[NinoFan]

“Paradoxically enough, people deserving it is still not a license to do it.”

A-fricking-men.

[hoagy62]

IIRC, the last crash with the T-Birds was at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. The cause was failing to reset his altimeter, so he thought he was higher than he really was. He (thankfully) realized his error at the last second and ejected. There’s a spectacular photo somewhere out there of the last .5 second before the crash of the pilot ejecting.

As for the Blues, I try to see them every year they come up to Seafair in Seattle. I took my family up there for a Saturday practice session a couple years ago. One of the solos accidentally broke the sound barrier and created a sonic boom...that was spectacular. The other thing I remember was their final pass over Lake Washington. We were directly under them as they came in over the treetops and houses. I swear they were no more than 100 feet off the ground, and I have never seen something moving that fast, that close. All 7 of them, in a ‘V’ formation...and right over my head.

It is something I'll never forget.

Salute to the fallen aviator.