Posted on 10/08/2007 3:07:59 PM PDT by doug from upland
NOTE: I made a quick trip to the city by the bay, the fortress of freaks, the counter-culture crazies, the whackjobs of the West, the pierced pukes on parade --- San Francisco. It is too bad that a beautiful city has been really screwed up by the degenerates. It was Fleet Week, and to many of the leftist losers, the enemy was in town. And they must have gone ballistic when they heard the sounds of freedom, the Blue Angels, flying low over the city. The sound was wonderful. After the show, we happened to be in front of the right hotel at the right time. Mrs. DFU had the chance to shake hands with several of them. It was a great show, but I was a little disappointed. I so wanted them to strafe city hall.
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The Blue Angels: A Symbol of U.S. Navy Pride --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Felicia (Fee) Benamon Oct 8, 2007
The U.S. Navy's flight exhibition squadron, the Blue Angels, is a rare treat to behold. They are a fine example of the precision, discipline, and sheer guts exhibited by our military. Spectators are able to see the fine skills of the Blue Angels when they fly in to cities and towns across America and in some parts of the world to do air shows. Growing up in the military as a Navy brat, I attended many air shows where the Blue Angels performed. They are inspiring!
The Blue Angels: A Symbol of U.S. Navy Pride
The Blue Angels are representative of the U.S. Navy, but they are a HUGE credit to our military as a whole. They are the best exhibition team in the world...who else could fly 36 inches apart wingtip to wingtip? They exhibit VERY impressive and outrageous (in a good sense) flying skills.
I had the pleasure of talking with one of the pilots who flies with the Blue Angels, LCDR Tom Winkler, USN at a recent air show in my area. LCDR Winkler was down to earth and very eager to discuss with me the background on the Blue Angels and their experiences.
The home base of the Blue Angels is NAS Pensacola, FL at Forrest Sherman field most of the year, but when in training, the Blue Angels fly into El Centro, CA at the Naval Air Facility there.
The Blue Angels have been entertaining audiences since 1946. This year is their 61st year.
The aircraft that the Blue Angels fly is the F/A-18 Alpha Hornet. The impressive fighter jet can shoot to 500 feet in 1 second and can achieve speeds of Mach 1.8, equivalent to 1,320 miles per hour! The Blue Angels have flown the F/A-18 Hornet since 1987, and are currently celebrating "20 years of Blue Hornets." The Hornet is favorable as it offers the pilots the ability to fly "aggressive, graceful and demanding."
In the United States, the Blue Angels "visit between 35-37 cities a year," specifically called "domestic air shows." So they are quite busy. Their schedule starts in the middle of March and runs "8 months straight, all the way to November," said Winkler. In the first few months of the year, the Blue Angels are in training.
I asked LCDR Winkler which countries do the Blue Angels visit abroad. He told me that the team has done shows in Europe and in Canada.
If you are like me, you are wondering how the pilots could keep from vomiting or getting sick in any way when performing such awesome aerobatics. LCDR Winkler remarked, "We stay in pretty good shape. It helps with the dynamics of flying...it helps with g-tolerance."
Winkler mentioned that the pilots' regimen included weight lifting and cardiovascular workouts. And of course, the flight training. To be a part of the Blue Angel team, one must already be a pilot with the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps and have a certain amount of flight hours. LCDR Tom Winkler has been flying for the U.S. Navy for 11 years and with the Blue Angels for 1/2 yrs.
Winkler said that if a pilot is chosen to fly with the Blue Angels, it is a "2 year tour usually" and the team gets 3 new members each year.
So, the pilots are rotated out frequently. "Main thing, it's been a rewarding experience...you meet a lot of folks from all walks of life," Winkler said happily. For any young person or anyone who may be considering a career in aviation, Winkler pressed, "go for it...do well in school...keep your options available."
The world of aviation is broad, as it offers a career choice as well as a way to unwind. Anyone can pursue flying as I have done some flight training when I was in my early 20's. The sky is the limit, or "seize the sky"...my motto. What anti-war protesters (or those who have the audacity to say that the military goes after only the "economically challenged" and minorities) do not get is that the military offers a person the experience and chance of a lifetime to be a huge inspiration to others. It IS service, the best kind of service actually. To be a part of the U.S. fighting forces, the best in the world, is an honor.
So, instead of dissuading young people from joining the military, we should be bringing up military service more often. A military career can help bring out good qualities in a person and helps them see his/her potential.
It was heartening to hear LCDR Winkler say that when the Blue Angels perform at air shows, people tell them that they make them proud to be Americans.
The Blue Angels are inspiring, not only to adults, but they inspire our children to dream...dream of the infinite possibilities they can achieve.
They are not only a symbol of U.S. Navy pride, but American pride. So head out to an air show near you for a rare treat!
Learn more about the Blue Angels flight exhibition squadron:
For more information on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and to see their 2007 Air Show schedule, click below: www.blueangels.navy.mil
Click below to see photos of ground operations and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels in action (note the changing positions of the Plane Captains on the ground): http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/071006
Doug - I watched their practice on Friday from my office window. Meanwhile, libs in my office b*****d and moaned about the waste, the noise, etc. You could almost feel sorry for people who can’t find joy in anything.
And the practice alone was bringing hundreds of people to the north piers and the Wharf. I remember when the Navy had the Angeles pass on Fleet Week - it was a complete bust in the City. That’s why when the moonbat Supervisors shoot off their mouths, they get the smackdown from the business interests. But the looney left LOOOOVES them!
You always are, LOL.
The city still has some patriots. They were out in force cheering them on.
The USS Potomac was Franklin Roosevelt's personal yacht - they use it for sighteeing and dinner cruises, now. ;)
Wow! I’m surprised that San Franciscans didn’t raise an alarm or demand that the US Navy stop this encrouchment on their air space or some such nonsense. BTW, I saw the Blue Angels years ago and I was totally impressed.
I’ve braved the crowds and traffic to go to these in the past but given the surrender-crats attitude towards the military in the Bay Area I decided to boycott them this year. Yeah, I know...big deal. The money I would have spent there won’t be missed but couple that with my e-mail to the city and my spouting off here perhaps in years to come we can make them think about it. Plus, after watching the Thunderbirds at Nellis AFB for two of my four years in the AF I’m a bit prejudiced that the AF is better than the squids anyway!
I saw them when they were flying Voigt F8U Corsairs in Eugene, OR many years ago and fell in love with airplanes
“my four years in the AF I’m a bit prejudiced that the AF is better than the squids anyway!”
I agree, and I went to a big airshow at McClellan when I was living in Sacramento a few years back and they had close in ground support demos with F 16s and A 10s, amazing what better pilots than me can get aircraft to do
You should put a copyright on the top photo.
Awesome photos! Thanks for posting.
Great shots!!!
Grumman F8F Bearcats were their second plane just prior to going jets. The F4U Corsair was a fantastic Aircraft but I don’t think they flew it.
THE SOUND OF FREEDOM!
I’m going to use that one with Alacatraz for my desktop!(If you don’t mind)
Blue Angels bump
Brilliant photography! Are you a professional?
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