Blue Angel Airshow

Blue Angels Air Show

These pictures are from an air show in 2004 in Pensacola at the Naval Air Station.
All photos copyright Lundy Wilder 2004

Since 1987, the Blue Angels fly F/A-18 A/B model Hornets. Each has two General Electric F404-GE-400 low-bypass turbo fan engines that provide about 32,000 pounds of thrust power for each aircraft. The plane is 56 feet in length with a wingspan of 40 feet. They are more than 15 feet high. The Hornet can reach speeds in excess of Mach 1.7. These six aircraft fly only for peaceful missions and demonstrations and have had their guns removed.	Fat Albert is also a part of the Blue Angels. Fat Albert is a C-130 JATO (Jet Assisted Take Off) Marines transport aircraft. At selected shows, Fat Albert does a flight demonstration with a jet-assisted takeoff, or JATO. Four rocket bottles on each side of the fuselage burn for 11 seconds just after takeoff, providing power equivalent to an extra engine. This allows Fat Albert to climb at an extremely steep angle. Fat Albert is the support vehicle for the Blue Angels aircraft.
A typical airshow in nearby Pensacola begins with various aerobatic airplane demonstrations.
	All sorts of specialty planes show what they can do in the hands of skillful (and brave) pilots.

Then the Blue Angels take off and the BIG FUN begins.

If you go to an air show or Blue Angel practice be sure to take your camera and some sunscreen.
During the later part of November and all of December, the Blue Angels can frequently be seen practicing over West Beach in Gulf Shores.

These planes are flying directly at one another with one of them upside down.

There are usually practices you can go see during the week in summer months plus a couple big air shows locally each year.....see the schedule here.