David is a standup guy. I was his crew chief the year prior. When was #6, I knew him well. He was always deeply committed to doing it right. Gil Rud was hands down the best skipper I ever had, and Wes Robinson is a fabulous Doc, musician and human. In 1987, I was Wayne Molnar's crew chief (opposing solo). Wayne went on to fly for Delta.. Everyone on the team was top-shelf. It was an incredible effort by all to transition to the hornet during winter training and be doing shows the next year! Nice job on the interview! Cheers, Joey
Sounds like All of you folks whether you're flying the planes, keeping them flying, we're the best in every way at what you all did in order to get to that level of flying with the Blue Angels! Salute to all of you!! Must be great thinking back on many years of cool memories!!!
I was standing at the CalCot spur 250' away when your F-18 basically belly flopped onto the tracks. Nose pointed WSW. No fire. Walked up to it & saw there was no canopy. I called UP & told them there was a Blue Angel on the track & I figured I wasn't getting cars spotted that day. Small world.
Semper Fi Brother, The Naval Aviator community and the Blue Angels in particular have always impressed the hell out of me. My favorite ride in many a Naval Aircraft was in the back of a TE-4J out over the Whiskey 291 training area with a Marine Corps Major Hickerson. That little 'sports car' was a trip to be in through out the ACM routine. Loved it and would do it again, even at my age of almost 75. USMC Retired 1966-1989 RVN 01/69 - 10/70
Wow! This is an absolutely excellent presentation from a true American hero who at the time under rules was not allowed to be a test pilot but who did better test pilot work as a Blue Angels pilot than the test pilots and aeronautical engineers who let these F-18s into service with serious flaws that could have caused catastrophic air combat mission failures. I hope our US pilots have more phenomenal leaders like this in their ranks. This is true leadership! This is what we need in our US Armed Forces.
As a aviation enthusiast that has followed the blues for 40 years, I found the details in this video fascinating. So many people just assume the Blues get “Top of the Line” new aircraft, it couldn’t be any further from the truth. What the team does and HOW they do it year after year never gets old and never ceases to amaze me. The way they bring on new people year after year and stay true to the traditions of the past is a marvel to behold. It is such a special thing in the world of aviation.
They do get top of the line airplanes. This didn't happen because the plane was junk. It happened because it was a new airplane and they were learning about it. Every airplane out there takes time to set their teeth. Nothing is perfect, it's a machine. It says a lot that almost 30 years later we are still flying them.
@@brandonhebert5485 The team and the maintenance crews do a phenomenal job with the jets they have, but 20 year old Super Hornets are not “Top of the Line.” If you listen to the video, he even says the planes were all pre-production, one of one aircraft.
@@rogerkober9836 I have no clue what the quality of the aircraft was, but this happened in 1987. It wasn't a super hornet, it was a hornet, and it was a pre-production model because the blue angels started flying them less than a year after their very first deployment with the navy and this happened very early into that, so for all intents and purposes, the aircraft was about as close to brand new as you can possibly get in the navy, hence why literally nobody on the team had flown it before.
I remember the accident well. Our squadron (VT-21) was on a weapons Det in El Centro at the time. Our C.O., CDR G.G. Maxwell was placed on the review board. I didn't realize Mr. Anderson had the other issues with the tire and engine failure. Glad to hear he had a long career.
The A-4F was probably the best demo team bird the blues ever had. Solid stick, honest, flat bottom low wings that all lined up in formation, unparalleled roll rate.
Love these team members telling the stories of what goes on behind the shiney blue and gold paint . I remember watching Lt. Anderson , Boss Ruud and their team perform , but who knew what they had to go through to bring the show to us . Thanks for what you do so well , Ryan , to bring the rest of the show to us . 😎👍
I'm full of admiration for people like him. They know that if they screw up (even slightly), it could be all over for them, but they go ahead and do it anyway.
I’m not a pilot but can we appreciate the brain power at work here. The maturity of the man to take constructive criticism and continue to methodically push the envelope? That’s heady if you ask me.
They made the F-4J handle like a lightweight fighter. I've never seen other F-4s behave like that, and I saw them flying all the time from Edwards AFB, George AFB, El Toro MCAS, China Lake NWTC, and Miramar NAS from the early 1970s-esrly 1990s.
Back in the 90’s I was on the Police Department Motorcycle Unit. I had honor to escort the Blue Angels from their hotel in Altamonte Springs FL to their Air Show in Orlando FL. It was amazing speaking with these men. One said to me he thought my job was far more dangerous driving a Police bike at high speed through traffic. He said his job was just math, haha. Just an amazing team … Outstanding organization. Thank you all for your dedication and service.
Anderson imo was the best announcer the Blues had. He had that auditable voice with deep residence. And if memory serves, he was one of the few that pretty much stood at attention, never flinched to see where the diamond or solos where. He had the timing down. Great pilot too. Anderson also referred to a maneuver called the opposing blivot. Two solos cross at center point with one hit, roll 180 into the vertical belly to belly, then cross again at the top. 2nd hit. Very exciting. LtCmdr. Michael Gershon lost his life in Niagara Falls performing this and collided with Lt.Caputi on the top hit. Caputi ejected successfully.
