A breath of Patriotism is in the air

[strick9]

The Blue Angels were doing their practice routines over Charleston today. This will be the first "over the Charleston Harbor" show in quite sometime.

Everywhere I went people of all walks were looking up to the sky as they performed their practice flights.

In an overwhelmingly yuppy town it seemed to reinvigorate much needed patriotism.

Put simply it jacked me the phuk up and made me somehow feel a little more at ease.

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Living in San Diego I get to see fly by's all the time at the stadium and over the house as they do the starting of the fly by. Really cool. Don't mind the noise at all in fact it is the sound of freedom

 

[Queequeg]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

I grew up right next to Pease AFB in New Hampshire and have lived not far from MacDill AFB in Tampa since 1977. It's a wonderful thing to see and hear the various jets, Props (mostly C-130 variants) and helocopters.

The F-16s moved to Arizona back in '96' or so though so it's not quite as electrifying as it used to be. Still, it's always fun to see what is here as well as the visiting aircraft.

 

[Dogtown]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

The Blue Angels are always a treat. Growing up in the SF Bay Area, I always looked forward to Fleet Week with the highlight being the Blue Angels roaring through downtown, flying between buildings...

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dogtown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Blue Angels are always a treat. Growing up in the SF Bay Area, I always looked forward to Fleet Week with the highlight being the Blue Angels roaring through downtown, flying between buildings...</div></div>
That would be something to look straight out a window and see one fly by at 3 or 4 hundred miles and hour.

 

[Dogtown]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

As I recall, they broke windows one year, so naturally the between the buildings stuff was stopped.

 

[Mike]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

I live right here were they are based. I am very fortunate as I get to see them practice all the time. They actually have an area on base where the public can come and watch them practice for free. Usually though all I need to do is go outside as they're always flying up and down the beach. Usually at about 100ft. ASL.

 

[Maser]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Up until like a couple years or so ago, I had never heard of Blue Angels. But apparently it seems that when I was like 2 or 3 my parents took me and my older bro to one of their shows. According to my bro, I didn't like the noise. After seeing their performances on TV and the net, I'd like to see them in person again and at least this time I'll remember the experience.

 

[krink85]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Stationed at NAS Pensacola for A school. They practiced there a little bit. The best was when we would be PTing and they would fly over low and rather quick. Lets just say it made you jump the first few times it happened.

 

[marduk185]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

this thread made me wax naustalgic aboot runs on the strand with a6 jetwash blowin down on ya.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

When the IRL came to Watkins Glen, the ceremonies included a flyover by Fat Albert, the Blue Angels' C-130 support aircraft, which is a Marine Corps Aircraft.

After low overflying turn #1, Albert did a wide sweeping turn out over the Southern end of Seneca Lake and another really lower head-on return flyover just above the turn #1 stands, crossing the 'T' at turn #1.

I was standing in the tailgating area at the the apex of turn #1, facing the oncoming C-130 in my red 3MarDiv baseball cap, and flipped the aircrew my best USMC Hand Salute; which was returned (I'm guessing here...) by the Pilot with a rock of the wings.

One of the better moments in my miserable groundpounder existence...

Greg

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

When our girls were still in school we went several times to the local airport / AF Reserve base and watched them 3 or 4 times. I always get my head sunburned...

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds are both top notch. I particularly like when they come low and out of nowhere at .99 mach to meat just over your head. You don't hear them coming until just before they get there.

I also loved the sound of a P-51-D Mustang with the Merlin engine. No other plane sounds like a Merlin. I don't know which one can get my heart racing faster.

 

[E3C3H3O3]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

I live nearby Bradley Inter. airport up in CT. I used to love seeing the A-10's flying around, until they got rid of them a couple years back. Now they got a few F-14's I think, and you almost never see them, unless you see them landing or taking off they fly to high. Bring the A-10's back to CT, we miss them.

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Love to watch the fighter jets. I used to work just outside the fence of Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL. When the airshow came to town. We would take off and go outside and watch the practice on the Friday before the show. Most of the time it was the Thunder Birds. Them poilts and do some really cool thing with there F-16's. I also have a uncle that was over the mech's that worked on the F-16's stationed there and over at Danlee Field. I got to visit with him at work once. Got to see the preflight stuff and see inside the cockpit. I always wanted to fly a fighter, now I would just love to go up in one.

 

[Parallax]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dogtown</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...roaring through downtown, flying between buildings... </div></div>

AP: This picture was taken in Detroit, Michigan on the weekend of July 10th, 2009. The F-18 Super Hornet was given permission to do a low level pass over the Detroit River as part of the opening ceremonies of the annual Hydroplane boat races. After completing the low level pass, the F-18 flew very close to a Detroit area apartment building.

 

[khronoscide]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Would religiously try to get out and see them (the Blues) at MCAS El Toro for the annual airshows. They had some of the best airsows and other demonstrations I've seen there and it was a sad day to see that base closed.

 

[E3C3H3O3]

Re: A breath of Patriotism is in the air

Nice pic of the F-18, wish I were that guy standing on his balcony watching that fly by, probably scared the shit out of him