Aren't you supposed to be wearing your brown BDU shirt, as a C/4c? What's with the black undershirt, son.

Our det does a 1 week switachroo with the POC taking over their responsiblities. We're allowed to dress with their uniform standards as well. To answer your question though, yeah I usually do.

I blame violent video games...

Bronto Saurus

The cost for maintaining the blue angels and thunderbirds is EXTREMELY small compared to Iraq or other things. Like someone stated- these jets can be combat ready in 2 days... as the pilots are already veteran combat pilots... I fail to see your logic. I think anyone will agree with you that a $600 billion defense budget is ridiculous when we only have $54 billion in education, but to blame the blue angels and thunderbirds is stupid.

Everyone who says blue angels and thunderbirds are a danger to public, are you really that retarded? If you really want to help out the dangers to the public, focus on things that matter, driving, cancer etc.

Everyones profile asplode!

agentanaranjado: Did anyone read the Fox News report??

Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at a Marine air base, and then one dropped down below the trees and apparently crashed. "The next thing I seen was just a big black cloud of smoke," Gerald Poop, who lives nearby, told CNN.

CNN:
"Another witness, Gerald Popp, said the six jets had been flying for about five minutes before one of them turned south, toward the Broad River.

"I saw him go down lower than the trees, and next I saw a big black cloud of smoke," said Popp, who also lives in Beaufort."


huh.

I'm talking to my mom right now, it crashed in her yard

Godspeed to him. Many prayers to his family.

"their flyboys could play hazardous games over populated areas."

Hey, I get that you're not too pleased with the Blue Angels as a whole, but come on: the individual pilots are guilty of nothing more than being good at there job.

/Let's lay off our fighting men and women, huh?
//They protect us while we sleep
///The protect our right to talk shiat about them

JimmyHoffa2222 suggests that my logic is flawed because the millions spent on the Blue Angels, and the Air Force Thunderbirds are a fraction of the military budget. Well, many things are a fraction of the military budget but people seem to get excited about them. Welfare, for instance. But that's another argument for another time.

Is it "retarded" to wonder whether the public, as you suggest, already endangered by many other things in life, be exposed to absolutely unnecessary danger in order to give some war hawks their jollies?

I took this one at last year's graduation practice. It's damn sad.

I have launched Naval jet aircraft from the deck of a carrier. I have served with the likes of these guys. Anyone who does not give them the credit due is a farking asshat.

I love the Blue Angels, and for all of the asshats trolls biatching about the sound they make....that is the sound of FREEDOM fark-tard.

The liberal trolls who have been hatin' on this thread make me want to puke.

I'm sorry about the crash & the pilot. BUT, gubmint should discontinue this crap. Too many risks & quite honestly, not enough to warrent it. Money is better spent elsewhere.

gradatim Wins the Assbite and Troll award for the thread. I'm sure FLYNAVY would love to meet you for a beer and some serious discussion.

Bronto Saurus: I'm of course sad for the pilot who died but I do question the need for these air shows.

Oh, well, I guess if the kids want to be educated, they should join the military.

One of the reason they have these air shows. This is a marketing opportunity to get people to join the military.

Yea one crash in how many years?? It would be a good idea to shut them down along with all other formation flying aircraft since its so dangerous and all.

" Your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million. On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000. Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane. However, the perception is that you have more control over your fate when you are in your car than as a passenger. Experience shows otherwise considering that over 50,000 people are killed on the highways every year."

With that train of thought, maybe we should shut down dirt track racing with those cars flying up into the stands.

/am a pilot
// what else would you expect form one ;)

Uncle Karl

When the politicians allow beyond visual range engagement of enemy aircraft those fancy long range missiles are great but in reality, after the USS Stark incident (Ship launched SAM vs Airliner) and the Soviet civilian airline shootdown back in the 80's the political class has been a little leary at shooting things you can't see.

Uncle Karl
ThE Air Farce is a satirical radio show , transmigrated to television.
The RCAF is the worlds second oldest separate Air Force with an exceptional combat record, including WW1, 25% of RAf Fighter strength during the Battle of Britain,15% of all Allied air strength in ETO between 1940 and 45, 20% in Korea, oh and wait, it is RCAF C130 aircraft that fly those hinky jinky missions supplying US Special Forces in the Afghan canyons right now: I have a nephew navigating these flights.
You Sir, on the other hand are an ill educated douchebag with no knowledge even of your own national history. If you do happen to know anyone who has worn your country's uniform, and if you cared to ask, I am pretty confident that you might receive an education, if not in military history at least in the fact that Canadians in Canadian Service are actually held in very high regard in the US Armed Services.

For Logmusic:

I would not consider myself a liberal but a progressive. I agree with you regarding the trolls.

When I see the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, etc. the pride I feel brings tears to my eyes.

My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the deceased.

Serious Question -

Does anybody else have the horrible, crawling feeling that in the last week or so, there's been a LOT of bad karma floating around?

I've got a nasty, nasty case of premonition that things are going to get worse soon. Hope I'm wrong. Just seems like nasty stuff floating around.

That's the watch I wear daily, a titanium Citizen Skyhawk. Love the Blue Angels, sad to hear this happened. These guys are ridiculously talented, unlike Matthew McConaughey.

my tax dollars at work

RIP sky pilot...

olddinosaur: The Blue Angels played my home town just last week, it is a sad day to see one of them down.

Airshows are starting to scare the crap out of me. There was one where a guy crashed a Russian Mig (?) down here a few months ago. It seems like every year someone flies one of these things into something. TBH I don't know how many of these shows do go on around here, versus how many have accidents. The Warbird museum out on Merit Island has pretty regular shows. There's another big field out by Disney that has antique aircraft, too.

