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The Thrill of Flying with the Blue Angels
By Russ Albertson
Ernie, the C-130 Herclues used by the Blue Angels. (Russ Albertson)The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have thrilled hundreds of millions of spectators at airshows across the country since 1946. The team demonstrates seemingly effortless precision in all their maneuvers as they fly the beautiful Boeing F/A-18 Hornets just inches apart. The team was established just after WWII as the U.S. Navy saw its budget diminishing. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz, directed his staff to find a way to promote Naval Aviation and keep the public aware of the need for a strong military. The Navy Flight Exhibition Team was born in 1946. Lieutenant Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, a Navy Ace in WWII, was selected as the first flight leader and the team acquired the name “Blue Angels” when one of the first pilots on the team saw a reference to the Blue Angel Nightclub in a magazine.
The team, led by Lt.Cdr. Voris, chose the best pilots he could find to fly the Grumman F-6F five-piston engine Navy carrier fighter. The F-6Fs were painted dark blue with gold trim, which was changed to dark blue and yellow as the team transitioned to the F-8F Bearcat in August, 1946. The team started with four aircraft flying the signature “Diamond” formation and later added two “Solo” aircraft. The team has flown 10 different aircraft and received their first jet, the Grumman F-9F Panther, in 1949, and today the team flies the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet. The Hornets are at the end of their carrier arrestment service life. The Hornets are modified by the team with an inverted fuel pump to ensure uninterrupted fuel flow for extended up-side down flying. Other modifications include the removal of the nose cannon, the addition of a fluid smoke system, stop watch, and an adjustable tension spring to the control stick, …and of course that beautiful Blue and Gold paint scheme!
Kelly Johnson at the Lockheed “Skunk Works”
By Alan Smith
Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson, a true genius of high performance aircraft design.Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson was, without a doubt one of the most, if not the most prolific and ingenious aircraft designer in the worlds of both civil and military aviation. During his 50 years at Lockheed (now Lockheed-Martin) Aircraft Corporation, Johnson single-handedly designed and built ten high performance aircraft and participated in the design and building of 11 others. His own designs included the twin-engine P-38, which was the first 400 mph fighter, the XP-80, the first Air Force jet fighter, the F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2 and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. The XP-80 was designed and built in just 143 days!
You Can't Tame a Raptor
The invasion of the Raptors is coming to the California Capital Airshow. (Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, USAF)By Karen Storm
In the wild, birds of prey are very distinctive in their attributes: a sharp, pointed beak; strong feet with razor-sharp talons; keen eyesight, and animals —even other birds— are their food source. Another name used to describe these birds is derived from the Latin word —Rapere— which means to plunder. They are smart, aggressive, cunning, and lethal. Such a bird is called a Raptor.
It is also the name of the United States Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, a designation made both appropriately and without apology. The F-22 Raptor, manufactured by the team of Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney, is the world’s only operational fifth-generation fighter, and it is absolutely masterful at conducting its stated mission of Air Dominance.