[Vision2020] If you didn't make it to Seafair in Seattle...

[Paul Rumelhart]

When I was at the Naval Academy, we spent a week at Pensacola and I got to see them in action at Sherman Field.  We even got a briefing in their ready room, which has walls of trophies.  We happened to be there right when the song Dreams by Van Halen came out which featured them.  They showed us the music video there before it came out on MTV.  That was back when MTV actually played one or two music videos a day.  

We were there when they were moving from their older, smaller planes (A-4s, I think) to F/A 18s.  They were doing trial runs in order to get the letters painted on the planes correctly, which is what they use to determine if they are in the correct position when flying many of their close formations.  I remember being told that the chief there would beat the crap out of us if we so much as breathed on one of the planes, because they'd have to do a complete set of tests on it again.

Each Blue Angels pilot is a standard Navy pilot that is stationed there somewhat randomly.  They aren't selected in any other way that I know of.  The idea is that any qualified Navy pilot should be able to handle the duty assignment with the proper training.  So when you figure the costs in, you have to remember that they are already a sunk cost.  We're paying the pilots whether or not they are flying, training, or shooting the shit around the water cooler.

It depends upon how much worth you see in PR and morale.  I personally hope they never get rid of them.

Paul

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Kai Eiselein <editor at lataheagle.com> wrote:

From: Kai Eiselein <editor at lataheagle.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] If you didn't make it to Seafair in Seattle...
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 12:41 PM



 
 

I bring to you...the "Blue Angels"
 
 
 

 
Kai Eiselein
Editor, Latah 
Eagle
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