Part 3: Blue Angels Mega Post (Video+CoolPix+Desktop)

(click pic for hi-res)  Pensacola Beach airshow pic from 2012 #awesome

 The Blue Angels mega-post comes to an end today, but I hope it has served to drive you to their airshow schedule to see when and where you can experience them live and in person. I see several dates that will potentially work for me this summer and look forward to it!

 You might remember that when the Navy released the image above from the 2012 Pensacola Beach airshow, it was flipped over with the world upside-down, which is the way it was captured... and while that was very impressive to view, I had a feeling that it might be more powerful when flipped over with the world right-side-up. So I flipped it over in photoshop and it came alive for me. Then I decided to see if I was just a weirdo or if more of you agreed with me. The poll I put up showed over 70% agreed that it was a more powerful image when flipped over as seen above, so that's how I made it available as a desktop pic. Here it is again in four popular desktop sizes in case you didn't snag it before:

Pensacola Beach 2012 Blue Angels inverted pass:

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 Here's a very nice compilation video from a few years back that shows the Blue Angels in some truly beautiful views. It can be watched in HD and it has a non-offensive soundtrack... go full screen and enjoy!

 This excellent video from the KPIX (San Francisco) Evening Magazine is from back in 1985 and gives some background into the Blue Angels A4 Skyhawk training camp. It's fascinating to hear Blue Angels pilot Mike Gershon say that after his year with the team as narrator he assumed he understood the level of effort required to be one of the guys inside the cockpit... yet he realized when he made that transition to the cockpit that he had no idea of the physical and mental effort required to put a show on. Imagine how unaware you and I are.

 It's important to note that shortly after this program was recorded, Mike Gershon was killed when he and the other solo A4 flown by Andy Caputi collided at the crossover on the top of a loop. Andy Caputi ejected safely but Mike lost his life in the accident. You can learn more in a very respectful follow up video here.

 The risks are real for the Blue Angels, but then life is full of risk at every turn for each and every one of us. The challenge for us all is to seek wisdom and knowledge, making the best decisions we can in every situation. The Blue Angels serve as one of the greatest examples of this way of life.

 If you think about it, the extreme skill displayed by the Blue Angels is meant to represent a willingness and capability in defending the United States of America... and ultimately, the USA is only defended when men and women join the military (any branch) and prepare to fight if needed. So when you see the Blue Angels (or the USAF Thunderbirds) please remember that Americans (you and me) owe a lot to all the people willing to fight for this nation.

 This last video is from the Blue Angels era before the A4 Skyhawk. It's an old Super 8mm film shot in 1970 of the Blues in F-4 Phantom's at Suffolk County AFB in Long Island New York. There's an honest nostalgia in it that makes a guy like me, who lived as a kid thru that time frame, ache with a desire for the good ole days. But even if you weren't alive back then, I'm guessing you'll have no trouble agreeing with me that the F-4's look fantastic in that great paint.

 An alternate way to experience the video above is to first mute the audio (simply click the speaker icon next to the start button)... then click this link which will open a new tab and start an audio-only video... then come back to this tab and hit the play button as soon as you can. It's a beautiful experience.

Thank you Blue Angels... past, present, and future.

Like this post? Tell your friends... use the 'share' or 'email' article links below - thanx : )

Part 2: Blue Angels Mega Post (Video+CoolPix+Desktop)

 Here's more fabulous Blue Angels content to help you and me both feel a little more like we're at Vero Beach Florida today and tomorrow enjoying a performance from the world's greatest aerobatic team. You're seeing Baltimore back in 2012 behind the blue and gold here in the CoolPix above... the Navy does a great job of making awesome images like this available, but if you don't know where to look it's easy to miss out. I take it all a little farther down the road then too by sizing up some desktop images for you and passing them around for free.

Blue Angels over Baltimore on 6-15-12:

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 This short video gives you a great view of the Blues in a tight diamond formation as they slide in right behind Sean Tucker in his Oracle Challenger over Seattle back in 2010. What a sight to see these very different aircraft looking quite comfortable in formation... too bad there wasn't a GoPro on the tailwheel of the Challenger, that would have made for such a wonderful view of the Blues.

 This 33 minute video will make you feel like you're right there enjoying a full Blue Angels performance, which is exactly what it is. It's a broadcast-quality recording of the 2012 Miramar Air Show... from taxi-out thru til taxi-in, with the full show in between. It's also viewable in 1080p HD, which means this would be a great video to stream into a big flat TV, or at least full screen on your computer. There's no music, no talking, just pure Blue Angels all in high quality!

