Last week the Navy Blue Angels celebrated their 71st birthday and the Air Force Thunderbirds celebrated their 70th. (For those of you paying attention, the Thunderbirds are, technically, older than the independent Air Force itself. When they were created, it was the Army Air Force.
The two teams were together at the Blue's home station, NAS Pensacola. Something which hasn't happened since 2002 I believe. Pretty cool, both teams in the same spot!
Of course, our man Frost (well, his daughter anyway) was on the scene!
Frost's daughter said that it looked as if "half the population of Pensacola" was out there.
Local news footage -
Somebody tell me what, if anything, they noticed about the Thunderbird solo pilot in that interview. I noticed, loved it...
Why yes, I wish I had been there. Next time, next time...
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| The Thunderbirds' CO, must be a great guy. Based on his first name alone. |
Happy Birthday to the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds!!
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| The COs share the stage. |
Oh, one more thing, Juvat asked about the back lot at the museum, Frost had this to say -
BTW - Not sure, I saw one of your readers comments about the back bone yard being open. I am not sure if it is open on a daily basis, but definitely during Blue Angels practices that are open to the public as that's where they let us in to watch. And the old planes are roped off in the back and some do have ID signs, so it must be open for some occasions?
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| Hey, hey, hey! |
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| Spied in the back hanger. An SBD-5 Dauntless. If you read a close-up of the sign, this one was fished out of Lake Michigan and restored after 50 years. Looks in better shape today than me after 50 plus years! (LOL) -Frost (Yeah, me too!) |
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| Ooh, Hellcat. What's she doing there with those helo-drones? |
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| NC-4 Flying Boat |
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| Carrier aircraft galore! |
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| FJ-4 Fury (What we Air Force types might call an F-86.) |
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| Who let that MiG in? |
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| Blue Angel A-4s in the Atrium. One of my favorite places on the planet. |
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| Curtiss-Wright SNC Falcon If you look real close, you might notice there's a German loose on the floor. |
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| Hey, it's a T-33 "Shooting Star"! Isn't that an Air Force bird? Yes and no, Navy called it the TV-2. |
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| Columbia Aircraft Corporation J2F-6 Duck |
Once again class, what do we say?
Thank you Mr. Frost!
Oh, one more thing from our own Mr. Frost...
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| Hershey's Ice Cream Parlor and Cafe 10427 Sorrento Rd Suite 103, Pensacola, FL 32507 |
Last but not least Sarge, I suggest you suggest to your readers if they are up NAS Pensacola way that they stop by after the museum and get some Hershey's Ice Cream and if they are MARINE tough enough, they can try the Blue Angels "Fat Albert" Sundae Challenge!
I did not, due to being to full already from dinner. But I did have a really great coffee cappuccino with chocolate chucks cone.
You will notice the last person on the defeated Blue Angels "Fat Albert" Sundae Challenge list is listed as "completed-but disqualified". That's because there is a minimum 5 minute after completion time to shall we say, keep from having ice cream gear drift. This challenge should be a lock for any ex-old fighter pilots. I mean if you can keep things down in a 5+ plus G turn, a salad bowl of ice cream, brownies and all the fixings is, if you will pardon the pun, a piece of cake!
I need to be on that list!
Great pictures, Sarge and Mr. Frost! Haven't made much progress on the Southern Seaboard Museum tour yet, but Pensacola is definitely on my list.
ReplyDeleteAs to the Ex-Fighter Pilot challenge...There ain't enough insulin left on the planet!
Agree. I don't want my tombstone to read, "He Died From An Ice Cream Induced Brain Freeze." Mine is going to say, "He Failed To Engage His Brain Before Commenting To His Wife."
DeleteA much more likely epitaph for me also.
DeleteI think John speaks for most husbands.
DeleteI want to at least say I tried on the ice cream challenge. Knowing full well that The Missus Herself would not let me anywhere near that challenge.
Y'all need to grow up, stand up to Household 6. Ms Alemaster knows that The Alemaster makes all major decisions for this organization. She frequently reminds me that, to this point, there have been no decisions meeting the "major" designation. Serious cool post though, thanks, regards, Alemaster
DeleteSuch bravery redounds to the glory of Army aviation.
Delete:)
Seeing them both flying together would be awesome! I don't know why the tailhooks are down in the photo. (mini airbrake thing?)
ReplyDeleteI saw the Me-262 that the Air Force has in their museum. Nice looking bird.
I watched the news clip, and a couple of thoughts. What's with the upside down 5? I saw it on the aircraft and the chest of the uniform. I was glad to see that nobody had an eye poked out when the pilots were exchanging information, and I did notice in the interview the watch the Blue Angel pilot was wearing.
Great post.
The museum is on our must see list if/when we are in the area. And since my wife is retiring next year, we talked about an off season road trip in spring or fall to El Mundo Mickey so maybe seeing that museum is going to happen sooner than we thought.
Gear down, flaps down, hook down, standard landing config I would say, not being Navy I can't swear to that. I do know that it's definitely a Naval Aviation "thing."
DeleteTalking with hands, big watches, it's another "thing," though not restricted to Naval Aviation.
As to the "5," see below. (I didn't notice it on the aircraft though, good eye John!)
I'd expect that the upside down five has to do with his solo position- inverted over the lead solo?
ReplyDeleteYup, opposing solo has his number upside down and on his jet. This seems to be a recent phenomenon, older pictures of the Thunderbirds don't have that.
DeleteBe interesting to know when they started doing that.
The upside down 5 on his uniform which matches the inverted 5 on his F-16s inlet?
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
Yup, you and Tuna nailed it Al.
DeleteOpposing solo wears his number upside down on the jet and on his patch.
Thank you Mr. Frost and Mr. Frost's daughter!! Very nice pictures, especially when I remember that the planes were moving while flying and those pictures are in focus. :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent point Suz, those are really good photos!
DeleteThank you Mr. Frost and Daughter!
ReplyDeleteI noticed the Blues Skipper has his watch on his starboard banana dispenser actuator.
Remember when the T-Birds flew F-4's and the slot bird had a black vertical stab? The Blues flew the F-4 too but a non-black stab.
Crazy 5 in action:
https://i.stack.imgur.com/4uFNy.jpg
https://media.defense.gov/2006/Aug/14/2000545749/-1/-1/0/060811-F-1851B-109.JPG
I could have smoked that ice cream challenge bitd.
"starboard banana dispenser actuator" = monitor, sprayed.
DeleteOddly enough I never saw the Thunderbirds or the Blues when they flew the Phantom.
In my feckless youth I think I too could have smoked the ice cream challenge.
Normally I'm a mountain girl, but a day at that beach would have been great.
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteThank you Mr. Frost and daughter and Chris for providing some great aircraft photos for our viewing pleasure.
ReplyDeleteAbout the FJ-4, the F-86 mounted six .50s, as I recall from my youth. Otherwise, quite similar. Although I couldn't see it, I suspect that the FJ-4 also mounter a tail hook.
Paul L. Quandt
Fat fingers, mounted, not mounter.
DeletePaul
Yes indeed they had a tail hook, It was almost aligned with the trailing edge of the wing root, pretty far forward. I don't think the Fury was ever meant to be a carrier aircraft, she looks kind of awkward on a carrier deck. Maybe that's just me...
DeleteI too suffer from fingerus fattus typus.
Delete