Blue Angels or Thunderbirds

[ace184]

I am a huge fan of air shows. Anytime one is near, I try my hardest to go. I have always loved the Blue Angels. I dont mind the Thunderbirds, but I would lie if I didnt say I was upset when the schedules were released and saw the Thunderbirds would be whereever I am. I dont hate the Thunderbirds, I'd watch them anyday, but I do prefer the Blue Angels. And with my time in the Air Force, I found a lot of people felt the same way. To me, they seem more crisp and polished. It could also be the plane. I find the 18 more appealing than the 16. Just wondering what everyone else prefers.

[Prowler901]

I'm a huge Blue Angels fan. But, I'm probably bias. I was an NFO. The Blues will be in Syracuse, NY on July 12th. I will be there. In my opinion they fly much tighter and cleaner than the T-birds. And I love F-18s. :)

[ace184]

I was a mechanic on the C-17. So it feels kind of weird saying I prefer Navy over Air Force, lol. But that seemed to be the consensus at my base as well. The Blue Angels seem more cleaner in their maneuvers.

[Aros]

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. One of the staples of our region has been "Seafair" in August each year which incorporates both hydroplanes and the Blue Angels. Let me tell you, there is NOTHING that compares to the Blue Angels, hearing the unmistakable ROAR as they fly across our two floating bridges...I've had the pleasure of seeing the Thunderbirds as well, which to be fair, they do a tremendous job, but nothing replaces the look, the sound and excitement of the Blue Angels.

Here's a cool sedge-way...The older hydroplanes - which I grew up listening to out of my back porch - used the same engines as many of the WWII warbirds we covet every day. The unmistakable sound of piston engines roaring across Lake Washington will forever be imprinted in my mind.

Was that Miss Pay N Pak I just heard or a P-51D Mustang sauntering by? :)

[Grossman56]

Yes, I know what you mean, I lived most of my life just above you, just outside Vancouver, BC. Every year we would head for the Abbotsford Airshow and it would feature either the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels. I was such a Airplane Junkie back then that I honestly can't tell you which I preferred, they were both so cool!!
I do remember Bob Hoover in either his Mustang or Miss America. Again anything P 51 had me hooked. He buzzed the freeway while we were heading for the show one time!
Lets not forget the 70th Anniversary of the Blue Angels is coming up.

Grossman56

[XF-15DCC]

I dont remember how many times I have seem the T-Birds. Even saw them with the T-38A back in the day. Being stationed at Langley (ACC Headquarters) the birds would come in at the start of each demo season and show the ACC big wigs their show. Also spending 30 days at Nellis (their home) they would practice every other day (I think).

I think they both fly different profiles but I tend to pull for the T-Birds. Maybe all those times I pulled an F-16 off the runway due to an inflight emergency, in a box to be put on a C-5 to go to a DEPO facility or on a pedestal is helping my decision. Or is it the 22 years in the USAF.

Kevin

[OV10]

Whether it be Angels or T-Birds, those guys are the epitome of flying excellence bar none. If the idea of crisp and polished or tight and cleaner is the consideration for which corps might be the better caliber of flying exactness then I would go with the Angels based on this one absolute observed criteria that I will describe. Being a Navy vet with A-6's and having been on many deployments aboard the America and Nimitz and having observed thousands of arrests in pitching seas in the pitch of darkness there was always one commonality. I have seen A5 Vigilantes(Turkeys), C-1 Traders(COD), F-4, F-14, A-4,A-6,A-7, E-2 etc....etc and the one common factor of all these pilots flying these many varied airframes was the training they had obtained for carrier landings which is very exacting. Once the ball was called(LSO dialog to pilot) the pilots job was to trap(arrest) on the #3 wire of the 4. This pinpoint accuracy on a moving target that was on an angle(known as the 'angle deck') to the given trajectory of the ship was just simply amazing. There are a lot of nice vids out on social media of carrier operations but I found one of the Nimitz 3 years after I was on her that brought back memories of some of the craziness that does challenge these very talented pilots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR8IWvWn5YU

Fly Navy and best regards,

[Aros]

I take my hat off to these incredible pilots. Here I sit, in the comforts of my cozy house, flying a Flight Simulator. It's as real as it can possibly be (FSX Acceleration with tons of top end payware for realism) and I laugh at how difficult it is for me, in my house, in my pajamas, with no real world stress, trying to land say an F/A-18E Hornet on a carrier as example.

For me, if I crash, so what? I hit the reset button.

There's no reset button for those pilots. The training and talent that goes into being someone like a Thunderbird or Blue Angel is simply astounding.

[VOODOO]

My vote also will go to the BLUE ANGELS, even though my flying was in the USAF. I feel the F18 makes a better presentation than the F16. The THUNDERBIRDS have been disadvantaged several times by the types of a/c they were given to fly, most notably when they were flying F4s.

[boomer108]

After 30 yrs. in the Air Force 23 of those as a In Flight Refueler on the KC-135 I should be biased but I'm not. Both the T Birds and the Blue Angels are the tops in what they do, especially putting the pole in the hole.

