31 minutes ago, birdguy said:

Blue angels cannot wear G-Suits because the FA/18 is a center stick aircraft whereas the Thunderbirds F-16s are side stick aircraft.

The Blue Angels have to rest their forearms and wrists on their laps to maintain precise control.  G-Suits inflating and deflating would interfere with that.  No such problem with the side stick F-16.

Noel

 

 

 

Very true Noel. There are some fantastic Blue Angel VIP ride videos worth checking out on YouTube. Quite amusing how, despite being taught how to do the G-Strain manoeuvre, they still tend to either get it wrong or not bother at all and then black out. 

 

 

 

This guy handled it great. Pushed it hard too.

 

 

Edited May 26, 20224 yr by martin-w

I've seen a lot of these Martin, both Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.  I've seen over a dozen Thunderbird demonstrations over the years from when they flew the F-100 to the F-16.  Seen the Blue Angels several times too.  I saw the Colorado Air National Guard Minutemen fly their F-86s at Selfridge Air Force Base in the late 50s.  Saw the Four Horsemen C-130 demonstration team once.  They were kinda short lived though.  Their maneuvers were somewhat pale compared to the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels bnut interesting though.

When I was in the weather flight at Buckley Air National Giard Base in Colorado we went to watch the Thunderbirds fly at Jefferson County Airport on Saturday.  One of the Thunderbirds aborted the takeoff and the solo took his place.  

When I went to the base on Monday I saw the bird that had aborted the takeoff in the hangar where our weather office was located.  I went down and talked to the crew chief who was just sitting there waiting for soe parts to be flown in.  I asked him if I could sit in it and he allowed me to.  The only time I ever got to sit in an F-16.

Sat in an F-4 at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio.

When I got my ride in the back seat of the F-100F at Hill AFB in Utah the pilot stepped back on the wing and gave me the briefing.  He showed me where the ejection seat handle was and how to prepare for ejection.  Then he told me, "When I say eject-eject-eject if you say huh? you'll be sitting here alone."

All that said and watching all the slick Thunderbird and Blue Angels rides I'd still rather accept an invitation from Tom and flying in his Mustang around the peaks and through the gaps close to the ground.  Having done quite a bit of Cherokee and Mooney flying in the mountains that's where my love of flying lies.

Noel

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

've seen a lot of these Martin, both Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.  I've seen over a dozen Thunderbird demonstrations over the years from when they flew the F-100 to the F-16.  Seen the Blue Angels several times too.  I saw the Colorado Air National Guard Minutemen fly their F-86s at Selfridge Air Force Base in the late 50s.  Saw the Four Horsemen C-130 demonstration team once.  They were kinda short lived though.  Their maneuvers were somewhat pale compared to the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels bnut interesting though.

 

Yes Noel, but have you seen an English Electric Lightning (a brick with two engines) fly over your head at low altitude and go vertical? My god it was deafening. One of the few jets that could go supersonic vertically.

https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/english-electric-lightning

Or what about a Vulcan bomber, flying over the crowd, not at am airfield, but at Billesley Common in the West Midlands UK. You could feel the low frequency sound in your guts, as it pointed its nozzles at the crowd and increased thrust.

Those were the days, when they were actually allowed to fly low over your head. I'm sure you recall the equivalent US experience with US jets.

These days of course, the thrill for us is The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. 

https://www.airtattoo.com/

You US guys are there in abundance of course, with your fancy F22's and stuff. I doubt I'll be there this year of course, as it would require a flight and hotel. Rather than the  one hour drive to the Cotswolds we used to make.

 

Edited May 26, 20224 yr by martin-w

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

The only time I ever got to sit in an F-16.

 

I've sat in an RAF Jaguar, Hawk and Tornado. The RAF actually towed the three aircraft to Drayton Manner Park and Zoo in the West Midlands quite a few years ago and we were allowed to sit in the cockpit. 

I've also had a good look inside a Vulcan Bomber. That was at Coventry Air museum. A guy that worked there allowed us inside. 

Very impressive was the Vulcan, we had one flying but I recall they ran out of funding. Luckily my son and daughter got to see it fly at RIAT before it was grounded, the first and last time they saw it fly. Although I think I'm right in saying that they are working on a second aircraft with the intent of getting it back in the air.

We were actually there in the crowd, in the video below, for the Vulcans last appearance at RIAT. 

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, martin-w said:

Or what about a Vulcan bomber, flying over the crowd

It made my rib cage vibrate.

2 minutes ago, dmwalker said:

It made my rib cage vibrate.

 

Mentioned above, at Billesley Common UK. 

I follow Stevio on YouTube (and millions of others!) but this video of his I particularly enjoyed. Cheers.

Edited May 26, 20224 yr by FrankPilot