(click pic for hi-res)  Up close in formation showing how close they are!

 The CoolPix above is from 2011 over Pensacola Florida... imagine yourself inside about 30,000 pounds of jet going 300mph THIS close to another pretty blue 30,000 pound hunk of metal! And then imagine that the tolerance for how far you can be from the exact correct position is about 18 inches... and hold that tolerance for much of a 30 minute performance. The observe-decide-act frequency going on in their heads must be staggering. It's. Just. Awesome.

 Here's hoping you have a very Blue weekend! Watch for part 3 tomorrow.

 Like this post? Tell your friends... use the 'share' or 'email' article links below - thanx : )

Blue Angels 3-Part Mega Post! Fri-Sat-Sun (Video+CoolPix+Desktop) Part 1

(click pic for hi-res) Awesome Blue Angels pic from 2010 (Navy photo by Ron Trevino)

 The AWESOME Blue Angels are in Vero Beach Florida this weekend to wow airshow fans with what hard work, discipline, and pure dedication can produce... the world's greatest aerobatic team! But if you're like me, it doesn't look like Vero Beach out your window. So, I thought I'd do what I can to bring the Blue Angels experience to you in a 3-part Fri-Sat-Sun mega post. The pic above is a CoolPix so you can open it up big, or you can download one of the free desktop sizes I put together for you below.

Blue Angels Jax show 2010:

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 This first video is a short one uploaded to youtube just a few weeks ago and shows a backseat view during a Blue Angels practice. It's simply unimaginable that these guys can fly this close together, at these speeds, AND doing maneuvers! The Navy consistently finds (and trains) these super humans capable of doing what honestly seems impossible. It would be one thing to be able to perform at this level for a few minutes, but to put on a full show week after week requires a focus and disciple that boggles the mind. Bravo Blues!

 The second video is an older one that runs almost 10 minutes and is full of incredible backseat views of the team performing. Even if you see it before it's ALWAYS worth seeing again.

(click pic for hi-res)  The Blue Angels diamond formation at Reno back in 2009

 The CoolPix above is one that I captured at Reno back in 2009. It's another graphic example of just how close together these F/A-18's fly during a Blue's performance. Even better, they flew several days in a row that year... I never ever get tired of seeing and hearing the Blue Angels own the sky!

 This last video for the Blue Angels mega-post part 1 is one of the most impressive Blue Angels videos I've ever seen, and it doesn't even have a single F/A-18 in it. It's all about Fat Albert with a cockpit view of a 2009 performance of the C-130 at an airshow at Barksdale AFB. The cockpit crew communication and cooperation is outstanding! It's a great way to see the kind of discipline that makes the entire Blue Angels experience the best in the world.

 Enjoy, my avgeek friends, and watch for part 2 coming tomorrow!

Like this post? Tell your friends... use the 'share' or 'email' article links below - thanx : )

AirPigz MeetUp At The Naval Aviation Museum - Blue Angels A-4 Formation (CoolPix)

(click pic for hi-res)  Blue Angels A-4's hanging in the Naval Aviation Museum atrium

 The AirPigz avgeek museum MeetUp for 2014 is under way in warm and sunny Pensacola Florida even tho there isn't all that much warmth or sun down here right now. Of course compared to the bitter cold and snow back home in Indiana, it's pretty awesome here. We started the meetup yesterday with five avgeeks (from all over the Midwest) checking out the collection of Navy aircraft ranging from the mammoth Curtiss NC-4 seaplane from 1919 all the way up to a full scale functional mockup of the X-47B.

 We're all keeping very busy with viewing the excellent aircraft displays and talking about airplanes in general... we're having a great time!

 The picture above is from Friday shortly after arriving at the museum and shows the Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks that are hanging in the museum atrium. There's an elevated walkway that runs all the way the formation that gives you the opportunity to get such great views of this formation. The beauty and majesty of the Blue Angels sets the tone for a great time of soaking up Naval aviation history at the Naval Aviation Museum!

more pix and info to come

Join The AirPigz 'Naval Aviation Museum' MeetUp (Pensacola January 24-26, 2014)

Click the pic to check out the National Naval Aviation Museum website

AirPigz 'Naval Aviation Museum' MeetUp in Pensacola FL will take
place January 24-26, 2014 (Fri, Sat, Sun - come 1, 2 or all 3 days)

Click here to be aded to the email list for more details

 This is your official invitation to make a trip to sunny Pensacola Florida for the AirPigz Naval Aviation Museum MeetUp on January 24-26, 2014. You can join a handful of other avgeeks on any of the three days, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday... or all three if world-class aviation museums take you many days to truly experience, like they do for me!

