Blue Angles in Pensacola.

[edyvw]

Didn’t want to post this before I was sure this was not AI. It is not!

While living in Montgomery, I have spent a lot of time at NAS Pensacola and pretty much watch Blue Angles every year during official shows or training.
But, this flyover is something.
I personally haven’t seen Blue Angles flying this low.
@Astro14 wanna shed some light how this low over pier? Seem bit too low. This altitude is in single feet over pier.

 

[y_p_w]

I've seen some pretty low flying, including when I was a pedestrian in San Francisco during one of their practices. But not that low that a small error and they take out a public pier.

And here's an experience from the backseat of one of the two-seat models.

 

[Astro14]

The show that the blue Angels put on for Pensacola Beach is always spectacular. I don’t know the clearance on the pier. It was pretty close!

 

[edyvw]

The show that the blue Angels put on for Pensacola Beach is always spectacular. I don’t know the clearance on the pier. It was pretty close!

I am wondering if anyone is in trouble.

 

[BC1]

Fighter pilots do not get in trouble. There was an error with the altimeter or a flock of birds the pilot had to avoid.

 

[y_p_w]

Fighter pilots do not get in trouble. There was an error with the altimeter or a flock of birds the pilot had to avoid.

They absolutely get in trouble. Dead is about as in trouble as they can get.

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

They absolutely get in trouble. Dead is about as in trouble as they can get.

I knew a significant number of individuals that tied the low altitude record and ended up in that kind of trouble. I also knew two that in separate fighters survived a high speed ground collision. Their guardian angels were working overtime.

And yes, fighter pilots can get in trouble for flying too low even if they don't hit the ground. In the Air Force, Article 15s or even grounding isn't unheard of.

 

[y_p_w]

I knew a significant number of individuals that tied the low altitude record and ended up in that kind of trouble. I also knew two that in separate fighters survived a high speed ground collision. Their guardian angels were working overtime.

So it's not true that "the ground is undefeated"? I was under the impression that the joke emphasized how permanent it was to crash into the ground. I've heard pilots refer to an opponent maneuvering into the ground as a "rock kill".

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

No, the ground got the airplane kill in most instances, just the aircrew survived. One was a colonel I worked for that had scraped the ground in an A-7 at a Red Flag exercise. The resulting fireball cooked off his seat and he survived the accidental ejection although he was in a coma for quite a while. No idea what he was like before the accident, but when I knew him afterwards he was a brilliant individual. Another was an F-4 backseater that hit the top of a mountain and survived a normal (if that can be said) ejection out of the wreckage.

In the Philippines, one crew brought back an F-4 that looked like it was on the losing side of a Star Wars battle. They managed to hit a large tree. Parts of the aircraft were torn off, indented and whatnot. I found it hard to believe it was still flyable, but it was.

 

[y_p_w]

No, the ground got the airplane kill in most instances, just the aircrew survived. One was a colonel I worked for that had scraped the ground in an A-7 at a Red Flag exercise. The resulting fireball cooked off his seat and he survived the accidental ejection although he was in a coma for quite a while. No idea what he was like before the accident, but when I knew him afterwards he was a brilliant individual. Another was an F-4 backseater that hit the top of a mountain and survived a normal (if that can be said) ejection out of the wreckage.

In the Philippines, one crew brought back an F-4 that looked like it was on the losing side of a Star Wars battle. They managed to hit a large tree. Parts of the aircraft were torn off, indented and whatnot. I found it hard to believe it was still flyable, but it was.

With enough thrust you can get a brick to fly. So I suppose even with missing bits of wings or tails that it's still possible to limp home as long as the engines are putting out thrust.