But geez:
When a precision jet team streaks down the flight line at the Miramar Air Show next October, for the first time ever it won’t be blue and gold.
The Navy’s Blue Angels are skipping Miramar in 2007 for a trip to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, clearing the way for an unusual San Diego appearance by the Air Force Thunderbirds.
Had to happen eventually, I suppose. Consequence of letting the Marines in to what had been Naval Air Station Miramar. Pretty soon the finer sort move out. Still, if they had to skip one site on their west coast swing, I could have offered up a more deserving candidate than Sandy Eggo.
Ah, well. I guess the Thunderbirds do look kind of cute in their little blue flight suits and ascots. If you like that sort of thing.
The ‘birds show is just…so…delicate these days.
I could see how it could be construed as a better fit to Pelosi and crew’s discriminating sensibilities.
Oh yeah baby: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:20061013-2_d-0416-515h.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:F-16_Fighting_Falcons_above_New_York_City%282%29.jpg
OK, Lex, a healthy degree of inter-service rivalry is to be expected, but come on — there’s a reason that the Thunderbirds are part of the United States AIR Force! You Navy chaps are dang good with the airpower, but you’ve got one foot in the water, so to speak.
But I’ll give ya mad props for pointing out Maj Nicole and her babe-a-licious pose!
The problem with the T-Birds is they do everything so high up! Seems like their min ALT is 500 ft or so above the Blues. Their formation stuff is good, but their solos don’t hold a candle to the Blues stuff.
N
Lex,
Years ago, while sitting in on an Air Force briefing, I discovered the major difference between the two branches. The Air Force hands the keys to the pilot and tells him what he can do with the plane. The Navy hands the pilot the keys and tells him to bring it back undamaged.
Respects,
Wasn’t she one of the pilots involved in the formation “collision” during Chicago Air Water show this year?
I was there…
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0905387
I’m just sayin
***hands in pockets, looking down, whistling***
Well, if there’s a midair in your four-ship, you’ve got at least a 50% chance of being a part of it. Hard to say from that shot who got out of position.
I believe you are right Jason. Her bio says she flies the #3 plane on the right side of the diamond formation.
http://www.thunderbirds.acc.af.mil/07OfficerHTMS/3.htm
Look what they wear when their blue flight suits are in the wash.
http://www.thunderbirdsalumni.org/history/gallery/index.html
Looks like something Sammy Hagar would wear.
http://www.mothermetal.com/images/voa.jpg
Shipmates,
Ya know, each and every one of those pilots could use a good meal. From the looks of them they haven’t eaten in quite awhile. Maybe they haven’t had the opportunity to sample some Navy chow….
If they ever had to eject they’d be torn in two by a 60 knot wind.
Course, maybe their flight suits only come in one size…… it’s still a mystery, however, as to where the AF finds helmets large enough for their heads…. whistling as he saunters off….
Shipmates,
Ya know… I KNEW those red uniforms looked familiar. Check it out:
http://www.nascar.com.ru/index.php?categoryid=8&p2_articleid=109
respects,
Well I’ll be damned: A Russian NASCAR website.
Huh.
Cap’n,
It’s a global economy, ya know? And rednecks seem to be a universal species
respects,
Sir:
With all due respect, when Marines move in, you know the “neighborhood” is taking a turn for the better.
“Nevertheless, the Blues add a little extra gloss to an air show, especially in Navy territory like San Diego, Caughlan said. Many watchers give them an edge ?
“Nevertheless, the Blues add a little extra gloss to an air show, especially in Navy territory like San Diego, Caughlan said. Many watchers give them an edge – possibly because, unlike the Thunderbirds, they don’t wear G-suits to prevent them from blacking out in steep turns. It also could be their reputation for successfully landing on the pitching postage stamp of a carrier deck at sea.”
Uh huh. ‘Nuff said.
Hey, Tim, I are a redneck! And um raght proud ta wahr my NASCAR gear
And no disrespect to the Air Fa..Force flyers, being able to land on a pitching deck in the dead of night is a couple of orders of magnitude higher in difficulty, with commensurate skill requirements.
Advantage, Naval Aviators…of course
Not only are the Blue Angels skipping the San Diego show, but they are going to another MARINE CORPS Base instead (K-Bay was still a Marine Base the last I checked)
Actual transcript of Thunderchicken debrief after Chicago airshow “incident”
USAF General: “I’d like to bust your butts but I can’t. I got another problem here. I gotta send somebody from this squadron to Miramar. I gotta do something here, I still can’t believe it. I gotta give you your dream shot! I’m gonna send you up against the best. You characters are going to Top Gun.”
/BeachBum
PS I’m already on record as stating I’m going to El Centro next year. OK, I’ll probably still go to Miramar, and Fleet Week in SF isn’t off the table, either. Call me easy.
They’re still going to San Francisco!?!?!?!?! What the hell for? What a waste of JP-5!
All this inter-service snark is just so… unbecoming.
–Buck, who’s seen the Thunderbirds perform in every airframe they’ve ever flown, save the F-84G. (And more than a few Blue Angles..er..Angels shows, too.)
Here’s a video of the Chicago collision. The #4 plane looks to be a weeee bit to starboard. Dunno that the gal was out of position, but she touched.
http://www.luckypuppy.net/MADDOGJET/mishaps.html
(This is a new site to me. Looks interesting!)