 As we have done the last three years (the first two at the Air Force Museum and last year at the National Air & Space Museum) there's no charge to participate, but of course you need to cover your own transportation and accommodations. Museum admission is free and it's open every day from 9am to 5pm.

(click pic for 360 panorama!)  Naval Museum entrance with Blue Angels A-4 Skyhawks

 Click the link up above (or here) to get on the email update list for the details of the meetup. We'll communicate about accommodations, a basic daily schedule, and other details to help make your time there enjoyable. Typically about 15 people make the trip and everyone has a great time taking in the museum at their own pace and then gathering for dinner in the evening.

(click pic for 360 panorama!) Some of the diverse collection at the Naval Aviation Museum

 
 A quick and easy winter getaway to Pensacola is exactly what every avgeek needs, so get to making plans to join this 4th AirPigz museum meetup!

(note the happy avgeeks below from last year's event : )

Some of the group from the AirPigz Air & Space Museum MeetUp in January 2013

Veterans Day 2013... Thank You For Your Service

This video found on youtube does a good job of saying what I'd like to say:

To those who have served the United States, Thank You.

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 American power and freedom brought to us by the men and women who serve in all branches of the military of the United States of America.

Video: Remember The Blue Angels? A-4 Skyhawks From The Mid 80's

 Disclaimer: if you only want to see some great retro Blue Angels footage without a little political commentary, please just click play above and enjoy. More robust individuals can continue to the words that follow : )

 The video above does a great job of showcasing the Blue Angels from back in the mid 80's when they were not far from the end of the A-4 Skyhawk era. Seeing the A-4 again reminds me of how much I liked that airplane as an airshow performer. Looking past the Skyhawk, it's hard to believe that they've been flying the F/A-18 since 1986! That's 27 years with the Hornet, and it still looks like a perfect aircraft after all these years... well, it would if you'd have had the chance to see it this year. Only the first two shows of the 2013 season were performed, the remaining 33 shows were cancelled as part of the sequestration.

Video screenshot of a tight 19080's Blue Angels formation in the A-4 Skyhawk

 Don't get me wrong here, I'm all for the idea of reducing government spending, in fact I feel that the sequestration cuts didn't even begin to go far enough (see the U.S. debt clock), but the way the government chose to deal with the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds seems like a spiteful act against the heart of America rather than a smart spending cut. According to the wiki entry, the budget for the Blues is about $37 million. However, there's no way we saved $37 million by cancelling essentially the entire season... the entire Blues infrastructure is still in place and being maintained, so the actual savings was much smaller. But the real issues here is about how much it cost in terms of lost revenue by metropolitan areas all around the country. The cancelled performances led to most of the events they were to headline being cancelled as well. The financial impact to Americans (which IS America) certainly had to exceed the amount 'saved'. This leads me to the question of what the motivation really was from those supposedly leading the country.

 It's here that I've come to the complete conclusion that the U.S. government is not interested in what's good for the people of the United States, but rather what's good for the people running the government. To some of you that's crazy talk. To me it's plain and simple fact. The events of the last several weeks only prove it more.

 The mission of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds isn't to give Americans something fun to do on a weekend, it's to promote the U.S. armed forces for the purpose of bolstering American pride and encouraging young people to consider a career in service to their country. The value to the nation right there vastly exceeds the Blues $37 million budget.

 Given the views of the man who sits in the Oval Office, I guess there's no surprise that he would consider it a success to keep the Blues from being able to do their job. 

 Lastly, LCDR Mike Gershon, who was was featured in the video above as solo pilot in the #6 aircraft, was killed in a Blue Angels airshow accident not long after the video was made. A follow up video about Mike and the accident can be seen here. It does a great job of showing Mike's history and his strong wife, who lost her husband when their son was just over a month old. Both videos were produced for Evening Magazine broadcast on KPIX in San Francisco. The video about the accident, and the way it portrays Mike's family is extremely well done, especially when compared to today's style of sensational 'victim' exploitation.

 The slippery slope gets ever steeper.

My Take On The 'Sequestration' Blues (And Thunderbirds Too)

(click pic to enlarge)  US Navy Blue Angels in tight formation at Reno in 2009

 I'm certainly no expert on the issue of sequestration, and since I've actually worked the last 15 days straight (with my day-job of ceramic tile installing) I also haven't had the time to do any deep research on the subject. However, it's my understanding that the $85 billion in cuts are actually only a reduction in the planned rate of GROWTH in the budget. So we're saying that we not only have ALL the money from the last budget but also a few percentage points MORE, but the news media and campaigner-in-chief have been telling us that all hell is about to break loose. I'm not buying it. I'm not buying any of it.

