With World War II fresh in the memories of the public when the Navy established the Blue Angels in 1946, the first flight leader Lieutenant Commander Roy "Butch" Voris created a show segment in which the team's F6F Hellcats pursued an airplane playing the role of a
Japanese fighter and "shot it down." The first plane to fill this role was an SNJ Texan advanced trainer nicknamed "Beetle Bomb." The only aircraft operated concurrently by both the Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the F-4 was the platform the team took to the far corners of the globe, touring South America, Asia, and Europe during the four years the Blue Angels operated the powerful aircraft.
In 1965, the Blue Angels conducted a Caribbean island tour, flying at five sites. Later that year, they embarked on a European tour to a dozen sites, including the Paris Air Show, where they were the only team to receive a standing ovation.
The Blue Angels were officially recommissioned on October 25, 1951, and reported to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Lt. Cdr. Voris was again tasked with assembling the team (he was the first of only two commanding officers to lead them twice).
In 1953 the team traded its Sky Train for a Curtiss R5C Commando. The Bearcat was the last piston-engine fighter built by Grumman Aircraft. It was introduced in 1945 towards the end of WWII. With the transition from the Hellcat to the Bearcat, the Blue Angels adopted the shades of yellow and blue that they still wear today.
These colors were used from 1946 to 1948. However, for the 1949 show season, the Blue Angels sported an all-yellow paint scheme. In August 1949, towards the end of the season, the Bearcat and the all-yellow paint schemes were replaced.
The team thrilled spectators with low-flying maneuvers performed in tight formations, and (according to Voris) by "...keeping something in front of the crowds at all times." My objective was to beat the Army Air Corps. If we did that, we'd get all the other side issues.
I felt that if we weren't the best, it would be my naval career." The Blue Angels' first public demonstration also netted the team its first trophy, which sits on display at the team's current home at NAS Pensacola.
1970s The Blues received their first U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130F Hercules (Bureau Number 150690) in 1970. An all-Marine crew manned it. That year, they went on their first South American tour. In 1971, the team conducted its first Far East Tour, performing at a dozen locations in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, and the Philippines.
In 1972, the Blue Angels were awarded the Navy's Meritorious Unit Commendation for the two-year period from March 1, 1970 – December 31, 1971. Another European tour followed in 1973, including air shows in Tehran, Iran, England, France, Spain,
Turkey, Greece, and Italy. On November 8, 1986, the Blue Angels unveiled the Hornet. It is the first purpose-built dual-role fighter/attack aircraft and is still serving in the Navy and Marine Corps as the upgraded Super Hornet.
The Blue Angels flew the A, B, C, and D variants of the Hornet until 2020. That year, the team upgraded to the Super Hornet E and F variants which they plan to fly for many years to come.
When the Blue Angels transitioned to the F8F Bearcat, they painted one of them yellow to fill the role of "Beetle Bomb." It continued to fly even when the teams transitioned to jet aircraft in 1949. A fatal crash at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in 1950 ended the use of the "Beetle Bomb" as part of flight demonstrations.
Adopted in 1949, the Panther was the first jet aircraft flown by the Blue Angels. It also reintroduced the blue and yellow paint scheme originally sported by the Bearcat. The next year, on June 25, the Korean War broke out.
All of the Blue Angels pilots volunteered for combat duty and the demonstration squadron was disbanded. Tragically, the Blue Angels Commander/Flight Leader Lt. Cmdr. John Magda, was killed in action on March 8, 1951. That same year, on October 25, the Blue Angels were reactivated and resumed demonstrations in the newer F9F-5 Panther.
They flew the straight-wing Panther until 1955. Grumman F11F-1 Tiger, 1957–69 In January 1957, the team left its winter training facility at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California for a ten year period. For the next ten years, the team would winter at NAS Key West, Florida.
For the 1957 show season, the Blue Angels transitioned to the supersonic Grumman F11F-1 Tiger, first flying the short-nosed, and then the long-nosed versions. The first Six-Plane Delta Maneuvers were added in the 1958 season. In 1969, the Blue Angels adopted their first two-seater aircraft with the Phantom.
It was also the only aircraft to be flown by both the Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds. The fast and powerful Phantom allowed the team to add enough maneuvers to their routine to fill a 22-minute demonstration.
In 1971, the Blue Angels performed their first Far East Tour which included Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines. The Phantom was flown until 1974. The United States Navy's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and is currently the oldest formal flying aerobatic team.
