wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
As long-time members will recall, I almost always attend the end-of-season air show by the Blue Angels in Pensacola, usually the first or second weekend of November. This year's was a bit different, as with the base still experiencing COVID restrictions (no public access) the show was moved to Pensacola Beach, where they have their summer show the weekend after the Fourth of July. I almost didn't go, for a couple of reasons. First reason is traffic. There are only two accesses to the beach, with the main access being a toll bridge from US 98 at Gulf Breeze, or from the east via the bridge at Navarre. The eats route requires a drive through abut 13 miles of 15-25 mph speed limits, but the toll bridge backs up all the way onto and across the main bay bridge to Pensacola proper. I went on Friday, hoping the crowds were thinner, and I crossed to the island at Navarre and risked my freedom by hauling ass at 30mph for most of it. Second reason for almost not going is that it was raining in Panama City when I got up. Checked the phone, the weather I was in had already left the Pensacola area and was moving east, although high cloud cover was still expected. And there was a third reason i almost didn't go: the sun is only about 35 to 40 degrees off the horizon this time of year, and directly in front of the beach, which would mean going blind during the day. Well, hopefully the high overcast would moderate that, and I hit the road.
I actually got there early enough to park in the public parking right across the street from the show area, so I didn't have to pay local 10 or 20 bucks to park in their yard like I've had to do in the past. 10-minute walk and I had a good viewing spot! I had my chair, my camera, my sunglasses, my regular glasses, my sunscreen, my jacket, my rain cover (just in case,) but DAMN!!! I didn't have my hat! Being thinly follicled on the pate, and being a long-time Florida resident, I know that cloud cover is NOT protection from sunburn. So I slathered sunscreen on my arms, neck, and face, as planned, but included my scalp and earlobes as well. And then got some into my eyes, which burned for about an hour.
Enough chat. On to the pics!
The show began with a Coast Guard rescue demo. a swimmer jumping out of a perfectly functional helicopter about 30 feet over the water, to go "rescue" a life-size, life-weight, dummy.
After that, we had three passes by SIX Stearmans in formation. It took about 20 or 25 minutes for those guys to make their three passes!
We then had an F-22 demo, loud, fast, and very maneuverable!
I didn't get a lot of vapor, as the humidity wasn't what it could have been, especially for a Florida beach, but I did get a lucky POOF as he climbed out of his hi-speed flat pass.
Next up we had a couple of warbirds, a Japanese Kate torpedo bomber, and a P-51 Mustang.
Next came the Aeroshell team in their Texans. These have a distinctive sound, not just the thunder of the exhaust from the radial engines, but their prop tips go supersonic, producing a really loud buzzing sound.
And we got an F-35C demo! Both of the fighter demos were confirmed during the week before the show, so both were BONUS!!!
Skip Stewart in his Pitt biplane. before Skip, Rob Holland flew a demo. Rob is a multi-time national and world aerobatic champion, and he's flying a plane designed and built especially for him, that has capabilities nothing else has. I got no pictures of him because he flew during my food search, but still pictures would not do justice to the stupid-impossible things he does with an airplane!! Anyway, here's Skip in a low-altitude knife-edge pass.
He was so low, in fact, that he had to climb to clear the pier as he approached!
My first look at the new Fat Albert
Continued next post, because of the number of images per post limitation.
I actually got there early enough to park in the public parking right across the street from the show area, so I didn't have to pay local 10 or 20 bucks to park in their yard like I've had to do in the past. 10-minute walk and I had a good viewing spot! I had my chair, my camera, my sunglasses, my regular glasses, my sunscreen, my jacket, my rain cover (just in case,) but DAMN!!! I didn't have my hat! Being thinly follicled on the pate, and being a long-time Florida resident, I know that cloud cover is NOT protection from sunburn. So I slathered sunscreen on my arms, neck, and face, as planned, but included my scalp and earlobes as well. And then got some into my eyes, which burned for about an hour.
Enough chat. On to the pics!
The show began with a Coast Guard rescue demo. a swimmer jumping out of a perfectly functional helicopter about 30 feet over the water, to go "rescue" a life-size, life-weight, dummy.
After that, we had three passes by SIX Stearmans in formation. It took about 20 or 25 minutes for those guys to make their three passes!
We then had an F-22 demo, loud, fast, and very maneuverable!
I didn't get a lot of vapor, as the humidity wasn't what it could have been, especially for a Florida beach, but I did get a lucky POOF as he climbed out of his hi-speed flat pass.
Next up we had a couple of warbirds, a Japanese Kate torpedo bomber, and a P-51 Mustang.
Next came the Aeroshell team in their Texans. These have a distinctive sound, not just the thunder of the exhaust from the radial engines, but their prop tips go supersonic, producing a really loud buzzing sound.
And we got an F-35C demo! Both of the fighter demos were confirmed during the week before the show, so both were BONUS!!!
Skip Stewart in his Pitt biplane. before Skip, Rob Holland flew a demo. Rob is a multi-time national and world aerobatic champion, and he's flying a plane designed and built especially for him, that has capabilities nothing else has. I got no pictures of him because he flew during my food search, but still pictures would not do justice to the stupid-impossible things he does with an airplane!! Anyway, here's Skip in a low-altitude knife-edge pass.
He was so low, in fact, that he had to climb to clear the pier as he approached!
My first look at the new Fat Albert
Continued next post, because of the number of images per post limitation.
