Future of US Display Teams

[ANZAC ACE]

Hi Guys! Just had a curious question about US display teams in the future. With the Blue Angles and the Thunderbirds flying f-18’s and f-16’s respectively what will happen when the navy, marines, and air force will all be flying the f-35? Will both display teams be flying the same aircraft?

[Magoo]

Hi Guys! Just had a curious question about US display teams in the future. With the Blue Angles and the Thunderbirds flying f-18’s and f-16’s respectively what will happen when the navy, marines, and air force will all be flying the f-35? Will both display teams be flying the same aircraft?

If LockMart gets its way, perhaps this?

Magoo

[Big-E]

Hi Guys! Just had a curious question about US display teams in the future. With the Blue Angles and the Thunderbirds flying f-18’s and f-16’s respectively what will happen when the navy, marines, and air force will all be flying the f-35? Will both display teams be flying the same aircraft?

As someone who excelled at Precision Aerobatics in my FAMs, having trained at NAS Pensacola and whose goal is to be on the Navy Flight Demsontration squadron I think this should peak my interest. AFAIK the Angels want the JSF as well as the Thunder Birds. I have talked with Angel pilots who say that the Super Hornet is too big for them to do their precision flying so they will definetly want a smaller nimbler aircraft. The Thunder Birds will probably miss their wonderful little VIPERs but they select the best aircraft that is "IN SERVICE" so I assume they will have to move on to JSF.

[LancerMc]

It does seem logical that both services will be using the F-35 in the future. Though in the future some individuals mite want to use trainers like most foreign airforces due today. I definitely would not want that to happen, but as cost cutting gets more common, some one could get the idea to go to a cheaper aircraft to fly the displays in. Then it would probably progress into the the T-45 for the USN and the T-38C.

[Big-E]

It does seem logical that both services will be using the F-35 in the future. Though in the future some individuals mite want to use trainers like most foreign airforces due today. I definitely would not want that to happen, but as cost cutting gets more common, some one could get the idea to go to a cheaper aircraft to fly the displays in. Then it would probably progress into the the T-45 for the USN and the T-38C.

Don't forget that the mission of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds are to recruit to their respective services. If they downgraded their shows to using the trainers the highprofile of the airshows would be lost and the use of them as a recruiting tool would be gone.

[Pathfinder-X]

I'll have the opportunity to talk with some Blue Angels' members during the Abbotsford Airshow in August. Hopefully I will get the answer you seek and get some exclusive photos for DT.

[Magoo]

I'll have the opportunity to talk with some Blue Angels' members during the Abbotsford Airshow in August. Hopefully I will get the answer you seek and get some exclusive photos for DT.

I think the 'Blues' are some way off from converting from the Hornet, but anyway...attached are a few pics I took at the 04 Miramar Air Show with my wifes 'box brownie' equivalent digital. After seeing these, I bit the bullet and bought my real camera.

Cheers

Magoo

[Magoo]

Hmmm..didn't attach...Maybe next time I'll click the UPLOAD button....DOH! :rolleyes:

Take two!