A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Naval Aviation
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 16th 06, 01:14 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709

MW

  #2  
Old March 16th 06, 02:27 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

"Mike Weeks" wrote in news:1142468095.417423.174550
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709


Nah, that's about right for a home base show. It's at least a two hour
drive to get there from anywhere else, and these shows aren't on the
regular calendar, anyway.

Dave in San Diego
  #3  
Old March 16th 06, 03:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

Mike Weeks wrote:
Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709

MW


IIRC, the El Centro show isn't open to the public, just invited guests
of the squadron personnel.

--
Tom Schoene lid
To email me, replace "invalid" with "net"
  #4  
Old March 16th 06, 09:56 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

"Mike Weeks" wrote in
ups.com:


Thomas Schoene wrote:
Mike Weeks wrote:
Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron,
the Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709

MW


IIRC, the El Centro show isn't open to the public, just invited guests
of the squadron personnel.


If that's the case, that's a change which has taken place at some
point. We used to drive out to El Centro back in the late '80's for
the first show of "the season" -- less crowded then say, Miramar, Pt.
Mugu or El Toro later in the year -- the count, IIRC, would be
somewhere between 15,000 - 20,000.

I find nothing to indicate that 11 March was anything but the first
scheduled show of the season, but perhaps it has indeed changed.


Well, I just looked up the season schedule, and it was the first public
show of the season. Hmmm. Another consideration may have been the really
crappy weather we had leading up to the weekend. I've never seen a huge
crowd there, but I guess it's always been for the practice shows.

Dave in San Diego
  #5  
Old March 16th 06, 08:35 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

They call it "El Centro of nowhere" for a reason.

--
Mike Kanze

"Guinness is the drink that kept the Irish from taking over the world."

- Kinky Friedman, Texas gubernatorial candidate

"Dave in San Diego" wrote in message . 30...
"Mike Weeks" wrote in news:1142468095.417423.174550
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709


Nah, that's about right for a home base show. It's at least a two hour
drive to get there from anywhere else, and these shows aren't on the
regular calendar, anyway.

Dave in San Diego
  #6  
Old March 17th 06, 11:37 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

Mike Weeks wrote:

I find nothing to indicate that 11 March was anything but the first
scheduled show of the season, but perhaps it has indeed changed.


No, there's every chance I'm wrong. I think maybe I'm confusing it with
some of the pre-season practices.

--
Tom Schoene lid
To email me, replace "invalid" with "net"
  #7  
Old March 17th 06, 01:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

Eric Joiner wrote:
The Blue Angels often do a show the day before an announced public
display for base personnel and invited guests only. Big time recruiting
ploy. So..."technically" the first show of the season may be counted
as the base only staff and 200 people thereabouts would be normal.


One I attended in Pensacola, in '70 or so, was -- at least informally --
called a rehearsal. Probably no more than 200 people on the grass at
Sherman Field for that one.

--
John Miller
  #8  
Old March 17th 06, 06:02 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

The Official Web Site of the Blue Angels list the 11 March event as an
Airshow. That means to me it was open to the public. Go to:
http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/index.htm to see the list of shows and
practices or go to http://www.blueangels.navy.mil for the home page.


We are just sitting around watching the grass grow and dying slowly 'cause
the Blues are still out on the west coast. But.....soon they'll be home and
we will be able to sit on the dock and watch them practice. Soon......

Tom at Blue Angel Lake in Pensacola


"Thomas Schoene" wrote in message
ink.net...
Mike Weeks wrote:

I find nothing to indicate that 11 March was anything but the first
scheduled show of the season, but perhaps it has indeed changed.


No, there's every chance I'm wrong. I think maybe I'm confusing it with
some of the pre-season practices.

--
Tom Schoene lid
To email me, replace "invalid" with "net"



  #9  
Old March 17th 06, 07:28 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?


Eric Joiner wrote:
Dave in San Diego wrote:
"Mike Weeks" wrote in
ups.com:


Thomas Schoene wrote:

Mike Weeks wrote:

Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron,
the Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709

MW

IIRC, the El Centro show isn't open to the public, just invited guests
of the squadron personnel.

