Blue Angels fly Super Hornet?

[hendogg311]

Any of you watching the Military Channel know there is a Blue Angel Special on tonight and tomorrow night. I have seen plenty of TV shows on the Blue Angels and have seen them at many airshows over the years. After seeing a super hornet demonstration a few times I have a better respect for it's capabilities. It is a much better aircraft than the legacy hornet. The legacy still kicks butt, however ,the super hornet is just better. DO you guys think the Blues will transition to the super hornet since the mainly fly old F-18A models and they have been flying them since 1986.

 

[DanMa1156]

I doubt it... That'd cost alot of money, and I once read on their site there were no plans to do so. They keep their Hornets in Tip-Top Shape.

 

[nittany03]

Not likely for a while. The planes the Blues fly are high-time aircraft on their last stop before hitting the boneyard. The new jets go where they're needed most, to the fleet.

 

[ChuckMK23]

DO you guys think the Blues will transition to the super hornet since the mainly fly old F-18A models and they have been flying them since 1986.

I thought they went to Hornets in '88? Hmmmm

I remember distinctly running the O-course in API (AI) in the summer of '86 and the Blues were practicing in A-4's. Talk about motivating! Diamond formation of A-4's as I was crankin over one of those walls...I distinctly remember saying to myself how amazing it was that I was beginning what I was beginning.

And I think my time that day was pretty damn decent!

What a summer! The best in my life!

 

[Blutonski816]

They Blues fly Alphas in order to keep the weight down, and make for a good show. They're stripped of the unneccessary equipment so that the Thust-to-Weight ratio is better, and for better overall handling.
The same thing was done with the A-4s. Nothing fancy, just a simple, high-performance Jet

The Super Hornet has so much equipment stuffed inside that it wouldn't fit envelope of an Airshow performer (at least not the envelope the blues fly, although VFA-122's Demo team does alright for their solo)

 

[hendogg311]

ChuckMk23, the Blues transitioned to the F-18 Nov. 8, 1986. Thats why you saw the A-4s.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/aircraft/b-angels/blues.html

 

[ChuckMK23]

Thanks HenDogg!

How is life in the VT's?

 

[hendogg311]

Primary is fun, I love flying the T-34C. Lots of stuff to learn though.

 

[zippy]

Back on the topic of super hornet Blue Angels, I was playing back last nights episodes with the DVR, and on the desk behind "Boss" there is a plane on a stick. That plane is a super hornet (Had big square intakes), painted in the Blue Angel scheme.

 

[DanMa1156]

Hmmph, that's interesting. I know it's on tonight but I'm busy. I really wanted to see that show. Anyone else know when "A year in the life: Blue Angels" is on next? Zippy, I'm assuming that's the show you were talking about.

 

[Brett327]

Back on the topic of super hornet Blue Angels, I was playing back last nights episodes with the DVR, and on the desk behind "Boss" there is a plane on a stick. That plane is a super hornet (Had big square intakes), painted in the Blue Angel scheme.

We had MiG-29 sticks in our Prowler squadron. Draw your own conclusions. Back to the notion a few posts ago that the Blues get all the retreads and rejects from the fleet. You'd be amazed at the priority type treatment the Blues get. Order an AK0 part in your fleet squadron that the Blues need too. See who gets it first.

Brett

 

[zippy]

Yep, thats the show. It looks like its going to be on the military channel about a half dozen times this weekend.

I didn't mean to say that ment anything, just commenting on what I saw.

 

[Blutonski816]

We had MiG-29 sticks in our Prowler squadron. Draw your own conclusions. Back to the notion a few posts ago that the Blues get all the retreads and rejects from the fleet. You'd be amazed at the priority type treatment the Blues get. Order an AK0 part in your fleet squadron that the Blues need too. See who gets it first.

Brett

Yeah, well, they got that reputation of never missing a show because an aircraft was down...
I heard that they recently used their 2-seat #7 aircraft and re-numbered it to fill in for the #4 slot (which was down).

 

[gregsivers]

At the end of the year show in Pcola in Nov the 7 jet was used for one of the others, don't remember which, but I just know there was a 2 seater in the mix somewhere.

 

[Jeff29]

My guess is that they'll stick with the Alphas and eventually transition to the JSF. It would be interesting if one day the Blues and the Thunderbirds both flew the JSF.