 |
| The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team The Red Arrows Their Website |
 |
| 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
An Update for Hogday:
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.
ReplyDeleteOne 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!
Thanks Buck.
DeleteFirst 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!
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?
ReplyDeleteHhmm, I never really thought about turbulence. Must be some. I'll have to ask my son-in-law Big Time.
DeleteGreat 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.
ReplyDeletehttp://aerobaticteams.net/raf-tigers.html
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.
DeleteA 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.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteAnd yes, another thing we have to thank the Obummer for.
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. :)
ReplyDeletePretty neat plane.
Delete