Maybe FJRs Are Not All That Fast

Dayum...Fighting those Gs is a lot of work!

Filmed over over Lake Washington with quite a few shots showing the north end of Mercer Island where I live. I only have to go out into the yard to watch them go by. Close enough to clearly see the pilots, more than close enough to hear the plane. One of the highlights of the Seattle Summer for Blue Angle fans. Not everyone is, including my best friend but he is Norwegian so I make allowances.

Is chewing gum a pre-requisit for the pilots? (It's Friday tomorrow .)

Probably helps keep the ears from poppin'. That's my guess.

Reminds me of riding my 28 hp Bmw!

Fred W said:

Probably helps keep the ears from poppin'. That's my guess.

Click to expand...

Sorry Fred. When the planes start pulling multiple Gs, the pilots have to gut clench in order to keep from passing out. It keeps the blood from rushing away from their heads. Pressure suits help, but they have to squeeze their core to stay functional. Notice they do that every time the jet is banking, accelerating, or both.

Those pilots are highly skilled, with amazing physical traits, and then they are highly trained. Awesome video.

And the Blues don't wear g-suits. Their jets have a modified stick that works with very little movement, and their right arm is supported on their leg. A g-suit inflating would move the hand. That makes fighting those gs even MORE impressive!!!

It's common for them to carry prospective and future team members in the back seat, like we saw in that video, even in actual demonstrations.

From the next-to-last show of 2012, nos. 2 and 3 are flying passengers in the show (my own photograph )

Nice tan. JS

I understand Saskatchewan also has a demonstration team.

That was awesome! I have only seen them from the ground before!

I thought they were gritting their teeth because of the atrocious music.

Great video. Thanks for sharing

wfooshee said:

Click to expand...

So THAT's where Iggy got the color scheme!

Years ago, the place to be was in Seattle on practice days for the BA's Seafair appearance and have access to a window 30-ish stories up with a view of 5th Avenue. One or two would occasionally come roaring down the Ave at just about that level. I once got to watch out my 38th-floor window as one of them ripped around the Columbia Tower right toward me and pulled up over the top of the building I was in (a mere 42-story building).

Alas, they no longer do that sort of thing, I understand.

The Blue Angels put on a show over San Francisco bay some years back, and I'd taken several of my co-workers out on the water on my trimaran for some prime viewing of the event. We were a few hundred yards off of Alcatraz island when two of the performers peeled off to make a low altitude, maximum performance turn, where one pilot's flight path took him roaring about 100 feet above my mast.

It was spectacularly louder than loud, with a reverberating rumble that vibrated through my chest and feet. Definitely not OSHA approved, but it made quite the impression on our little party. And you just don't get that from the paid seats ashore...

Very cool video, thanks for sharing. Go Navy! We live by Hill Air Force Base so we get some jets flying by often, when I hear someone complain about it, I usually just tell them that it is the sound of freedom.

Since I'm retired Army I'd be remiss in not giving the Army's Golden Knights their fair due. I was never a Golden Knight, But I did make some jumps with them. I was also on the U.S. Army Europe team and made jumps into various events throughout Western Europe. My favorite was jumping into Ste. Mere Eglise, Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day.

I made several deployments on Aircraft Carriers, Periodically we would be tasked with making a Sea Power Demonstration for some head of state, usually someone that wasn't playing well with others. They would fly out the potentate, feed him (one of the few times wine was allowed to be served in the Flag Mess) then take him up to the Flag Bridge and watch the Airwing Launch.

The dignitary was then taken to a seat on the Flight deck, close to the edge of the angle deck, and the air show would begin.

Aerobatics, a squadron of attack planes dropping 500# bombs close enough to scare the crap out of you, supersonic passes etc.....

Then back to the Flag Bridge for the recovery and a helo ride home.

The pilots, not Blue Angels, were damned impressive.