TRADITION ... THE BLUE ANGELS

[Music] Tradition has deep roots here at Pensacola, Florida. Some reach back centuries. Others, such as the tradition of naval aviation, are relatively young, not quite 60 years of age. [Music] One tradition is particularly significant at Pensacola's Naval Air. It's a tradition known as the Blue Angels. A fantastic aerial ballet, precision maneuvers executed with quick and easy grace, a melding of aviator skills and the performance of high-speed jet aircraft. This is how the Blue Angel's tradition is seen from the sky. Like many traditions, it started with a mission. The year was 1946. As representatives of the United States Navy, the newly formed flight demonstration team was directed to demonstrate the tactical techniques of naval aviation. Their role was to augment the Navy's recruiting programs by stimulating interest in the United States Navy. Thus, they could aid in the procurement of naval aviators and aviation personnel and promote morale in the naval service. To date, a 100 million people have witnessed their demonstration and know the team affectionately as the Blue Angels. On the ground, the Blue Angel's tradition is seen as a closely knit team of 10 officers and 90 enlisted men, all regular career Navy. For each team member, this tour of duty is a 2-year investment, helping to build and maintain the Blues tradition. It's hard work being a Blue. For the pilots, practice every day, practice, and more practice. For the maintenance crews, it's a constant cycle of preparation, practice, and preparation. This game has two names. This is where both are accomplished. Naval Air Station Pensacola, home of the Blue Angels. The care and feeding of modern supersonic jet fighters is a full-time job. To the crews who maintain the Blue Angels aircraft, preparation is a goal of peak performance at all times. And tradition calls for this task to be done by the finest technicians found in the Navy. The Blues team has all the required service ratings and job descriptions, plus the caliber of skill expected of men carefully selected from a long list of volunteers. The fierce pride of achievement felt by the Blues is reflected in the unique decor of their home base environment. Blue Angel, Lieutenant Russell. This is also a place for hard work. How are you? In these offices are carried out all the routine tasks of naval unit administration, plus special tasks imposed by the team's special mission. At certain moments in time here at Pensacola, the end results of practice and preparation come closer to fulfillment. All elements of the Blue Angel team are mustered, men and machines. They are leaving home base for a flight demonstration. It happens about 80 times per year. A 100 different pilots have sat in briefing sessions like this one since the Blues were formed. Each is a regular Navy or Marine officer, 26 to 36 years of age and a highly qualified jet pilot. Each has undergone an exhaustive selection process to become a Blue Angel. Together they contribute a wealth of special experience to the Blue Angel tradition. There is flight instructor experience here, duty at Naval Advanced Jet Flight Schools, where they helped write the book on precision maneuvers. There is also combat experience here, carrier operations with the fleet in Southeast Asia, interdiction and strike missions over Vietnam's jungles. And to all these former duty assignments, they will return when their Blue Angels tour is over. Right now, the briefing is for a peaceful mission. So, we're going to have to take a good look at the field when we get there. Make a standard walk down and VFR type takeoff. [Music] Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is a typical showcase for the Blue Angels flight demonstration. It could be a small airfield in rural America, a military base, or one of the free world's major international jet airports. Despite the holiday atmosphere, this is tradition on display. Those of you in the front rows can see the military manner in which our six demonstration pilots have walked down are approaching their assigned aircraft and have been saluted by their respective plane captains and first mechanics. In a few moments, after a conference with the maintenance personnel, the pilots will man up these F4Js to begin today's flight demonstration. All six pilots have manned up their aircraft. Now, their crew chief are assisting in strapping them into these F4J Phantom jets. Very shortly, our Blue Angel ground crew will begin starting the small auxiliary power units that will in turn start our Phantoms. Watch as pilots and ground crew team up to check all the very important components of these Phantoms before they give the final thumbs up and taxi out to begin the flight demonstration. They accelerate down runway from the right for the diamond takeoff. [Music] our lead solo pilot as he runs his engine to full power and now at 170 mph pulls the nose of his aircraft into the air with a gear in flaps still extended. Rolls his aircraft 360° with the gear and flaps down. A very spectacular dirty roll on takeoff gear and flaps. acceleration now down the runway. now pulling back on the stick, climbing straight up, allowing those two General Electric J79 engines that power these aircraft to drive his F4J straight [Music] up, th000 mph coming out from the right, from the left. The highest aircraft 50 ft in the air. The other three underneath him now for the diamond cross. The Blue Angel pilots are justly proud of the formation they fly. Consider the title demonstration in the world. Complete overlap with only 36 in separating the wing chips from the canopy. The diamond formation. Off to the right now about a half mile. See if you can see what's unusual about this diamond formation. As Commander Weed brings him across the field from the right, the marble formation. The leader commander Bill is upside down from the left 400 degrees per second horizontal [Music] roll. Back in the basic diamond formation, complete wing overlap only inches from wing to canopy now as we brings him in with a very beautiful diamond roll. [Music] to the right to the left tonight. Back at the basic diamond now climbing straight up in over the top of the diamond. [Music] [Music] on the left going control he has of his aircraft flinged upside [Music] down the right echelon formation. The wingman stack 45 degrees after the right wing, but watch now as they slide across from echelon halfway through a roll into tight diamond. Change over [Music] roll. Pausing momentarily after reach 90° roll. Four distinct points in the fourpoint [Music] roll in left echelon now. Zack 45° back on the lead aircraft left wing tight formation. Watch as the leader rolls into the formation maneuver that according to the book is impossible now. Very smooth formation. They roll over the top now as they roll into that four aircraft formation. The left echelon [Music] roll. Two solos now joined with the diamond off in the right now. The six aircraft delta maintaining sight formation still complete wing overlap still only inches separating the wing tips from the canopies. Now the delta [Music] roll back now from the left. The same delta this time at nearly 500 mph as Randeree drives the formation nearly straight up onto their backs now diamond loop. Randeree floats the formation over the top and pilots at zero g as he rounds out the maneuver taking the radius the top the same diameter as the radius at the bottom. Now on comes the pole as they dive straight to the ground. All six aircraft flying as though they were welded together in one tight formation. [Music] Four aircraft in the box formation. Number two aircraft line of breast is the leader. They coming now for the right for the box loop. Watch very carefully halfway through the maneuver as they call for a formation change. Very smooth transition from box to diamond formation at the top of this loop. Pal returns now from the right. Climbing his aircraft nearly straight up. Rolling it once, twice, three times now as he's still climbing. Still rolling right now with his aircraft upside down. complet solo pal. He does the outside 1/2 cubin. A maneuver that we call [Music] oblivion from the left now. A five aircraft manta formation as they come in now for the Florida League. [Music] I think we've shown you all here today that these McDonald Douglas F4Js handle very well at the high speeds we've seen so far. These aircraft flown by thousands of Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force pilots is one of the most successful fighter aircraft in the free world today. On the right now, the Blue Angel Delta [Music] The flight demonstration. is over. The blues land as they have performed in tight formation. A performance seldom equaled, never [Music] surpassed for the pilots. This is also part of the Blue Angel's tradition, receiving their accolades in person, meeting the public face to face, for the Navy expects each member of the team to represent the service at all times on the ground as well as in the air. Ambassadors of goodwill wherever the team commitments take them, often inspiring the nation's young men to select a Navy career and so become future standard bears of the Blue Angels tradition. traditions standard bearsers. That's a fitting title for all the people who wear the blues insignia. And the standard they uphold, it's an old tradition, deeprooted and mellowed by centuries. It's also as contemporary as supersonic flight. A tradition of hard work, a constant striving for excellence, and the knowledge of a job well done. That's the Blue Angel's tradition. [Music]