Blue Angels, then and now.

[Babalonian]

Awesome share!

The blue angels are my favorite because they flew the bearcat. Bad assery at its finest.

If ever you wander out to these parts, stop by the Camarillo So-Cal CAF Hangar, you won't regret it.  Time it right and you'll even see (and hear) her fly.
http://cafsocal.com/bearcat.htm


If anyone is a hardcore Blue Angles fan within driving distance of this little place in the middle of nowhere called El Centro, CA in the early spring, it is the Blue Angle's off-season practice base and in March they kick-off the start of the season with their first airshow there and it's one of their best shows because it's very personal to them as they are publicly introducing their newest team members for the season and saying goodbye and putting on a grand show for their friends, families and kids based there with them during the training season before taking off on their busy air-show season tour to show their talents off to others around the country and world.

[icepac]

http://blueangelsassociation.org/Private/news/Newsletter11/march2011.pdf

[Nypsy]

I have seen, heard, touched and smelled many WW2 birds, but no Bearcats.
Got lucky enough while I was in the Air Force to fly in a goony form Hill AFB in Utah to Shepard AFB in Texas. It was 1971 and the ANG was still flying them so I hitched a ride, my only WW2 era flying experience. No heat, winter, me and the loadmaster froze in that thing.

Just once before I die I want to see a Bearcat on a low pass at full song.

[Babalonian]

I'll try to find out more information as I'm hoping to swing by their hangar in the next few weeks.  Without being too cruel - I hope you get your chance, the impression while standing next to it on the ground is that it is one tough, stout (in the 10-pounds of woopin stuffed into a 5-pound sack sorta way) and solid bird.  It intimidates me even on the ground because of how high off the deck it rests on its extended main landing gear and it feels as if it is dwarfing you (mind - I'm 6'5") just sitting there idle.  Hearing it though is a different experience, that massive radial and prop just beating the snot out of the sky like an oversized glorious blue blender.*

*Note: I will be in now way responcible for any irrational desire to bribe/beg/taunt/threaten HTC for its addition into the game that you may have afterwards.

I guarentee it will be at their home airport airshow though, next month:
8/20/2011 8/21/2011 Wings Over Camarillo CMA - Camarillo, CA - CA US

No Point Magu airshow this year, so it won't be there, probabley will be at Thermal and Mirimar again.  Hope it makes its way up to Edwards in October, three airshows that weekend in CA and it'll be the one I'll most likely attend.

[Tordon22]

I get my bearcat fill at the Reno Air Races  

Although moving to the east coast has not conducive to that

[fbWldcat]

In the museum I volunteer at, we have an A-4 Skyhawk painted like one of the Blue Angels, too bad it isn't a real one.

[B4Buster]