Air Show Lovers

[f35phixer]

https://youtu.be/dfB67QvrTWw

late 1940 air show with blue angels and FH-1's which I think stole the show

[zinger1457]

The Thunderbirds were in my area a couple weeks ago, they weren't putting on a local show but got to see them practicing while we were out on the golf course next to the Army base they were visiting.

[REWahoo]

I have a fond memory of standing on the ramp in front of Base Ops at Columbus AFB late on a Friday afternoon prior to the annual base open house to be held on Saturday. The Thunderbirds were going to perform and a group of us with access to the flight line had gathered on the ramp to wait for their arrival as they always put on a brief show when flying in to perform the following day.

We were all facing the runway watching the approach end and trying to catch sight of them. The FSO had his radio tuned to their frequency and we could hear the lead aircraft calling signals as they obviously were very near, yet they were no where to be seen. We heard lead call what I think was "Burners on...NOW".

They came in a five ship formation from behind Base Ops, flying just above tower level with both afterburners lit on their F4s. The surprise (we were looking in the opposite direction), noise and concussion was substantial as the entire crowd ducked as they roared overhead. Impressive.

[HawkeyeNFO]

cool vid! thx phixer!

[corn18]

Quote:

Originally Posted by f35phixer https://youtu.be/dfB67QvrTWw late 1940 air show with blue angels and FH-1's which I think stole the show

Dash4 is a slacker.

[Ronstar]

Very nice - thanks for posting!

[f35phixer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I have a fond memory of standing on the ramp in front of Base Ops at Columbus AFB late on a Friday afternoon prior to the annual base open house to be held on Saturday. The Thunderbirds were going to perform and a group of us with access to the flight line had gathered on the ramp to wait for their arrival as they always put on a brief show when flying in to perform the following day. We were all facing the runway watching the approach end and trying to catch sight of them. The FSO had his radio tuned to their frequency and we could hear the lead aircraft calling signals as they obviously were very near, yet they were no where to be seen. We heard lead call what I think was "Burners on...NOW". They came in a five ship formation from behind Base Ops, flying just above tower level with both afterburners lit on their F4s. The surprise (we were looking in the opposite direction), noise and concussion was substantial as the entire crowd ducked as they roared overhead. Impressive.

my fond memory beats yours Wahoo ;-)

We live right on approach end of 14 at NAS Pax River, always jets flying over the house. some complain I just look up and smile !!! Sound of freedom baby!

Anyway, DD had wedding ~2004 and we had reception set up at end our point in the marina, Just so happens the Blue Angels had their show that day, flew over us many times getting set up for run over the base for the show. After about 6 runs I said sweetie I paid good money for this part of the wedding. Lets dance !!!! XOXOX still brings a smile to my face as I type this....

[CardsFan]

Thanks for posting. I love airshows.

First one was probably the Blue Angels at Weymouth, MA NAS (long since gone, I think) in the early 60's when I was 6-8.

The St. Louis Fair (4th of July) has had some great ones over the years.

But my favorite was at Pensacola NAS, a few years ago, during the Blue Angels Homecoming. We went out to Ft. Pickens State Park, across the bay from the NAS. If you are ever there for homecoming, that is the place to go.

I will plug Pensacola NAS a little more. The Naval Air museum there is awesome, and if you time it right you can watch the Blue Angel training exercises.

[f35phixer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardsFan Thanks for posting. I love airshows. First one was probably the Blue Angels at Weymouth, MA NAS (long since gone, I think) in the early 60's when I was 6-8. The St. Louis Fair (4th of July) has had some great ones over the years. But my favorite was at Pensacola NAS, a few years ago, during the Blue Angels Homecoming. We went out to Ft. Pickens State Park, across the bay from the NAS. If you are ever there for homecoming, that is the place to go. I will plug Pensacola NAS a little more. The Naval Air museum there is awesome, and if you time it right you can watch the Blue Angel training exercises.

good lord CardsFan !!! Dad was stationed at Weymouth VP-xx, was your dad? We are about the same age, born Nov 1958 ! Great memories climbing up into the blimp hangers and throwing paper airplanes.... Dad was flight engineer and would need to do engine turns, and I'd sometimes go to work with him, he'd put me into the P2V nose seat and say don't touch this or that:-) great memories !

