MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Ca: The U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, will perform at the 2009 Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show today through Sunday. The demonstration team’s show is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. each day, will exhibit a choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators.
The Blue Angels are one of the main reasons people come to see the air show every year, explained Ed Downum, the air show coordinator. They have been part of the air show almost every year for the past 50 years. Miramar’s own Maj. Christopher Collins, formerly of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101, is one of the Blue Angels pilots. Collins was an F/A-18 instructor pilot before joining the Blue Angels in 2008.
The squadron’s six demonstration pilots fly Boeing F/A-18 “Hornets” in more than 70 shows each year.
The routine will last approximately one hour and 15 minutes, showcasing more than 30 maneuvers, including high-performance takeoffs, assault landings, barrel rolls and technical formations. Another part of the Blue Angels’ demonstration, a C-130T Hercules named “Fat Albert,” will launch from the flight line here, aided by eight solid fuel rocket bottles for a jet-assisted take off. “It’s amazing to see the Blue Angels fly at such heights, in the formations they fly in,” said Irma Malabanan, the marketing director for MCAS Miramar Marine Corps Community Services.
The Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy recruiting, credibly represent Navy and Marine Corps aviation and serve as international ambassadors of good will, according to the Blue Angels’ official Web site.
For more information on the Blue Angels, visit their official Web site at www.blueangels.navy.mil.
For information on the 2009 MCAS Miramar Air Show, visit the official air show Web site, www.miramarairshow.com.
