Video Proof: Blue Angels Really Are Humans (Lynchburg Airshow)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 08:17PM
Blue Angels 2011 Lynchburg Airshow - (Diamond Roll manuever at about the 23:30 mark)
(2 videos)
UPDATE May 26 11:58am: The Blue Angels have cancelled their U.S. Naval Academy graduation flyover on May 27 and their May 28-29 performance at the Millville Airshow in Millville New Jersey. Any changes to their future schedule will be determined at a later date. See blueangels.navy.mil/show for schedule updates.
You may already know that the Blue Angels had a safety related issue at last Sunday's Lynchburg Airshow. The situation is pretty serious in that it has the team 'standing down' and all performances are on hold while the incident is investigated, but the good news is that the only thing that actually happened was the team wound up completing the Diamond Barrel Roll maneuver at a lower altitude than is allowed. I'm not interested in making a big deal out of this situation other than to acknowledge that these guys, who often seem to be super-human (or not even human at all), are indeed capable of making mistakes. Personally, I believe the Blue Angels pilots prove every time they fly that they are the best pilots in the world. What they do is not only incredible, it's an amazing reflection on the spirit of America.
To better understand the incident on Sunday, the video above showed up on youtube today from user horsemoney, and it includes the maneuver in question. It's toward the end of the video, starting at about the 23:30 mark. If you watch the 20+ minutes before that point you'll see a really good video of a great Blue Angels performance. I never get tired of seeing their tight formation flying, and I never cease to be amazed that it can actually be accomplished.
First, it's interesting to note that the mainstream media propagated some info about the incident that was very inaccurate. That info spread like wildfire across various outlets, and many of them have a correction in place now. Ultimately it shows again how they really don't understand what they're talking about. Nothing new here, they're almost always wrong when they speak about aviation. I wish they'd just stop. Anyway, on to the the real issue. The video below from youtuber Trickworm shows the same show element as performed in October 2010.
The key things I notice are the fact that the aircraft appear to end the maneuver noticeably higher (of course) and that they seem to enter the break where each aircraft goes its own direction without being under any high g loading. By contrast, the Lynchburg video shows them in what appears to be a loaded condition right up until the point where the wingmen pull away. That pulling away appears to be as a result of a 'knock-it-off' call from the lead pilot which communicates to the other pilots that the maneuver is cancelled and the formation should be broken.
Due to the incredibly tight formation that is flown, only the lead pilot has any real awareness of where the aircraft are, the other pilots are completely focused on maintaining their position relative to the lead. If the lead reaches a point where his flight path appears unsafe, a 'knock-it-off' call will give everyone a chance to gain separation and find a safe course of flight. You may remember the tragic Air Force Thunderbirds training accident back in 1982 when all four aircraft in a diamond formation flew into the ground killing all of the pilots. The reason as to why the lead aircraft was on a flight path to impact the ground is not really fully known (some believe aircraft malfunction, others believe pilot error), but it illustrates how the following aircraft are completely dependant on the lead aircraft to provide a safe path.
In the Lynchburg show, there are all kinds of reasons as to why the lead pilot may have had the formation on an incorrect trajectory, and of course, that's what the investigation is all about. Again, I'm not here to put anyone down, but it's essential to understand what happened. It's in the understanding that we can acknowledge any error, and then make changes to keep it from happening again. It's the absolute reality of being human. We will always make mistakes. We just hope that the mistakes we make don't cause us (or anyone else) to wind up dead. But, if I may add, dead is ultimately where we all are headed... all the more reason to have your flight plan filed with Jesus before that trip gets started. Just sayin'.
So, the Blue Angels are amazing, but they are mere humans like you and me after all. Hopefully they'll be able to come to a clear understanding of what happened at Lynchburg and soon get back to putting on the most impressive airshow performance in the world.
Blue Angels video from October 2010 showing the Diamond Barrel Roll maneuver
Reader Comments (5)
The Blue Angels are great but, like you said they are human. I was at an airshow at Oceana NAS in Virginia Beach, VA when half way through the show the stopped the performance and landed. It turns out, according to a newspaper story, that one of the jets lined up on the wrong runway for a maneuver. The commander decided to quit the routine and ordered more training for the pilots.
Mart, thanks for putting this post together. I believe the average airshow-goer doesn't quite understand the incredible safety "systems" that are put in place behind the scenes of one of these routines, and how seriously they take safety. It is frustrating to see the uninformed media make more of this than they really should.
I've watched these guys for years and they still bring a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes to watch such precision and accuracy. I am so proud of our military, the men and women that serve both at home and abroad. They have my undying admiration. Only in America! Go Navy!
I had the in-envious opportunity to experience a 'stand down' at the Navy squadron I was with back in the mid-70s. We had experienced a crash (one pilot lost - rolled inverted and ejected into the ground) and a mid-air collision between two jets (two pilots ejected and rescued, both aircraft lost) in a span of a few months.
These "safety stand-downs" are invoked when there is a series of aircraft accidents or unsafe incidents. They give everyone within the squadron/unit a chance for a pause and to re-evaluate the standard day-to-day operations from an operational safety point of view. The Blue Angel aviators are not the only ones conducting refresher training at this point. The maintenance personnel are also receiving safety training on flightline operations, maintenance tasks, and general safety precautions.
In the case of the squadron I was in, the commanding officer was relieved of duty and the executive officer took over. We had no more aircraft accidents over the next couple of years.
Is it my understanding that the "Boss" (#1) has actually stepped down because of this incident? And is this the first time that a T-Bird or Blue has "Retired"?