Blue Angels...

Author
Discussion

Joecooool

Original Poster:

1,020 posts

243 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Took a few picts today. These guys are pretty good...


























mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

270 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Blue skies...?

Today...?

I hate you, you git...hehe

Great pics, well done that man...


Still hate you, my feet are freezing...


Stu R

21,410 posts

230 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?

Shaw Tarse

31,810 posts

218 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
Of course not! smile

moleamol

15,887 posts

278 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Stu R said:
Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
No.

Joecooool

Original Poster:

1,020 posts

243 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
They are different in a few ways. The Blue Angels use the F18 which is a mach 2 fighter that is much larger than the trainer used by the Red Arrows. As a result, most of the show is at a higher speed. The Blue Angels also fly in three / four / five plane configurations with one or two of the planes doing solo maneuvers around the formation.

So same, but different.

My cousin is a Harrier pilot for the US Marines, I asked him why they don't have a flight team for air shows, he told me that it was hard enough to fly the Harrier by itself, four or five in formation performing aerial maneuvers would be a suicide mission.

Finally saw an F22. I never thought I would see a fighter I liked more than the F15. I was wrong.

Shaw Tarse

31,810 posts

218 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Joecooool said:
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
They are different in a few ways. The Blue Angels use the F18 which is a mach 2 fighter that is much larger than the trainer used by the Red Arrows. As a result, most of the show is at a higher speed. The Blue Angels also fly in three / four / five plane configurations with one or two of the planes doing solo maneuvers around the formation.

So same, but different.

My cousin is a Harrier pilot for the US Marines, I asked him why they don't have a flight team for air shows, he told me that it was hard enough to fly the Harrier by itself, four or five in formation performing aerial maneuvers would be a suicide mission.

Finally saw an F22. I never thought I would see a fighter I liked more than the F15. I was wrong.
That means no! wink

Joecooool

Original Poster:

1,020 posts

243 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Shaw Tarse said:
Joecooool said:
Stu R said:
That means no! wink
Well, as an American on a British web site, I won't even try to justify why one may or may not be better.

I say just appreciate all of them for what they are.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

270 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
hehe

moleamol

15,887 posts

278 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Shaw Tarse said:
Joecooool said:
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
They are different in a few ways. The Blue Angels use the F18 which is a mach 2 fighter that is much larger than the trainer used by the Red Arrows. As a result, most of the show is at a higher speed. The Blue Angels also fly in three / four / five plane configurations with one or two of the planes doing solo maneuvers around the formation.

So same, but different.

My cousin is a Harrier pilot for the US Marines, I asked him why they don't have a flight team for air shows, he told me that it was hard enough to fly the Harrier by itself, four or five in formation performing aerial maneuvers would be a suicide mission.

Finally saw an F22. I never thought I would see a fighter I liked more than the F15. I was wrong.
That means no! wink
It also means he's never seen a Typhoon. The F22 is gaaaaaaaaay compared to a Typhoon.

SeeFive

8,352 posts

248 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
I admire both display teams, but even as a Brit, I have to say that the Angels formations look tighter than the Arrows these days. Maybe it is the size difference between the planes, but IMO we are splitting hairs as they are both brilliant. Also used to like the Patrouille de France in their Magisters way back when....

Are the Dead Sparrows still the only mob to barrel roll 5 abreast (gives you some idea since I was last following it)?

collateral

7,238 posts

233 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Saw them a few years back...Fat Albert thumbup

thehawk

9,335 posts

222 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
They are both excellent, but I think the Blue Angels have more 'cool' factor.

jimmyjimjim

7,769 posts

253 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
Depends on your definition of good. I'm sure both put on superb shows, but the Blue Angels have had 26 fatalities, the Red Arrows - zero (10% fatality rate according to wiki - ouch!).

Eric Mc

123,876 posts

280 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
The Red Arrows HAVE suffered some fatalities. Two Gnats collided during a practice routine in the early 1970s. They've also lost a few other aircraft (mainly Hawks), luckilly without any major injury to the pilots.

The two major US military air display teams (the USAF's Thunderbirds and the US Navy's Blue Angels) are described as formation display teams. They both operate versions of front line fighters (in the case of the F-18, a fighter-bomber). Therefore, the dislays they perform are more of an emphasis on speed, power and tight formation flying

The Red Arrows operate the smaller and nimbler Hawk trainer. Therefore, their displays concentrate on aerobatics with a bigger variety of formation changes.

The displays conducted by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are very different to the Arrows. For a better comparison, I would compare the Red Arrows' displays with those of the Patrouille de France (Alpha Jets) and the Frecci Tricolori (Macchi 339s).

Seight_Returns

1,640 posts

216 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
The Turkish Air Force has (had?) a display team called the Turkish Stars flying F5s.

Saw them a couple of times, their commentator working himself into a frenzy over the PA was far more memorable than the display.

Eric Mc

123,876 posts

280 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Quite a few countries have national display teams.

Asas de Portugal - Alpha Jets
The Snowbirds (Canada) - Canadair Tutor
Los Halcones (Spain) - CASA Aviojet
The Jordanian Falcons - Extra 300
Patrouille Swiss - Northrop F5E

tobeee

1,436 posts

283 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Joecooool said:
Stu R said:
Cracking pictures yes

Are they as good as the Red Arrows then?
They are different in a few ways. The Blue Angels use the F18 which is a mach 2 fighter that is much larger than the trainer used by the Red Arrows. As a result, most of the show is at a higher speed. The Blue Angels also fly in three / four / five plane configurations with one or two of the planes doing solo maneuvers around the formation.

So same, but different.

My cousin is a Harrier pilot for the US Marines, I asked him why they don't have a flight team for air shows, he told me that it was hard enough to fly the Harrier by itself, four or five in formation performing aerial maneuvers would be a suicide mission.

Finally saw an F22. I never thought I would see a fighter I liked more than the F15. I was wrong.
I saw them in San Francisco a few years ago, flying through the Golden Gate bridge and all that malarkey! Incredible! It wasn't all high speed though - they did an amazing slow flypast, whereby they ambled past us with nose high in the air, at what I imagine was close to a stall scenario. I'll see if I can find the pics and digitise them.

Eric Mc

123,876 posts

280 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
That's called a High Alpha Pass (high angle of attack) and is a common element of most F-18 displays.

I wonder will the Blue Angels ever re-equip with the new generation F-18E Super Hornet?

R39S1

2,353 posts

225 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
The Red Arrows HAVE suffered some fatalities. Two Gnats collided during a practice routine in the early 1970s. They've also lost a few other aircraft (mainly Hawks), luckilly without any major injury to the pilots.

The two major US military air display teams (the USAF's Thunderbirds and the US Navy's Blue Angels) are described as formation display teams. They both operate versions of front line fighters (in the case of the F-18, a fighter-bomber). Therefore, the dislays they perform are more of an emphasis on speed, power and tight formation flying

The Red Arrows operate the smaller and nimbler Hawk trainer. Therefore, their displays concentrate on aerobatics with a bigger variety of formation changes.

The displays conducted by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are very different to the Arrows. For a better comparison, I would compare the Red Arrows' displays with those of the Patrouille de France (Alpha Jets) and the Frecci Tricolori (Macchi 339s).
Ah the Frecci Tricolori, mad as hell. Of course there was the famous time when they wanted to finish their display with a supersonic pass while drinking Chianti. The organisers binned it " we can't expose the public to a Hi tiddly Iti boom boom"
Thank you for giving that old (two Ronnies joke) a good home smile