[Grossman56]

My vote also will go to the BLUE ANGELS, even though my flying was in the USAF. I feel the F18 makes a better presentation than the F16. The THUNDERBIRDS have been disadvantaged several times by the types of a/c they were given to fly, most notably when they were flying F4s.

Don't forget that the Blue Angels were saddled with the F4 as well, I have pictures somewhere and used to have a model in Blue Angels livery.

Grossman56

[OV10]

Here's the plane history for both from start to present:

Blue Angels - since 46 have been 8
F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, F9F-2 Panther, F9F-8 Cougar, F11F-1 Tiger, F-4J Phantom, A-4F Skyhawk, F/A-18 Hornet

Thunderbirds - since 53 have been 7
F-84G Thunderjet, F-84 Thunderstreak, F-100 Super Sabre, F-105 Thunderchief, F-4E Phantom, T-38 Talon, F-16C Falcon

[XF-15DCC]

Man, can you imagine trying to keep an F-4 or a 105 white?

Heck it was a pain keeping the F-15 clean with gray! T-38 was cake to keep clean. Gotta love that gloss white! I think it took me longer to clean the windscreen and both canopies than the jet!

Kevin

[VOODOO]

Don't forget that the Blue Angels were saddled with the F4 as well, I have pictures somewhere and used to have a model in Blue Angels livery.

Grossman56

Quite right, and they suffered from it as well. While the F100, F105,and F4. are all fast and powerful, their high wing loading made them less favorable as a close in , close formation aircraft. I flew the F101B in several Armed Forces Day airshows, and we had to work hard to stay within sight of the spectators, because that plane had the highest wing loading of all.

[Grossman56]

I imagine the old F104 was something for wing loading. It used to be really something to watch when the pilot would come across the show line rolling all the way, never saw anything roll like a '104

Grossman56

[VOODOO]

I imagine the old F104 was something for wing loading. It used to be really something to watch when the pilot would come across the show line rolling all the way, never saw anything roll like a '104

Grossman56

Actually the F101 had a much higher wing loading. It carried the F104's weight in fuel, if my old, old brain is still firing on all cylinders.

[VOODOO]

I imagine the old F104 was something for wing loading. It used to be really something to watch when the pilot would come across the show line rolling all the way, never saw anything roll like a '104

Grossman56

You are right about the 104's roll rate. In fact, the 101B was restricted by operating manual limits to a single 360 degree aileron roll, because of inertial coupling that could result in departure from controlled flight. There are some of us who can attest to the fact it could do at least two.

[Grossman56]

Voodoo, your name reminds me of watching the CAF demonstration at Abbotsford International Airshow back in the 70's. My step brother and I were watching the CF 101's come shooting over airshow center in line astern. Suddenly one of them went for altitude a lot sooner than the ones that had preceded him, as we're watching, he comments to me, now that's quite the special affect because he'd hit his afterburner and she was smoking up quite well. Next thing we know, two parachutes come out of it and we're thinking 'oh oh', yep she blew up right in front of all the taxpayers. The pilot had the good sense to aim the thing towards the ocean and bail out, no one was hurt.
The 101 was never a very impressive plane in the first place, it was basically a consolation prize after we were force to chop up the CF 105 Avro Arrows for political reasons. A good read is the book 'The Storms of Controversy" that deals with the whole incident.

Grossman56

[VOODOO]

Voodoo, your name reminds me of watching the CAF demonstration at Abbotsford International Airshow back in the 70's. My step brother and I were watching the CF 101's come shooting over airshow center in line astern. Suddenly one of them went for altitude a lot sooner than the ones that had preceded him, as we're watching, he comments to me, now that's quite the special affect because he'd hit his afterburner and she was smoking up quite well. Next thing we know, two parachutes come out of it and we're thinking 'oh oh', yep she blew up right in front of all the taxpayers. The pilot had the good sense to aim the thing towards the ocean and bail out, no one was hurt.
The 101 was never a very impressive plane in the first place, it was basically a consolation prize after we were force to chop up the CF 105 Avro Arrows for political reasons. A good read is the book 'The Storms of Controversy" that deals with the whole incident.

Grossman56

The ARROW would have most likely been a world class a/c for it's day. As to the 101B not being impressive, you might change your mind had you had the opportunity to ride in one. For an aircraft that entered service in the early 60's it was quite a performer. It set, in 1957, the time to climb record from brake release to 35,000ft at under 2 minutes, if my memory serves me right. I have seen excess of 65,000ft in the recovery from a snap up intercept attack. Also more than 1000kts on the TAS indicator. In the winter, flying out of Griffiss AFB, in Rome, NY, we would sometimes break ground in 2000ft or less takeoff roll. On a "gate" climb(full afterburner), we would be almost out of sight by the time we crossed the airport boundary. I'm not trying to be controversial, or contrary, just remembering some happy days. To really read of the history and exploits of the F101, I recommend the OSPREY AIR COMBAT book, McDONNELL F101 VOODOO. On page15 is a photo of Maj Blair C Wrye, my flight commander in the 322nd FIS at Kingsley Field, Ore. It was taken 2 weeks before he was KIA in VIETNAM.

[Grossman56]

On second thought, I hear what you're saying, I guess I have to take into context that were also watching the Voodoo nearing the end of its service. Believe me, no disrespect intended at all!

Grossman56