Blues at Wings over Meridian

Well stated shipmate. A member of my squadron was selected for the Blues
back in the late 80s. I ran into him in Pensacola between seasons after he
had done one year of the routine. I'll never forget the conversation nor
the telling comment - "I just want to get out of this alive...". It is a
tough life in many different ways -- he felt like he was living an alternate
reality where his life was not his own. A few years removed from it, he
said he would do it again only if he were single simply because of the time
away.

The general public doesn't have much insight into the demands of the job.
They're generally captured by the 'notional' flying skills of the
participants. But, to me, emerging from the experience with ones
perspective intact takes alotta character.

"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
First air show at NMM in a number of years with (of course) the Blues as
the
main attraction. Schedule doesn't permit attendence on Sat/Sun but I
managed to take my granddaughters to the practice show Friday ... the
three
year old LOVES airplanes.

Blues showed up with 5 jets, dash 3 was Med down and didn't make the trip
... first time I've seen a med down cut into the show (and I've been
watching 'em since F-11 days). A 3-plane with dash 4 on the wing plus the
two solos.

I realize it's early in the season and 4 doesn't often fly wing, but they
were pretty bad (and they were pretty bad when they last performed here
....
then a team with "issues") and seemed to have several A/C problems. 2
lost
his smoke in the line-abreast loop and then rapidly dropped aft 1-200
feet,
stabilized there and completed the maneuver (rejoined well away from show
center ... I'd love to know what he was looking at and what Betty was
telling him as he neared the top of the loop). A couple more maneuvers in
which they just flew by vice performing the acro. Then only four jets in
the sky (I think it was 4 that actually landed). OBTW, the solo act
lacked
crispness as well ... the simo tuckunder was done in loose cruise.

I've always felt a lot of sympathy for these guys. They're attracted to
the
team for maybe the wrong reasons. Go through a rush process (that's a
kick
to see the wannabees ... we're talking about senior Lt's or Lcdr's with
somewhere well north of 1500 hours tactical jet time ... showing up at the
shows as eager as college freshmen). When they get to El Centro, the new
guys find out what the Blue Angel experience is all about: darn hard
work,
being the Navy's reps 24/7, not a lot of family time. The payoff is doing
something very few aviators get to do with a level of precision second to
none. That can be immensely gratifying. But the price they pay is high.
It takes a special breed to do what they do, and I'm not talking about the
air work.

R / John

Frijoles wrote:
Well stated shipmate. A member of my squadron was selected for the Blues
back in the late 80s. I ran into him in Pensacola between seasons after he
had done one year of the routine. I'll never forget the conversation nor
the telling comment - "I just want to get out of this alive...". It is a
tough life in many different ways -- he felt like he was living an alternate
reality where his life was not his own. A few years removed from it, he
said he would do it again only if he were single simply because of the time
away.

"Jungle" Jim Ross did it twice, no?

I've known many of the Blues personally all the back to Bob Aumack, and
I totally agree with you and John C on this issue. Many people have
absolutely no idea how "complicated" it gets with your life when
accepted for the acro teams. The Blues aren't alone with this. The
Thunderbirds, and the rest of the world's teams all seem to have the
same feelings about it when cornered and nailed down to some serious
talk. (usually accompanied by some serious libation :-)
Most of the guys I know say they would do it again, but many talk of the
high stress involved with the daily grind away from the airplanes as
being almost crippling to your good nature. I know of more than one
marriage that went south because of the related family stress . It's
really hard on the families even though the girls try and hang in most
of the time. The Thunderbirds at one time even formed a support group
for their wives called the "Thunderbrides". I'm not sure if it's still
in operation.
The mission is a tough one, and it's really a full time job, and I mean
24 hours a day when I say that. The stress of being "on camera" and "out
front" all the time in front of the public is HUGE. Even on the road the
guys don't get a moment's peace. In fact, many of the pilots I know
would tell you in a second that flying the show was the EASY part of a
Blues tour! :-)
I've been away from it for a while now, and I'm saddened by what the old
pilots are telling me about what's going on now within the teams.
Without getting into a lot of detail I wouldn't discuss in public, it
just doesn't seem to be the same as it used to be. I hope it gets
better.
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired
For personal email, please replace
the z's with e's.
dhenriquesATzarthlinkDOTnzt
"Frijoles" wrote in message
link.net...
Well stated shipmate. A member of my squadron was selected for the
Blues
back in the late 80s. I ran into him in Pensacola between seasons
after he
had done one year of the routine. I'll never forget the conversation
nor
the telling comment - "I just want to get out of this alive...". It
is a
tough life in many different ways -- he felt like he was living an
alternate
reality where his life was not his own. A few years removed from it,
he
said he would do it again only if he were single simply because of the
time
away.

The general public doesn't have much insight into the demands of the
job.
They're generally captured by the 'notional' flying skills of the
participants. But, to me, emerging from the experience with ones
perspective intact takes alotta character.

"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
First air show at NMM in a number of years with (of course) the
Blues as
the
main attraction. Schedule doesn't permit attendence on Sat/Sun but
I
managed to take my granddaughters to the practice show Friday ...
the
three
year old LOVES airplanes.

Blues showed up with 5 jets, dash 3 was Med down and didn't make the
trip
... first time I've seen a med down cut into the show (and I've been
watching 'em since F-11 days). A 3-plane with dash 4 on the wing
plus the
two solos.