If that's the case, that's a change which has taken place at some
point. We used to drive out to El Centro back in the late '80's for
the first show of "the season" -- less crowded then say, Miramar, Pt.
Mugu or El Toro later in the year -- the count, IIRC, would be
somewhere between 15,000 - 20,000.

I find nothing to indicate that 11 March was anything but the first
scheduled show of the season, but perhaps it has indeed changed.



Well, I just looked up the season schedule, and it was the first public
show of the season. Hmmm. Another consideration may have been the really
crappy weather we had leading up to the weekend. I've never seen a huge
crowd there, but I guess it's always been for the practice shows.

Dave in San Diego


The Blue Angels often do a show the day before an announced public
display for base personnel and invited guests only. Big time recruiting
ploy. So..."technically" the first show of the season may be counted
as the base only staff and 200 people thereabouts would be normal.


Have indeed been to what you describe in years past. However this part
of the press release would suggest it was as advertised, the first
public show for the season:

"Prior to the Blue Angels take off, the crowd was treated to aerial
performances by Bill Cornick flying the Pitts S-C2, John Collver flying
the AT-6 Texan "War Dog," Steve Cowell flying the Tuskegee Airman
T-6, Greg Medford flying a vintage Cold War-era Chinese Nanchang CJ-6A
and the sky acrobatics of Steve and Susan Oliver."

Have now sent a general inquiry to the PAO, NAF El Centro; no response
yet.

  #10  
Old March 19th 06, 01:34 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Blue Angels at El Centro - a very small crowd?

As a kid and living in the mountains between El Centro and San Diego I use
to hike down to the base and camp out just to watch the Blue Angeles
practice. I always had my trusted J.C. Higgins 22 rifle and I really
enjoyed watching them. In the winter it would get pretty cold at night and
I would build a small fire. It was just to hot in the summer and they were
not there. I would follow the old train tracks out of Grease Gorge
(mountain springs grade), stop of at old man Millers place (garage &
towing) at the bottom of the grade in Ocotillo. He had an old Cessna and
sometimes he would take me up for a ride. This was the days before the
freeway. On the way back at mountain springs grade there was an old hermit
know to me only as Happy. He lived down there among the rocks and lived off
of items from the truck wreaks, going down the grade. I normally would
visit with him for a couple of hours and then take the old stage couch route
back up the grade. And then head back into what is now McCain valley
recreation area (BLM land). From there I would normally go over and visit
with Old Tulle Jim McCain, he would always have something for me to do.
From there I would head back through the Manzanita Indian reservation
stopping to visit with the different Indian family's. There was an old dam
and if it happen to be hot I would stop and take a swim. There was Brucy,
and Atiline, and the Eleits. They always welcomed me, and at Jinks place he
would give me a grease gun and I would go up and grease the old wind mill.
I guess I must of traveled about 150 miles total and always caught hell when
I got home. But it was worth it to be able to lay out there in the desert
and watch the Blue Angeles, how I dreamed it was me up there.
Clyde


"Mike Weeks" wrote in message
oups.com...
Surely this is a typo ...

"El CENTRO, Calif. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the
Blue Angels, performed for more than 200 spectators at Naval Air
Facility (NAF) El Centro March 11, marking the beginning of the Blue
Angels' 60th anniversary season."

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=22709

MW



 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Order your FREE Small Blue Planet Toys Christmas Catalog before Oct 20th! Small Blue Planet Toys Aviation Marketplace 0 October 15th 03 05:26 PM
Blue Angel's Gear Door Broken? Clay N4AOX Military Aviation 15 October 6th 03 08:01 AM
Current Blue Angels equipment. . Drewe Manton Military Aviation 0 August 11th 03 10:32 AM
Small Blue Planet Toys goes Postal !! Economy Shipping Options now availalble Small Blue Planet Toys Aviation Marketplace 0 July 11th 03 04:00 PM
HUGE Summer SALE + Free Shipping @ Small Blue Planet Toys Small Blue Planet Toys Aviation Marketplace 0 July 8th 03 11:53 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:43 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.