SlingBlade: I've got a nasty, nasty case of premonition that things are going to get worse soon. Hope I'm wrong. Just seems like nasty stuff floating around.

April is the cruelest month.

It's living up to the hype.

Dknsvsbl
Hey tard, I am not an Iceback.
/and the Canadian air force at this point is very small.

Uncle Karl
`no yr a troll.

Slingblade,

I think the American public should be handed out muscle relaxers for the entire month of April.

Stuff like this happens every few years. Since we can't always predict/prevent it, we do what we can to help out those who are left and cry for those who are gone. We tell our family and friends that we love them a little more than usual. You can't really do anything more than that, no matter how good or bad your karma is.

/Chin up, friend...only a week more of April.

GunshipPolitico: I always wondered about those zero-zero ejection seats, I mean, both zeros at the same time? Cuz, I'm moving at zero knots, at zero feet above ground level right now, you'd think that just about anyone could survive a a crash when their plan was parked...
\dense, but drunk and high at this point

If I remember correctly, a stationary ejection is one of the most difficult situations. Not only do you have no altitude (aka very little time) for the parachute to deploy, you have very little distance (speed * time) also. I have a set of flight manuals for a Voodoo around here somewhere: If I remember correctly, the seat would function at zero altitude, above a certain speed (ca 100kts). That gave the chute enough distance to deploy.

/Not a fighter pilot
//Didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night
///Old man was, though.

I worked at NAS P'cola from '03 to '05. It was a real joy seeing them fly every day.

This is just a damn sad thing. My prayers are with the pilot's family, and the squadron and crew.

I am betting he choose not to eject, to guide the crashing plane away from the homes.

/If true, I vote for Medal of Honor.

Mad-n-FL: If true, I vote for Medal of Honor.

I believe it can only be awarded for combat related actions.

Dknsvsbl
Wrong again.
/your really on a roll

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis is the #6 Solo. Navy's not releasing any names yet. Just got in so if I hear anything else will let you guys know. Sounding like some sort of stall in the turn to rejoin the formation & clipped some trees before riding it in.

this thread useless without video

Bronto Saurus: I do question the need for these air shows.

You do realize there are civilian planes and acts at airshows right? And that some airshows are entirely or alost entirely civilian craft?

I posted this way up top in case anyone wanted to read it. Nothing confirmed yet but he is the current number 6 pilot...


I've seen number 6 jet being posted on a few news sites. If it was the pilot this is his BIO:

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science with honors in 1996.

Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.

Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the "Top Stick" in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 "Red Rippers" where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the "Red Rippers," Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) "Omars," stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.

Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.

Jewdown if my Car carried 250 people at a time, my numbers would be inflated too.

We just got back from the airshow a few hours ago... I don't have any shots of the actual crash, just those of the maneuvers they were doing prior to it.

\can host and post if you like

I think the most inspirational thing I remember about the Blue Angels from growing up in the 80's (A-4s and F/A-18's! Awesome!) was after watching these guys do unbelievable things in the sky for an hour they come over to meet kids in the crowd, talk to people and sign autographs.

Anybody that's flown with the Blue Angels says that the physical exertion these pilots endure during their routine is the equivelant of a 4 or 5 hour workout at the gym and say early in the season it's hard to just hold a pen after the routine.

The Blue Angels not only have their sticks counter-weighted with 25-30 pounds of force to give them more positive control but they also fly without g-suits to avoid having inflating suit leggings interfere with precise control inputs.

This is thier first in-airshow mis-hap since they switched to the F/A-18 in 1987. I think the last in-airshow accident was in their A-4s in 1985 at Niagara Falls. Anybody that watched the Blue Angels: A Year in the Life on Discovery knows how seriously these guys take safety and their responsibility to safeguard themselves and the people on the ground.

Of course seeing these guys made me want to be a Navy Pilot wway before Top gun ever came out. But more than that they always inspired me to try and be just a little bit better at anything I tried to do. Personally i think the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds both have a heck of a lot more to brag about than to apologize for in the professionalism they show and the example they set.

The whole Blue Angels family is in my thoughts. Whether or not your politics allow you to like what they do you have to admire that these guys are out there trying to do something positive, putting in 16 hour work-days to display their excellence and professionlism to the world.




And if you are looking for someone to blame for this accident then I would say the blame lies squarely with either Dr. Phil, videogames or Oprah.

/"If this country were run by vegetarian-women, rather than flesh-eating men, this whole accident would never have happened."

Here's a follow up on where the plane crashed and what was hit with debris. (pops)

For those biatching about the cost of maintaining airshow squadrons, consider that every fighter squadron in the military launches a significant number of thier jets out several times a day. This is not in support of any military action, simply day-to-day training. The cost of maintaining the thunderbirds/angels is a drop in a very deep bucket.

/hates airshows

I doubt the power lines is what caused the crash, there had to be someting else gone wrong to be that low.

First-hand account of the air show. Includes video of the show prior to crash. (pops)

that account poasted by peach92 is pretty much what all of us saw going on at the airshow. They were just about to perform the final land maneuver when we noticed that only five of them were in the formation. I noticed that I saw #6 tooling around off in another area, but did not follow it long enough to see it drop out of the sky. Next think we know, there's a plume of smoke coming out of the trees opposite the runway and suddenly #1 breaks out of the land formation to go circle the area.
We saw #'s 2-4 land and taxi back in and they announced that #'s 1-6 had to go take part in a "real-time search and rescue" and once they returned, they would be signing autographs. However, I only saw #1 circling over the smoky area with emergency copters on the way. Not 10 minutes later, they announced that there would be no autograph signing.

Well crap.

My brother's wife's brother is one of the Blue Angels.

This guy was one of his best friends.

Never met him, but the brother is a really sweet, unassuming, and humble guy. Not anything like you'd expect a fighter jock to be.

Sucks.