I was at the airshow at NAS Moffett the week before the accident that you are referring to that killed Gershon. I vividly remember seeing that maneuver and thinking, “there is very little margin for error. Someone’s gonna hurt.” Sure enough, one week later….
@kaypie3112 I was there as well. But there will always be a point of risk during the demo. Just a few yrs ago, Lt. Jeff Kuss lost his life during a relatively simple split S maneuver. Fatigue and he executed the too low were the results of the investigation. The opposing blivot was a safe maneuver. It looked more dangerous (optically) then it really was. I question how that extended push for +Gs would inhibit the super bug performance tho...
@@pkelly3463 Hello there. How are you? You were at the Moffett NAS show in 1985? Awesome. With regard to Kuss’s crash- He screwed up at least four things that day: -He added a complete 360 roll after takeoff as he climbed out. -He did not climb high enough, rolling inverted and pulling through at too Low an altitude- as you stated. -Crucially, he left the engines in afterburner too long as he pulled through. -He initiated ejection at too low an altitude- probably to insure that the Airplane went in where it ultimately did after he realized he wasn’t going to complete the maneuver successfully. The team took the split-s on takeoff out of the demonstration after Kuss’s accident deeming it “unsafe or too risky.” But what is interesting is that the solos still do an opposing split-S later on in the demonstration. They would have to explain that logic to me. A low altitude split-S is either risky- or it’s not. Which one is it?
Admiral sir, Who knew you would need inverted fuel pumps on jets that would do extensive negative G inverted flight. you guys were lucky in that first season with the Hornet...
I was at Reno this year and got to stay in the pits with my RV. There was a Super Hornet display daily and man that plane is a beast. It was doing negative pushes over the top that caught me by surprise. It also flys on the tailpipe quite well. It was tied with of all things the Bonanza demo as best flying in my opinion of course.
I was the head Flight Attendant in 1993 with United when we had a left main gear tire blow on takeoff out of Denver. The was before DIA opened and at Stapleton. The tire got sucked into the left engine on 757-200. we lost the engine, the tires on that gear and hydraulics as we landed. We also lost the PA system and had to prep the cabin with a megaphone. Luckily everything went smoothly and we didn't have to evacuate. The point is a blown tire on takeoff is not fun. ps, The engine completely disintegrated from the tire.
Had the pleasure to meet Mr. Anderson before he was a Blue Angel. I was at my stepbrother’s house. He, my stepbrother, was a A6 Intruder pilot with VA65. If I remember correctly, Mr. Anderson was a Flying Tiger also. I was only a E3 at the time with VF14. We were all stationed at NAS Oceana. In case you happen to see this Mr. Anderson, my stepbrother is Jim “Arnie” Palmer.
What a professional, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You're a very dedicated & tactically proficient pilot & leader. I'm very impressed with your presence of mind during these events.
That’s so great to have people like that having your back when things go wrong. I hope the Navy still has that type of management style. I don’t believe the airlines do anymore.
Give me a break, the aviators after him were just as good and just as brave. I saw many brave men in Afghanistan and Iraq flying and in the infantry. Every generation brings brave good men and women to the fight. Trust me, we won't run out of good fighting Americans.
What An Lesson Learned. Great Interview Thank You Sir For Everything You Done For Our Country You Were Dedicated and Fearless, Eager To Learn and Get The Job Correct. You Are Truly Awesome Sir.
Second movie I ever watched was Touch The Sky featuring The Blue Angels taking up Christopher Reeve, this was the Pilot he got to fly with in the number 7 A-4. The A-4 has been my favorite airplane since. Glad to see this gentleman went on to have the career he did. Blue Skies, Sir
What an awesome video! First time I've ever heard an OFFICER admitting he screwed up, even though the test pilots wouldn't thoroughly do their job so he had to do it for them. In my opinion, any new high performance plane should never be allowed to do this kind of precision flying until it's been fully tested and flight characteristics fully understood! I'm not a pilot but I love high performance cars. I don't go balls out,in a race, in a new model until I learn it's limitations through testing. Isn't that what testing programs are for anyways? I'm GLAD that he wasn't REPRIMANDED and no one was KILLED!
My Father, Cdr. Harry Leslie Devoe USN&USNR flew F-9F Cougars and was one of the first Squadrons to transition to the A-4 Skyhawk (VA-106) Gladiators. In my childhood I got to see at Ceisel Field The Blue Angels fly F-11 Tigers, F-4 Phantoms, A-4 Skyhawks, NAS Willow Grove and many other places. In the spring of 1987 I was 3rd Mate on the Schooner Appledore II. I We had just docked in Ferindino, Florida. I read in the morning paper that the Blue Angels were going to do, please correct me if I'm wrong, the debut show of the F/A-18. At first I was somewhat resentful. I asked for a 12 leave and hitchhiked to NAS JAX. The show was undeliverable. You guys are as you well know are the BEST. Thank you. Sadly I was at the MCAS Beaufort in '05. I remember that the Naval Aviator, who sadly died during the show was from Wakefield, Mass. I was also at Buffalo NY, '85 for the high Arch collision. Your Sacrifice is not unnoted.