I realize it's early in the season and 4 doesn't often fly wing, but
they
were pretty bad (and they were pretty bad when they last performed
here
...
then a team with "issues") and seemed to have several A/C problems.
2
lost
his smoke in the line-abreast loop and then rapidly dropped aft
1-200
feet,
stabilized there and completed the maneuver (rejoined well away from
show
center ... I'd love to know what he was looking at and what Betty
was
telling him as he neared the top of the loop). A couple more
maneuvers in
which they just flew by vice performing the acro. Then only four
jets in
the sky (I think it was 4 that actually landed). OBTW, the solo act

lacked
crispness as well ... the simo tuckunder was done in loose cruise.

I've always felt a lot of sympathy for these guys. They're
attracted to
the
team for maybe the wrong reasons. Go through a rush process (that's
a
kick
to see the wannabees ... we're talking about senior Lt's or Lcdr's
with
somewhere well north of 1500 hours tactical jet time ... showing up
at the
shows as eager as college freshmen). When they get to El Centro,
the new
guys find out what the Blue Angel experience is all about: darn
hard
work,
being the Navy's reps 24/7, not a lot of family time. The payoff is
doing
something very few aviators get to do with a level of precision
second to
none. That can be immensely gratifying. But the price they pay is
high.
It takes a special breed to do what they do, and I'm not talking
about the
air work.

R / John

Dudley Henriques wrote:

I've known many of the Blues personally all the back to Bob Aumack, and
I totally agree with you and John C on this issue. Many people have
absolutely no idea how "complicated" it gets with your life when
accepted for the acro teams. The Blues aren't alone with this. The
Thunderbirds, and the rest of the world's teams all seem to have the
same feelings about it when cornered and nailed down to some serious
talk. (usually accompanied by some serious libation :-)
Most of the guys I know say they would do it again, but many talk of the
high stress involved with the daily grind away from the airplanes as
being almost crippling to your good nature. I know of more than one
marriage that went south because of the related family stress . It's
really hard on the families even though the girls try and hang in most
of the time. The Thunderbirds at one time even formed a support group
for their wives called the "Thunderbrides". I'm not sure if it's still
in operation.
The mission is a tough one, and it's really a full time job, and I mean
24 hours a day when I say that. The stress of being "on camera" and "out
front" all the time in front of the public is HUGE. Even on the road the
guys don't get a moment's peace. In fact, many of the pilots I know
would tell you in a second that flying the show was the EASY part of a
Blues tour! :-)
I've been away from it for a while now, and I'm saddened by what the old
pilots are telling me about what's going on now within the teams.
Without getting into a lot of detail I wouldn't discuss in public, it
just doesn't seem to be the same as it used to be. I hope it gets
better.
Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired
For personal email, please replace
the z's with e's.
dhenriquesATzarthlinkDOTnzt
"Frijoles" wrote in message
link.net...
Well stated shipmate. A member of my squadron was selected for the
Blues
back in the late 80s. I ran into him in Pensacola between seasons
after he
had done one year of the routine. I'll never forget the conversation
nor
the telling comment - "I just want to get out of this alive...". It
is a
tough life in many different ways -- he felt like he was living an
alternate
reality where his life was not his own. A few years removed from it,
he
said he would do it again only if he were single simply because of the
time
away.

The general public doesn't have much insight into the demands of the
job.
They're generally captured by the 'notional' flying skills of the
participants. But, to me, emerging from the experience with ones
perspective intact takes alotta character.

"John Carrier" wrote in message
...
First air show at NMM in a number of years with (of course) the
Blues as
the
main attraction. Schedule doesn't permit attendence on Sat/Sun but
I
managed to take my granddaughters to the practice show Friday ...
the
three
year old LOVES airplanes.

Blues showed up with 5 jets, dash 3 was Med down and didn't make the
trip
... first time I've seen a med down cut into the show (and I've been
watching 'em since F-11 days). A 3-plane with dash 4 on the wing
plus the
two solos.

I realize it's early in the season and 4 doesn't often fly wing, but
they
were pretty bad (and they were pretty bad when they last performed
here
...
then a team with "issues") and seemed to have several A/C problems.
2
lost
his smoke in the line-abreast loop and then rapidly dropped aft
1-200
feet,
stabilized there and completed the maneuver (rejoined well away from
show
center ... I'd love to know what he was looking at and what Betty
was
telling him as he neared the top of the loop). A couple more
maneuvers in
which they just flew by vice performing the acro. Then only four
jets in
the sky (I think it was 4 that actually landed). OBTW, the solo act

lacked
crispness as well ... the simo tuckunder was done in loose cruise.

I've always felt a lot of sympathy for these guys. They're
attracted to
the
team for maybe the wrong reasons. Go through a rush process (that's
a
kick
to see the wannabees ... we're talking about senior Lt's or Lcdr's
with
somewhere well north of 1500 hours tactical jet time ... showing up
at the
shows as eager as college freshmen). When they get to El Centro,
the new
guys find out what the Blue Angel experience is all about: darn
hard
work,
being the Navy's reps 24/7, not a lot of family time. The payoff is
doing
something very few aviators get to do with a level of precision
second to
none. That can be immensely gratifying. But the price they pay is
high.
It takes a special breed to do what they do, and I'm not talking
about the
air work.

R / John





Well, I hope they get their act together before this weekend. I'm planning
on seeing the MCAS Beaufort show.

Bob McKellar

Happy to say I had two pilots rush the Blues when I was CO of VF-126, and one
was selected(like to think my endorsement meant somethin'....)...'Hoops'
Stewart...He said it was far tougher than 'dark nights and pitching decks',
when on cruise inna F-14...
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer