Blue Angels homecoming in November

Each November the Blue Angels come home to roost. After a hectic show schedule, they come to their home town to close the tour. This year’s homecoming event is November 13 and 14 at Pensacola Naval Air Station.

The Blues fly over the Pensacola area twice a year, once at Pensacola Beach in July and then at the Pensacola NAS in November. The latter is my favorite. There is something about watching the show from the tarmac of the base that makes me really feel involved.

Admission is free. The gates open at 8 a.m., the show starts at 9:30 a.m. and the Blue Angels are scheduled to fly at approximately 2 p.m. With thousands of people converging on the base, you would think it would be a traffic nightmare. But, with military personnel directing the traffic, it flows very smoothly.

According to a recent press release, this will be the last year for Fat Albert and the JATO demonstration. This saddens me. For those of you not familiar with the Blue Angles, Fat Albert is a Lockheed-Martin C-130T Hercules. The plane is operated by an all-Marine Corps crew of three officers and five enlisted personnel. Fat Albert has been thrilling spectators since November of 1975 with its jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) capability. Eight solid-fuel rocket bottles, four on each side, thrust the enormous plane skyward. The JATO bottles allow the aircraft to takeoff within 1,500 feet, climb at a 45-degee angle and propel it to an altitude of 1,000 feet in about 15 seconds. It is absolutely amazing to watch.

he team is researching several alternatives to the JATO. I guess we will have to wait and see what the 2010 team prepares for us. But, for this year, I plan to be on the base to bid farewell to Fat Albert’s JATO November 14.

Blue Angels

Oh my, its Wednesday morning and the Blue Angels just made a pass over my house.  Wow!  If you would like to experience a hair raising event

attend one of the Blue Angels practice sessions over NAS Pensacola.

The Blue Angels practice on most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8:30 am behind the museum on the Pensacola Naval Base. (Maybe a 1/2 hour drive from most Phoenix locations.)

Practice is free and open to the public. Bleachers can accommodate up to

1000 spectators but you may want to bring your own chairs for comfort. 

Hats, sunscreen and water are essential.  I guarantee the whole family will enjoy this hair raising show!  After Wednesday practice sessions the pilots are available to sign autographs in the museum. 

This fascinating museum is world renown and the largest Naval Aviation Museum in the world. You and the kids can climb in and out of cockpits and let your imagination fly. Not only is this one of the best ways to spend a day it is FREE.  For additional info here

See You Soon!

Blue Angels Homecoming

The Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 14 & 15, on board Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Admission is FREE and the gates open at 8 am each day. The show includes static displays of aircraft of all types, food, beverage and vendor booths, virtual reality experiences and other attractions, including a Kids' Zone, Sony Playstation II gaming area and bungee jumping. The air show begins at 9:45 am, with the Blue Angels slated to fly around 2 pm. The pilots will sign autographs after the show. There is also a night air show on Friday evening. Visit the Homecoming Air Show website at here. In the month of October the ANgels will be practicing each Wednesday and can be viewed as well.
The Beachin' clan will be stationed at Phoenix X for the weekend to make the short drive to the Pensacola NAS for the Blue Angels show.