 And with reports that the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds have been cancelling their attendance at many 2013 air shows, strong opinions and passionate responses have been popping up all over. Especially since many of these air shows, like the Indy Air Show scheduled for June 15-16, have been cancelled as well since these elite military demonstration teams are by far the biggest draw for these events.

(click pic to enlarge)  Two USAF Thunderbirds back-to-back at Reno in 2011

 
 My opinion might be different than most. I'm 100% for budget cuts... not reductions in rate-of-growth, but real CUTS. And if we had real cuts and they truly meant that the Blues and Thunderbirds had to stop flying, then I'm actually ok with that. This nation MUST get its financial condition in order as soon as possible, tho technically I've given up all hope that we will ever do that. A financially responsible government is the only way we can have hope that these two elite aerobatic teams to will continue flying in the future. Far more important, we need to be fiscally strong to have any hope of having a positive impact on the global landscape in the next 20 years.

 But to pull the plug on these aerobatic demonstration teams when we have such a small actual budget adjustment makes me think that the government is using the impact that this will have on the American people as a dirty little trick. Even worse, this means many large communities won't have the benefit of the positive economic impact that is a direct result of a Blue Angels or Thunderbirds air show. Add to that the fact that these two teams are a very important part of both recruiting and bolstering a sense of pride in the American people, and I come to the conclusion that it's all being used as a weapon against we the people. But then that seems to fit all the more with the idea that the ultimate goal of this administration is to weaken every aspect of the United States of America.

 The more common opinion I'm seeing is one that says we must find a way to stop these cuts and make sure that all the services we need and want so desperately (from the Blue Angels to air traffic controllers to border patrol agents) are able to be funded. So, rather than identify and cut massive waste in poor government administration, or eliminate entire departments that simply are not part of a sensible government mission, they've convinced us that essential services are at risk. Hmm, so it appears that the government has figured out a way for the American people to DEMAND that we spend beyond our means. Well isn't that just precious.

 I don't have any big answers here, but I am fully prepared to say that I just don't buy any of this. And while there are some of you out there who are gonna want to beat me up for my opinion that the United States government is actually against America and the American people, I'm telling you now that I don't have the time or energy to have an online battle about it. This is what I believe from years of observing the actions of our so-called leaders, whether they have a D by their name or an R. My bottom line is simple: get our financial affairs in this country in order NOW, and do everything we can to keep the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds in the sky showing the American people, and the rest of the world, what freedom looks and sounds like.

CoolPix: The Flipped Blue Angels 'Pensacola Beach' Desktop Pix!

(click pic for hi-res)  The flipped version of the amazing Pensacola Beach airshow pic

 You might remember that I had a poll up back in July to see if y'all liked the original version of this amazing pic that the Blue Angels posted on their facebook page, or the one that I flipped over so that the world was right-side-up. I felt that the flipped image somehow had more impact, and interesting, so did 71% of the people who voted in the poll. The whole point of the poll was to determine which version I would re-post as 'desktop' images so you could easily put this awesome pic on your computer screen.

 So, here ya go, this perfect pic for desktop use in four of the most popular sizes. Enjoy!

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 You might also like these other AirPigz categories:
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CoolPix (Poll): Life's A Beach... And Then You Fly!! Blue Angels 2Fer

The world right-side-up: Blue Angels at Pensacola Beach Airshow (photo: facebook)

(click each pic for hi-res CoolPix version)

 This amazing picture was posted Monday on the Blue Angels facebook page - and of course you should go hit the like button there right now if you haven't already! Then today they made it the cover pic for the facebook page. However, they have the pic as it was taken, which is actually flipped from the way I have it posted above.

 I decided it should definitely be a CoolPix image, so I also tightened it up quite a bit to make it 'pop' a lot more, and then just for fun I flipped it from the way it was originally taken. Wow, for me it just came alive when flipped! But you might disagree... so I figured I should have a poll to see if more people wanna see this pic made available in a variety of desktop sizes with the world right-side-up as I have it above or with the world up-side-down as seen below. The first one to get to 100 votes will be made into the desktop pix for anyone needing another stellar Blue Angels image for their computer. Please vote now!

The world up-side-down: Blue Angels at Pensacola Beach Airshow (photo: facebook)