The squadron's six demonstration pilots currently fly the F/A-18 Hornet in more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many of the same practices and techniques used in their aerial displays in 1946. Since their
since inception, the "Blues" have flown a variety of different aircraft types for more than 427 million spectators worldwide. The Skyhawk was adopted by the Blue Angels during the 1954 winter training season. In November 1985, Lt.
Cmdr. Donnie Cochran became the Blue Angels' first African American pilot. At the time of its retirement, the small and maneuverable Skyhawk was the longest flown Blue Angels aircraft. For the team's 40th anniversary, a new aircraft was introduced.
F9F-8 Cougar formation in 1956 The first Marine Corps pilot, Capt Chuck Hiett, joined the team and they relocated to their current home of NAS Pensacola in the winter of 1954. In August 1954, "Blues" leader LCDR Ray Hawkins becomes the first naval
aviator to survive an ejection at supersonic speeds when his F9F-6 became uncontrollable on a cross-country flight. NFDS | The Blue Angels Public Affairs 390 San Carlos Rd. | Suite A Pensacola, FL 32508-5508 Phone: (850) 452-3955
El Centro, CA (Winter Training) Phone: (760) 339-2608 The Hellcat is one of the Navy's most iconic fighter planes. Joining the fleet in 1943, the aircraft was instrumental in turning the tide in the Pacific. It was faster, tougher, and more maneuverable than both the Grumman F4F Wildcat which it replaced and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero that it was most often pitted against in battle.
This made it an excellent platform as an exhibition aircraft. With the Blue Angels, the Hellcat sported a navy blue (near black) paint scheme with gold lettering. The Hellcat and its paint scheme only lasted from July until August 1946.
The 2021 show season, which also marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Blue Angels in 1946, introduced the F/A-18 Super Hornet to air show crowds. As has been the case throughout the history of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the demonstration pilots adjusted the show routine to take advantage of the new platform's capabilities.
Popularly called "Fat Albert," various versions of the C-130 Hercules have provided logistics support to the Blue Angels for more than 50 years. The venerable aircraft routinely opens air shows and for many years executed jet-assisted takeoffs (JATOs) to the delight of spectators.
Over the course of 75 years, the more than 500 million people who have seen the Blue Angels perform at air shows around the world have witnessed the power and grace of some of the Navy's all-time classic aircraft.
Presented here are historical images of some of these classic propeller-driven aircraft and thunderous jets flown by the Blue Angels. All six Blue Angel A-4F Skyhawks executing a "fleur de lis" maneuver.[edit] 1980s A Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron pilot sits in the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft
F/A-18s Performing in San Francisco On November 8, 1986 the Blue Angels completed their 40th anniversary year during ceremonies unveiling their present aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, the first multi-role fighter/attack aircraft. The power and aerodynamics of the Hornet allows them to perform a slow, high angle of attack "tail sitting" maneuver, and to fly a "dirty" (landing gear down) formation loop, the last of which is not duplicated by the Thunderbirds.
An airplane nicknamed the "Tinker Toy" by pilots because of its small size, the A-4 contrasted sharply with its predecessor. Known for its nimble performance, the Skyhawk equipped the Blue Angels during the 1974–1986 show seasons, the latter the 40th anniversary of the demonstration squadron's establishment.
Fat Albert performed his final JATO demonstration at the 2009 Pensacola Homecoming show, spending their 8 remaining JATO bottles. This demonstration was not only the last JATO performance of the squadron, but also the final JATO profile of the entire US Marine Corps.
In December 1974 the Navy Flight Demonstration Team downsized to the subsonic Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II and was reorganized into the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. This reorganization allowed the establishment of a commanding officer (the flight leader), added support officers, and further redefined the squadron's mission emphasizing the support of recruiting efforts.
Commander Tony Less was the squadron's first official commanding officer. Between 2 September and 4 September 2011 on labor day weekend, the Blue Angels flew for the first time with a 50-50 blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a camelina-based biofuel at Naval Air Station Patuxent River airshow at Patuxent River,
Maryland. McWherter flew an F/A-18 test flight on August 17 and stated there were no noticeable differences in performance from inside the cockpit. Evaluated by the Blue Angels as a possible demonstration aircraft in 1953, the F7U Cutlass proved as unpopular with the team as it did in the fleet, where it had a reputation for being underpowered and presented challenges for maintenance personnel.
The venerable transport aircraft that made headlines with its role in the Berlin Airlift, the R5D Skymaster was among the aircraft used by the Blue Angels as a logistics aircraft transporting ground-support personnel to show sites.
It served in this role from 1956 to 1968.
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