Friday, May 17, 2013

The Friday Flyby - 17 May

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team
The Red Arrows

Their Website
I was going through some old posts recently and stumbled across a comment from my blog-buddy Hogday. In that comment, he mentioned the Red Arrows. In my response to his comment, I said that someday I should do a Friday Flyby featuring flight demonstration teams. Well, today is that day. Buckle up ladies and gents, return your seat to the upright position and stow your tray tables, we're about to take off. (Psst, Hogday's blog is here, go have a look. We'll wait...)

The Snowbirds Demonstration Team (431 Squadron)
Royal Canadian Air Force

This is from the Snowbirds Website
Awesome Shot, Eh?
Aeronautica Militare
Frecce Tricolori
Their Website
Blue Impulse (11 Squadron)
Japan Air Self-Defense Force

航空自衛隊

Patrouille de France

From The Patrouille de France Website
Très bon, n'est pas?

The Swifts (Стрижи, Strizhi)
Russian Air Force
Военно-воздушные cилы России

Irish Air Corps
Silver Swallows - Disbanded
Fáinleoga Silver

八一飞行表演队
August 1st. Aerobatic Team
People's Liberation Army Air Force

The United States Air Force
Thunderbirds
Blood of my blood...

The Thunderbirds' Website

The United States Navy
Blue Angels
The love of my heart...

You never forget your first...

The Blues' Website 

No matter what uniform they wear...

No matter what aircraft they fly...

They soar with eagles and...


They have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings



They are pilots.

An Update for Hogday:



10 comments:

  1. I've seen most of these teams at one time or another... all of 'em, as a s'matter o' fact, except for the Commies and the Irish. The Blue Impulse put on a great show with amazing formations of 12 aircraft. They were flying F-86s the last time I saw them, in the mid-70s.

    One of my other minor claims to fame is I've seen the 'Birds in every airframe they've flown except for those six performances in the Thud. Mind you, the Ol' Man got me started at a pretty early age. My favorite T-Bird plane? The Phantom, no doubt. It was Big and Beautiful and put on one helluva show. The worst? The T-38, which was just the opposite of the Phantom... hard to see unless they were right in front of you.

    Great post!

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    1. Thanks Buck.

      First time I saw the Thunderbirds they were flying the F-100. I loved the Hun. Missed them in the Phantom, same with the Blues. (First time I saw the Blues they were flying the Grumman F-11 Tiger.)

      I was thrilled when the Thunderbirds moved to the F-16. That bird can fly!

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  2. Very cool, and I'm sure dangerous, not just the close quarters, but isn't there a lot of backwash and turbulance involved to make it even harder?

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    1. Hhmm, I never really thought about turbulence. Must be some. I'll have to ask my son-in-law Big Time.

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  3. Great post Sarge! Did I ever mention what may have been the most fuel INefficient RAF display team of all time? Saw them when I was eleven at RAF North Weald. My ears are still ringing.
    http://aerobaticteams.net/raf-tigers.html

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    1. They flew the Lightning? My brother had a model of one of those when we were boys. We always thought it was kind of neat the way the engines were one on top of the other. Also the wing tips, very odd-looking to us.

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  4. A most excellent post indeed. Pity that B. O. has sidelined both Angels and T-birds for the year with his sequester. I was going to take my nephew to see them this year but the show was cancelled. Pity, as he's never seen such a sight.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks!

      And yes, another thing we have to thank the Obummer for.

      Delete
  5. The words, 'what part of "lone gunman" don't you understand' always flit through my mind when I see the acrobatic teams. That's pretty cool. And, I never even heard of that other Lightning. I went and looked thinking I'd see something truly awkward like a bunch of P-38s flying acrobatics. Boy was I disillusioned. :)

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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