A Deployed Pilot's thoughts on Blue Angels
 

After seeing the Navy Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angels) fly today in Little Rock, I wondered how deployed combat pilots view their coworkers that fly the tactical demos, Blue Angels, and Thunderbirds on the airshow circut.

Is flying in airshows a desired assignment, or do individuals apply and/or accept the orders just to have a break from the daily dutys of being in the fight abroad.

Just curious and figured I could get some interesting insight here.

I wasn't a demo pilot, but I interviewed for the T-birds as a maintainer (crew chief). I wanted to do it because I thought it would be cool and go out to represent my service and supply what I did on a daily bases crewing F-15's on a show circuit. Also I wanted the #8 jet (crew chief flies in three back).

It's a lot of hard work that goes into putting on a show. Launch thursday or Friday to a show. Come home on Monday (maybe). Off Tuesday or Wednesday. Repeat the next week.

Can't speak for everyone, obviously. My peers and I in the USAF basically scoffed the T-clones, Thunder-chickens, etc doing their "loops to music". Buds of mine who did exchange tours with the Navy were very surprised to learn that the average Naval aviator seemed to hold "the Blues" (as they called them) in high esteem. Different cultures, I guess.

I see both jobs as a necessary position that attracts a certain type. Possibly similar to the guys who take management positions at an airline. There are perks and a potential upside for the service you represent but you've got to put up with a lot of BS to get them. It's not for everyone.

IMO, if you want to go out and wave the flag while representing your service as a fighter pilot, killing migs and dropping ordnance on bad guys is a much better but less visible way.

Personally, I'd rather be deployed, doing the real job than flying with a demo team. It's not like the guys on either team are home for dinner with the family each night. They spend a ton of time each year on the road. I seriously doubt that most guys currently deployed to war zones think that a spot on a demo team would buy them more time at home.

I can't speak for the Thunderbirds or ACC Demo pilots but having been a TacDemo pilot(Legacy Hornet) for 2 yrs and knowing plenty of dudes who have flown on the Blues I will say that each TacDemo pilot or Blue Angel are serving their tours on or during their normal "Shore Tour". That means they are in a spot in their career where they most likely would not have been deployed in a flying capacity. They most likely would have been fulfilling roles in a production source (Training Command, FRS etc) or Test Pilot School/Weapons School.

For the USN TacDemo pilots, we are selected while performing duties as FRS instructor air crew where as the ACC Demo pilots are more full time positions that end up flying tactical sorties more for currency purposes. We are full time instructors with the Demo gig as a collateral duty (i.e. good deal).

Blue Angels are chosen via a very rigorous application process that starts in the Spring and finishes in early July. Those team members chosen in July are the team members for the following 2 or 3 show seasons depending on the position in the team.

One of the posters mentioned the Blues being held in high esteem by their peers. My personal opinion on that is simply this. The Blues for the most part pick solid Officers to represent the Navy and Marine Corps. Very rarely have I interacted or flown with current and former Blue Angels who wore the blue suit in their attitude...at the end of the day they are just like the rest of us, no better no worse. They just have a slightly different mission and wear a different color suit that fits a bit tighter. If you ask any of the Blue Angels from the boss to the PAO/Admin Officer, they will all tell you they'd trade places with someone in the fleet in a heartbeat.

Fly safe!

Bdger

Thanks for the info and your viewpoint. Coming from someone with only civilian aviation experience, military aviation is very interesting to me.

Have known lots of former and current Blues, and those guys work their ass off. Deployed, or demo pilot, both spend a lot of time away from family, different type of sacrifice. Most are doing it after a sea tour that probably included one or two cruises, and will go back to a sea tour to cruise again and again.

I first saw the Blues in 1946 (or `47) as a 9 year old, They were flying F6F`s and demonstrated, with an SNJ,painted up like a Zero, how a dogfight looked. Next saw them as a 20 year old, in preflight (1958) Flying at that time F11F`s I was impressed as a 9 year old and as a 20 year old.

My sampling is probably smaller, but I'd add that those I've known are very down to earth and humble as well. Unlike some high profile jobs in Naval Aviation, the guys on the team get to pick who they want in. It's actually referred to as "rushing" just like it's a fraternity. While I'm sure there have been some "tools" who make it through the process, I've never met any. The flying is intense and the debriefs can be brutal. There are no weak sticks and they're not afraid to "fire" someone mid-season if there's a safety concern. Those who have been "fired" are probably better pilots than I ever thought about being.

Topgun is very similar in selection (instructors are chosen from previous students) and the flying and lecture preparation is just as intense. Let's put it this way... "Maverick" wouldn't have made the cut.

If I was hiring in the civilian world, Topgun IPs and Blue Angels would be almost auto-hires... ahead of test pilots and astronauts.

If you can't tell yet, there's no resentment, only respect.

I went to pilot training with a Marine who became a Blue Angel. He was a good dude. Unfortunately, he was married and got caught messing around with the public affairs (no pun intended) officer. Oops!

In the USAF fighter community, the Thunderbirds are seen with a bit of a double standard.

Most line pilots will publicly scoff: lots of comments about 'T-clones' and funny red flight suits and ascots. They make fun of 'em because they don't do a job that involves anything air-to-air or air-to-ground combat related, which is obviously the most enjoyable part of a fighter pilot's job. Thunderbirds are also on the road all the time, and considering being away from home is another thing fighter pilots hate (thanks to 10 years of war), it is another reason to scoff the guys flying red, white, and blue jets. That's the version you'll hear in the squadron bar and around casual conversations.

Privately, more guys than want to admit it are making applications to the team. There is still a prestige to the job, and plenty of guys are interested in the challenge and "fame and fortune" offered by being a USAFADS pilot. I would have been interested, had I not been born chubby and ugly -- yes, the Thunderbirds is one of the last USAF jobs that still requires a photo as part of the application package. They're still looking for someone who looks a certain way to serve as a walking, talking recruiting poster.

Former Thunderbird pilots who go back into the operational squadrons are generally well regarded, because they were generally well regarded guys before they joined the team. They generally do well climbing the career ladder later, too. Usually they say they're glad they did it, but wouldn't want to go do it again.