Tiger from 1957 and the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II
in 1969. During 1974 they flew the McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II and reorganized as the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. The Blue Angels started using the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet from November 1986.
In 1992 more than one million people viewed Blue Angel’s performances during a 30-day European deployment to Sweden, Finland, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. This was the first European deployment in 19 years.
The Team's support aircraft was the Lockheed C-121 Super Constellation from 1969 - 1973 untl they started using the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.
The only difference between a standard F/A-18 and a Blue Angel's F/A-18 is that the cannon is replaced by a smoke-oil tank and a spring fitted on the stick which applies pressure for better formation and inverted flying. The Blue Angel's smoke is produced by pumping biodegradable paraffin-based oil directly into the exhaust nozzles where the oil is instantly vapourized into smoke. The smoke enhances the display for the spectators by making them easier to follow and provides a means for the solo pilots to keep sight of each other durring cross-overs and conditions of lowered visibility or haze.
To be able to perform, the Blue Angels must have at least three nautical miles of visibility horizontally from centerpoint, and a minimum cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet. At these minimums, the Blue Angels can perform a limited number of maneuvers in what is called a “flat” show. When the ceiling is at least 3,500 feet and visibility at least three nautical miles a “low” show can be performed, which includes some rolling maneuvers. With a minimum ceiling of 8,000 feet and visibility of three nautical miles, the Blue Angels can perform their “high” show, which includes all maneuvers.
The fastest speed that the Blue Angels fly during a display is about 700 mph (just under Mach 1; Sneak Pass) and the slowest speed is about 120 mph (indicated speed; Section High Alpha), both flown by the solo pilots during the show.
AIRSHOWS 2008
2008 Blue Angels Schedule:
Click here for official 2008 Blue Angels Schedule.
The Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstation Squadron fly six F/A-18 Hornet
aircraft. The team is based at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the airshow season and spends January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.
