Last ride for the Blues’ legacy Bugs

[Uncle Fester]

Blue Angels making last pass over coast Wednesday before aircraft upgrade

When I was a kid I got to see one of their last shows in the Scoot and first flying the Hornet. Looks like they’ve finally traded in for Rhinos.

 

[Jim123]

It's been two hours but there's still a traffic jam along the causeway to get off Navarre Beach. Apparently it was a pretty good view down there of one of the big turns along the route.






There's some fan video popping up on the internet and social media and the people on that beach got a good look at the 6-ship +1 formation. This video was taken along the Navarre Bridge, just south of US98, facing mostly southwest:

https://fb.watch/1yWse6-Mmj/

 

[taxi1]

Flying their diamond pointing south over Pensacola Beach, they simul-ejected from their tired craft and floated down to the Sandshakers parking lot for a round of Bushwhackers...

 

[skybert]

Saw them with the A-4’s when I was active duty at Cherry Point and the F-18’s in Traverse City. The A-4’s we’re far better as far as shows went.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

 

[nittany03]

Meme

OK, whatever. All, what, .5 percent of SELRES aviators who are actually flying gray jets are complaining they're flying the wrong gray jets? #FirstWorldProblems

If they hate it that much, our adversary Karens are always free to come see what the real Reserves looks like . . . NOSC shenanigans and stupidity included.

 

[cfam]

OK, whatever. All, what, .5 percent of SELRES aviators who are actually flying gray jets are complaining they're flying the wrong gray jets? #FirstWorldProblems

If they hate it that much, our adversary Karens are always free to come see what the real Reserves looks like . . . NOSC shenanigans and stupidity included.

I mean, I didn’t think having a more capable adversary force could possibly be a bad thing, especially when compared to giving the jets to a demo team. Maybe I’m missing something?

 

[Duc'-guy25]

View attachment 27892

Hey man, I need those F-5’s to build my confidence.

 

[OscarMyers]

Hey man, I need those F-5’s to build my confidence.

Or be a sad little surprise in the debrief...

 

[nittany03]

I mean, I didn’t think having a more capable adversary force could possibly be a bad thing, especially when compared to giving the jets to a demo team. Maybe I’m missing something?

I’m sure it could, and I know DoD is pushing to improve that capability. But making memes as a flying reservist on how you missed out on having a cool new ride still has an element of “flexing on the poors” when plenty of 13X5s are consigned to TACRON, CAOCs, and staff duty in perpetuity.

 

[BigJeffray]

OK, whatever. All, what, .5 percent of SELRES aviators who are actually flying gray jets are complaining they're flying the wrong gray jets? #FirstWorldProblems

If they hate it that much, our adversary Karens are always free to come see what the real Reserves looks like . . . NOSC shenanigans and stupidity included.

I would say that a lot of active duty aviators flying gray jets are complaining that the reserves are flying the wrong gray jets also. The Chuck doesn't cut it anymore for adversary support, and hasn't for awhile. That said, it is kind of cool to see a Rhino done up in the blue paint job.

 

[Jim123]

If the bunos that the Blues get to stock their E/F inventory are anything like the way they've got A/B/C models for years, then I don't think anybody needs to worry about them poaching or cherry picking any cream puffs from operational units. They traditionally get old and almost used up jets that are life-limited (cycles, traps, hours, whatever).

I hate "more with less" but I kinda admire the system they have for getting their airplanes and making economical use of that last few percent of the service life of a lot of old, tired fleet hardware.

 

[SlickAg]

I’m sure it could, and I know DoD is pushing to improve that capability. But making memes as a flying reservist on how you missed out on having a cool new ride still has an element of “flexing on the poors” when plenty of 13X5s are consigned to TACRON, CAOCs, and staff duty in perpetuity.

Plenty of opportunities for those 13X5s to have tried to stay in the cockpit.

 

[wink]

Plenty of opportunities for those 13X5s to have tried to stay in the cockpit.

Not when you are a NFO and your squadron disappears and no others are in SELRES to fly. Some pilots get a shot at VR, adversary or whatever. Reserve NFOs are done when their aircraft goes away.

 

[SlickAg]

Not when you are a NFO and your squadron disappears and no others are in SELRES to fly. Some pilots get a shot at VR, adversary or whatever. Reserve NFOs are done when their aircraft goes away.

Yes, when the reserve S-3 and F-14 squadrons went away, but that’s not this. I’m sure that when VAQ-209 transitioned they didn’t simply clean house; same thing at the VAQ-129 SAU. But that’s not what we’re talking about. People can still always make the switch as long as the gaining squadron wants them.