US Navy's Blue Angels - the official site
That is actually a really cool site - you need to go poke around! You can see the planes up close and also see each of the formations in detail.
In 1945 (the end of WWII), The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz ordered a flight demonstration team to be created to show off the awesomeness of our naval aviators.
June 15, 1946, the Blue Angels flew in their first air show.
The Diamond 360 formation - they are 18 inches apart!
Also, you will never see the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds performing less than 150 miles from each other. They are used as recruiting tools and it doesn't make sense to compete like that!
Here's some footage taken by one of the pilots during a show.
Maybe I'm biased because my dad was Navy but I firmly believe that Navy pilots are hands-down the best in the world. 18 inches? Seriously???
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Top Gun is one of my favorite movies ever, due to the flying scenes (and the volleyball scene)
DeleteThat is some precision flying!
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They must have nerves of steel!
DeleteI've seen them a couple of times, mainly at air shows but they were always awesome.
ReplyDeleteI've seen them at air shows, too. They are impressive!
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