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Blue Angels - How sad to hear of the tragic accident involving the Blue Angels. What I didn’t really see is any emphasis on the fact that it crashed in a residential neighborhood. The folks living there were going about their everyday business when it happened. It’s a miracle that no one else was killed.

Call me cynical but, why are we using these multimillion dollar jets, that we tax payers foot the bill for, as toys? They are not toys, they are weapons and should not be played with, especially where innocent lives could be affected.

Air shows should only be allowed over open water. I live not far from Toledo Express and every few years when we have the shows its scares the hell out of me. My house could be the one that gets crashed into. My family could be the victim of someone playing with their toys.
posted by swantucky to news at 6:27 A.M. EST     (2 Comments)

Comments ...

Actually it's a training facility. Your post got me curious, (furious?) and I went to check it out.

"The U. S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron

The Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the naval service to the United States, its elected leadership and foreign nations. The Blue Angels serve as positive role models and goodwill ambassadors for the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps.

A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. It includes the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.

The team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the show season. However, the squadron spends January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly 66 air shows at 35 air show sites in the United States during the 2007 season, as the team celebrates 20 years of flying the F/A-18 Hornet. Last season, more than 15 million spectators watched the Blue Angels perform. Since its inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million fans."

You may have a point about the locations of shows, I have been to several and they do some death defying stuff that's for sure. If I were close to the airport - might be a good time to go and get some dinner somewhere else :-)

But it is a great public relations tool - it's pretty difficult to watch these planes in action and not feel pride in America. It's awfully hard to watch them fly the 'missing man' formation and not think about the missing men and women. I think it's a valuable service but possibly they need to be concerned about the 'neighbors' at the facilities they show at. It isn't the first accident.
posted by katie82640 at 08:27 A.M. EST on Mon Apr 23, 2007     #

Considering Swantucky and I were neighbors years ago...I see her point. It is not a thrilling experience to live that close to the airport during the Air Shows.

Despite the public PR aspect of the Blue Angels, they should not be over residential neighborhoods and it is a miracle this last time that no one was injured. There are risks living in the flight path of an Airport, all of us who have or do still live in those areas know this but given some of the past experiences it does seem that this creates a situation where fate is being tempted and it increases the chance something will happen.

I'd also point out as a pilot's daughter that while skill is important in warfare that despite the public ooooh and ahhhh factor, there are safer ways to establish the necessary skills.
posted by psyche777 at 11:16 P.M. EST on Mon Apr 23, 2007     #

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