It’s still NAS Miramar in my book. That MCAS thing doesn’t sit right with me. I was up at the landfill a couple weeks ago looking north to Hanger 6 and couldn’t spot the boresight range building that used to be painted “FIGHTERTOWN USA.”
Maybe it’s not needed anymore. Maybe they just don’t trust those Marine flyers to go to guns. All that extra knobology I suppose…
obtw, JO’s from VAW-113 snuck out one night in late ’85, early ’86 and repainted it “HUMMERTOWN USA.” Next morning they got a great shot of our birds on taxi with the boresight range in background.
They took their medicine (official tonguelashing and repainted it to ease those poor Turkey driver egos) and then got Sierra Hotels and Bravo Zulus back in the ready room for displaying their “tactical mindset.”
Here’s a shot of a TBird very near miss. You can read the tiny text if you look closely.
http://www.angelfire.com/hi/luckypuppy2840/MADDOGJET/mishaps/T-Bird_Near_Miss.jpg
I can’t blame you Lex for being miffed about this. The upittyups of SF have certainly made a clear stand against the military and, frankly, don’t deserve the revenue that Fleet Week brings the city.
But, hey, I’ll still drive up to the city for it, show my support, and snap a few more photos. (Angel pr0n starts about half way down).
ManlyDad – love that LuckyPuppy website, very cool stuff there. And the additional “Angel Pr0n” – started my day off just nicely, thankyouverymuch.
I may not speak the language, but you aviator-types have some of the best pr0n around.
I can recall appearing at an airshow in the Mid-west years ago (a “Good Deal” by any definition) at which the Thunderbirds were the featured act. At Saturday night’s “meet & greet” the ‘Birds showed up in WHITE flight suits – never was I so happy to be in green Nomex.
To put an exclamation point on the evening, Thunderbird 1 crashed his (each pilot got his own) rental car…yup, a Ford Thunderbird.
Buffoonery – USAF style.
#23, Foobert, y’know the Blues are going to be in Salinas 2007, don’t know were you’re at, but you might save yourself some gas money, still support the Navy, & stick it to the PRSF (Peoples Republic of San Francisco).
Foobert (#23): Great pics! 4222 is very nicely framed…
Lex,
Not to coming to anyone’s defense here, but I don’t think Nicole was involved in the mid-air last year. She didn’t join the team until this season.
Air Force??? Hmmmm, did’t that used to be part of the Army??? Didn’t we create that after WWII??? Do they land on carriers? Oh yeah, those dudes, the ones that bring their barracks with them everywhere they go, I remember them!
Nice pictures Foobert.
Too bad the camera had trouble aiming above the waistline in some though
ManlyDad,
Good pic on the two lawn darts but somebody photshopped the image. No way the nose on one could be behind the vertical and not have a midair, also no shadow on the lead fuselage.
A long time ago I heard the definitation of AF close formation flying: “Same way, same day.”
Why is it that when a woman pilot is involved, the GUYS automatically assume it was her fault?
Not all of you did… but a fair number assumed she was involved, and that it was her fault.
Sorry, but that just PISSES ME OFF. She earned that spot just like the rest of the GUYS on the team.
AFSister, These Naval Aviator Gomers never miss a chance to snark the Zoomies…it’s their thing… a take no prisioners aging over the hill frat boy style that apparently helps them (along with a cold shower) get through another stressful day aboard those giant steel monasteries they call home.
So relax enjoy the show… and remenber it’s better to be PISSED OFF than PISSED ON. Best
RE: Mark — Thanks for the pointer about the Angels going to Salinas this year. It’s about the same distance and it’s on my list of shows to attend.
RE: Michelle and framing problem — I’m having trouble pin pointing the issue. My wife insisted that I capture the shoes and the outfits (Honest — I’m not making this up!). Perhaps it’s a subjective matter?!?
#31
Billy C, yeah BUT the Air Force formation flight was a 2-ship headed west.One to Lemoore,one to Miramar—to hunt in the “target-rich environment” of the O-Club,where many “WESTPAC Widows” are known to play.
Heh heh, beautiful pictures anyway Foobert….all of them. Perhaps I am just a touch jealous that my shoes just don’t photograph quite as well anymore….
Oh yeah, nice pictures of the other babe too…. for clarification sake, the small cute one being carried.
BB,
It doesn’t bother me that they’re taking shots at my Air Force boys and girls…
I just don’t like the “woman driver” attitude w/o knowing for sure it was her… and I highly doubt it was considering that she wasn’t on the team when this occurred according to AFA85. And like Lex said, you can’t tell who is out of position… we just know that someone was.
Is it true that the P-3 has more air to air kills than the F-18?
No, it only has half as many. Smarta$$
2 to 1, close game. But will the Orions get to bat again?
KC
Ooohhh!!! I sense a good story here, Lex… Are we gonna get to hear it? *evil grin*
Not much of a story really. FA-18s shot down two MiG-21s on a strike sortie in 1991 over Iraq. Those were the only Navy MiG kills that bout, and remains the current total for the FA-18 community.
When that P-3 got hit by the Chinese fighter few years back, the Orion bubbas started claiming that as their MiG kill.
Ah, I see. I thought maybe it was something have to do with training battles or something… perhaps an old friend snarking on you.
Still, it’s clever.
http://luckypuppy.bravehost.com/MADDOGJET/crazy/t_bird_female_2006.jpg
Rumor has it that Nicole (#3) has this on her desk.