Hey all,
Just back from a tremendous weekend at the annual Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show. My friend Chris Dover and I drove down to see the show, hear the roar, and smell the exhaust. The Blue Angels performed, and as always, did a superb job. Their job is to take normal manuvers and do them FAR lower and closer than normal aviators. This precison control and skill is a hallmark of the Naval Flight Demonstration Team.
The Blue Angels in their "Diamond Formation" there is only 18 inches separating the canopies from the wingtips.
Blue Angel 5 banks hard.
Notice the contrails forming over the leading edges of the wings. As the wing angle of attack changes during the turn, the air can't fill the void fast enough and clouds form in the low-pressure areas.
Lead Solo Lt. Commander Frank Weisser and Opposing Solo Lt. Ben Walborn cross during opposing minimum radius turns. They are closing at many hundreds of knots (800+?) and pass within feet of each other. Phenominal skill and nerves of steel are nececessary. (BTW - I'm proud I timed the shot just right. My Nikon D90 is so fast and responsive that it makes shots like this possible. I love it.)
All 6 Blue Angles form the "Delta Formation" and complete other manuvers.
The Diamond Formation breaks on the "Boss's" (Capt. Greg McWherter, Blue Angel 1) command and the aircraft maneuver independently.
If you get a chance to see Blue Angels in action you should. What a show.
Peace,
John