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by f35phixer good lord CardsFan !!! Dad was stationed at Weymouth VP-xx, was your dad? We are about the same age, born Nov 1958 ! Great memories climbing up into the blimp hangers and throwing paper airplanes.... Dad was flight engineer and would need to do engine turns, and I'd sometimes go to work with him, he'd put me into the P2V nose seat and say don't touch this or that:-) great memories !

Dad was not in the Navy, but I lived in Braintree so whenever the Blue Angels came, we were there. FWIW, I was born in 1955, so we are close in age.

Later on, I had an older cousin who was a Navy pilot (not Blue Angel), and sometimes we got to get closer with him.

[f35phixer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardsFan Dad was not in the Navy, but I lived in Braintree so whenever the Blue Angels came, we were there. FWIW, I was born in 1955, so we are close in age. Later on, I had an older cousin who was a Navy pilot (not Blue Angel), and sometimes we got to get closer with him.

rog, we lived in Wakefield back then.

[skyking1]

Nice post, i enjoyed all that. I am really fond of the PBY Catalina. That video shows off the near centerline thrust of the parasol wing and engine combo. They had great single engine performance.
There was a privately owned PBY camper getting rebuilt at the Tacoma Narrows airport when I was flying over there many years ago. What a sweet setup for traveling the world.

[f35phixer]

OBTW what the HE Double toothpicks is the yellow plane doing at 7:49 into video WOOOOOOWWWW! I'm going to guess it was a stunt, pretty good one if so ;-)

[skyking1]

That's a cub using all of the control authority
Skip ahead to 3:45 for a one wheel landing. It is standard cub and super cub airshow fare.
https://youtu.be/jZsfRKEMaZ0
It is my kind of barnstorming. I used to tow aerial advertising banners.

[f35phixer]

very cool. Czech air show !!

might have been the great granddad in the 1940's vid.!!!!

[rodi]

Nice video. I've been a fan of airshows as long as I can recall - helped by the fact I grew up in the neighborhood due west of Miramar (MCAS now, formerly NAS). Blue Angels used to come out 5 days before the first show to practice - we'd sit in the backyard and watch them. I bought the house from my parents, so it's still and annual event. When the kids were little it was a PITA (nothing like a jet screaming directly over your house fast, causing your 4 year old to burst into tears in fear)... but they got over that and we enjoyed it as a family. I spent a summer in Okinawa when my sister was a civilian worker at Kadena AFB. They had a great airshow that summer, but I also got to see the SR71s take off and land - talk about loud!!!!

Only airshow that wasn't fun was spent hanging at my BIL's house, in their pool, watching the airshow at Willow Grove, PA in 2000. Crash hit about 1/2 a mile from where we were.

I guess I've been lucky - I've lived or worked near military air bases for most of my life. Before I retired I worked just north of Miramar, and when I was in PA my work was just north of Willow Grove. Gotta say - sound of freedom is better with double pane windows. LOL

[skyking1]

I worked Seafair for several years. We had to be on the ground with the banner planes by a specific time, so the show could start.

[grayv]

this is a nice short lowpass video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrYmOEvDEUE

[skyking1]

One of my favorite Blue Angels memories was being down at Boeing field where they are based out of when they're in Seattle, and watching them do pattern work.
Sometimes they did the coolest thing, they would roll left 270° to turn right after liftoff. That looks so proper.

[HawkeyeNFO]

I went to flight school in the summer of '98 at NAS Pensacola. If you were on the schedule for a Tuesday or Thursday flight, the instructors would put more emphasis on being quick with the start-up checklists. Blue Angels practice meant that the runways were closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a couple of hours, and you had to takeoff before that happened or your mission (getting a training flight completed) would be delayed or a failure.

Later on in my career, I had colleagues who were part of the Blue Angels, and they were all pretty sharp guys, and all very successful in their Navy careers.