The Blue Angels

We went to see the Blue Angels practice today at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.  The Blue Angels is the Navy's flight demonstration squadron, with aviators from the Navy and Marines.  During their demonstrations they fly six McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.  It was quite a show.  When in a tight formation, they fly 18 inches apart.  The sound of the jet engines give you goosebumps.  The show lasted about an hour.  Here are some interesting facts:

• An estimated 15 million spectators view the squadron during air shows each year.
• The highest maneuver performed in an air show is the vertical rolls, up to 15,000 feet and the lowest maneuver performed in an air show is the Sneak Pass, at 50 feet.
• The fastest speed flown during an air show is about 700 mph (just under Mach 1) and the slowest is about 120 mph.
• The basic acquisition price of a single F/A-18 Hornet is approximately $21 million.
• The F/A-18 can reach speeds just under Mach 2, almost twice the speed of sound or about 1,400 mph.
• An F/A-18 weights about 24,500 pounds empty of all ordnance and aircrew.
• The smoke is produced by pumping biodegradable, paraffin-based oil directly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft where the oil is instantly vaporized into smoke. It provides a traceable path for spectators to follow and enhances safety of flight by providing a means by which solo pilots can see each other during opposing maneuvers.  

Click here to see some video that we took.

Here are some pictures: