PENSACOLA, Fla. -- As the sunshine and blue sky lay across the warm waves on Pensacola Beach, a set of high end jets soar high within the northern gulf waters in the aerobatic display which captures the eye from the sunbathers below.
The twin U.S. Navy jets quickly break away in a planned maneuver and start to soar higher in to the cloudless sky. Suddenly, the jets ignite a white smoke trail which starts to trace their flight path of twin circles.
The United States Navy's elite Flight Demonstration Squadron is recognized to the public since the Blue Angels, and it is the c's's blue and gold jets which are a familiar sight and sound over the sugar sand beaches in the northern Gulf Coast just a couple miles from other home in the Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The team's public demonstration flights will be the Navy's most widely used recruiting tool attracting interested adults in to a career while using military. One of those teenagers became a pilot currently flying using the Angels.
For many on Pensacola Beach, the sight of the unexpected air show above is at reality just a low level practice flight by two of the six Blue Angels.
A typical week may find all six Blue Angels in flight since they practice flying wing tip to wing tip, just eighteen inches apart; and perfecting a wonderful performance which includes two of the jets speed toward the other person before each jet breaks in a right and left hand 180-degree turn.
This year, however, the Blue Angels' F/A-18 Hornet jets were ordered to stay home. Their practice hours limited to only eleven hours per month.
2013 marked annually of major budget cuts inside the U.S. military, cuts which grounded they from performing at any one of their planned air shows in their annual March to November season.
For the first time in sixty years, the Blue Angels were not able to perform at any with the planned thirty-five airshows across North America.
This aerospace journalist soared with Angels pilot Lt. Mark Tedrow in 2012 in Angel 7 jet, a couple seater F/A-18D Hornet, and experienced virtually every maneuver these incredible pilots endure during an air show performance.
This year marks Tedrow's fresh as Angel 6, one of two solos performing fast paced, highly intense flight demonstrations along with Angel 5.
As the aerobatic pair take center stage over an airshow runway, Angels 1, 2, 3 and 4 are typically lining up in the formation to soar high above as 5 and 6 finish.
As Lt. Tedrow and I stood on the flight line in the Blue Angels home base immediately, we started to discuss his training in 2010 and what inspired him to participate this elite flight squadron.
Charles Atkeison: Lt. Tedrow, take us in the cockpit with you and explain what it's like to soar with your team.
Lt. Mark Tedrow: "It's very hard to spell it out if you have not done it before. Luckily, you've got and that means you determine what the sentiments and sensations can be like.
It's pretty incredible being part of the solo routine to the Blue Angels, number five and number six because unlike the one thru four pilots, we demonstrate the utmost performance capabilities with the FA-18. We're those that wow the bunch with some of the amazing maneuvers. We fly our jets at just below the pace of sound, and pull between 7 and 8 G's through the demonstration. It's hard to explain for the person who never felt G-forces before, but usually they're pretty painful but good on the same time because you know you're max performing the aircraft and it's really definitely a large group pleaser.
It's incredible to undergo might know about go through."
Atkeison: With the Angels grounded due towards the sequester, how will you still practice and remain prepared for a hoped 2014 season?
Lt. Tedrow: "We've been flying locally here (Pensacola) since we have got shutdown. We fly 2 to 3 times per week and that we do basic maneuvers. We have a very local working area out within the (Gulf) water we go and exercise some with the airshow maneuvers that we do, so that is the way we stay proficient as we're waiting to listen for regarding the 2014 season.
Are we flying up to we normally would if we were doing a season this coming year? No. Are we proficient to complete a demo tomorrow? No. But, we defiantly are keeping our skills sharp so that people will be capable of fly a demo in 2014. The knowledge is there. All we have to accomplish is sharpen our expertise having a couple of practicing before we pick-up and fly during the 2014 season."
Atkeison: Blue Angel 1 is the "Boss" which is flown by commander Thomas Frosch. Run through when camping a number of his speech techniques he uses and also hardwearing . team's mental edge prepared.
Lt. Tedrow: "I don't want to stay his shoes especially this coming year. He has done a phenomenal job, and I do not know how everyday he relates to work. He's so optimistic. And, that is what he's got given to us.
Throughout the weeks along with the months we kinda hear various things, different stories, from 'Hey, we're gonna possess a 2014 season' or 'Hey, we're gonna be flying inside the Fall.' It's forwards and backwards, around, we different information, but throughout the entire process, he has been nothing but optimistic about what we're going to be doing within the future as well as the mission on this team in 2014.
The Boss always is optimistic, 'Hey, we're still the Blue Angels... we use a mission for accomplish and it's still looking positive for 2014". So, he's been great throughout, and without him, I don't determine what we would've done."
Atkeison: O.K., let's backup quite a while... you spent my youth beyond Pittsburgh. What lead you right into a career with all the U.S. Navy and later, the Blue Angels?
Lt. Tedrow: "Growing up in Pittsburgh, we was without much of a Navy presence, and I was without many loved ones which are in the military [1]. In that area, sports certainly are a big deal - especially secondary school football - so I was raised playing plenty of football games. In secondary school, I was lucky enough to be recruited by United States Naval Academy.
It kinda sparked my interest. I showed up to the Naval Academy and I started playing football there, and the first year I was there the Blue Angels performed at graduation and I had never witnessed them before. I said, 'Wow, that's one in the coolest things I've ever seen in my life. I'd love to do that certain day'.
I went thru the four years in the academy. I was fortunate, I selected naval aviation, underwent flight school and selected jets. I did a couple of combat deployments to Afghanistan and worked my way through the fleet. I was sufficiently fortunate to get get picked up, out of your tender I am living that dream that I had since I was eighteen years old, and I'm super lucky to become here, and I'm honored to become a part of the team."
Atkeison: So what's it like to perform carrier landing? What's the sensation versus maybe an Angels flight?
Lt. Tedrow: "It's a good deal different. What sets naval aviators in addition to the rest of the aviators throughout the world may be the capacity to land on aircraft carriers and ships. It's one with the unique skill sets we bring to aviation, it's one of the hardest things that we do. So to learn it is plenty of pressure, it's plenty of stress. It's very hard briefs and debriefs to get on the point where you need to land for the aircraft carrier.
I'll tell you quality, initially I landed around the aircraft carrier is at some of those jets there, a T-45, and It was one of the most terrifying example of my well being. You're coming around the corner and all the truth is is that this ship. Aircraft carriers are huge, but in the sky at 500 to 800 feet, they are tiny, they look just like a postage stamp. You're coming inevitable inside the landing pattern thinking to yourself, 'There's no way I'm gonna land this thing'.
To land will be the most abrupt stop and landing you can actually image going from 140 m.p.h. to 0 m.p.h. in about two seconds, in order that's pretty incredible. And the take-off is more incredible to go from 0 m.p.h. to 140 m.p.h. in the about a second and a half is pretty phenomenal at the same time. I think I screamed the very first time I got launched through the carrier in the T-45 'cause they're so little and lightweight. It's one from the hardest things we all do.
I'm lucky to be a part of naval aviation."
As it represents now, Lt. Tedrow and his Blues team result from travel to their winter base in the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, California, the very first week of January for three months of intense training.
(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace, technology and science. Follow his updates via Twitter @AbsolutSpaceGuy as well as on Instagram @BlueAngels_7.)
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