It always amazes me how pilots, private commercial or military, will work to not hit people on the ground when they know their potentially (or are) about to die.
wow, it's insane to think that is how things were done back then, the retread coming apart and blowing up the engine is mind boggling, and to find out that way. Wow.
Great insights! A follow-up would be very interesting, to help understand how the 'gap' was bridged between 'flight testing on the line' vs. 'back office flight testing'. On one hand, it sounds as if the envelope was exceeded while trying to determine true limitations, in the field. On the other hand, suspect it is more a matter of how the story is being related.
You aren't allowed to use retreads on the front tires of commercial vehicles, but they put them on the nose gear of a multimillion dollar plane... Great stories, loved the video. Brave man, and I wish he had the proper ejection seat so he could reach the ground safer.
Remember going to their air show in Miramar in 1986, right after Top Gun came out. I think it was one of the last times they flew the A-4. I loved that little plane, it was so maneuverable. I understand the Navy wanting to fly their newest planes with the Blue's, but I don't think there was a better plane for aerobatics than that A-4!
Holy cow! How did the seat get you out with your huge canines weighing you down?! Self-made test pilot, loses both motors, points the jet away from populated areas, punches out, and then gets back in 2 days later. Not to mention the first dirty roll takeoff 3 weeks after and an engine blows up. I have 2,000 hours in the F-18, mostly super hornet time, and this is just crazy in the coolest way.
Used to camp at Superstitions every January for 2 weeks. The Angels were always there practicing overhead. We were 10 mi. from Seeley. The El Centro base. Free show every day!!!
I'll never forget being at NAS Willow Grove in the 90s when they dirty roll on takeoff happened and the solo came real close to hitting the house on the other side of the highway... enough so that a lot of dust and dirt was kicked up over the house.
The first Blue Angels show I had ever seen was in the mid 70s at Selfridge Air National Guard base in Michigan. They flew the A4 Skyhawks and for a troubled 12 year old boy stuck in the foster care system in Detroit with no hope it was one of those things that made me want to be a better kid. And I did. Magical.
@@brandonhebert5485 haha. Agreed. Have you ever seen NHRA drag racing? I didn’t until 1998. To me, things were fairly unimpressive until……the top fuel funny cars. I still can’t fathom the power harnessed and distributed through the vehicle to the road surface. I grew up in the Detroit area. I moved to the south in 1984 when I joined the Army and received one of the most important lessons in my life. Actually two lessons. Growing up in the northern education system we were all convinced the stereotypical “southerner” was fact. The first lesson was learned within a year that any northerner who thinks that is full of sh!t and more ignorant than any “good ol’ boy”, “the south is gonna do it again” reputation taught to me. That NHRA event proved Bubba as well as anyone who runs a large farm are geniuses. The second lesson was “bless your heart” is not a compliment. Haha.
the limit speed of the tire is stamped on the sidewall, interesting trivia, it is also in miles per hour and not knots because the test equip is calibrated in mph.
I was a civilian airshow performer when the transition happened. In '87, they had to be bringing along several spare airplanes. I laud this man for doing the "let's see if we can do this in this airplane" flight test, even though he could have got his ass in a sling . There's nothing prettier than a Scooter, and those were the best shows.
"Learning by doing" on a different level. Good story. Thank's for sharing. Regards from Europe. No Blue Angels Super Hornets over here, just stone aged Red Arrows Hawks, Patrouille de France Alphajets and Patrouille Suisse F/5's... Would love to fly the F/A 18 .. and you could fly my 747-8 ...
I know were he's coming from. I was a troubleshooter who's main job was solving problems and negative outcomes were likely. But I wasn't flying a mulit-million dollar plane at low altitude that could kill me.
Maybe , maybe, the natural transition would be from the phantom to the hornet because the sizes the two engines, the weight would make that change easier…. I mean , from a single engine, smaller that is the A-4 to a more heavy, large and twin engine as the hornet is that change I’m agree was harder to those pilots caught in the middle … marvelous interview .
I would think that all fighters would have inverted fuel pumps! How would you be able to dogfight if you can’t go inverted, pull negative g’s and do other fighter types maneuvers?
He should have gotten double pay for not only being a Blue Angels pilot, but also for being the manufacturer's test pilot. I can't believe the manufacturer leaves it up to its customers to test all areas of the flight envelope rather than doing it themselves way early in aircraft development so they could work on the deficiencies during aircraft develpment.
The manufacturer never designed it for Air shows, its a fighter jet, its not supposed to fly inverted in regular military service. There are so many things that just don't work while inverted.. fuel pump is just the start of it. Not talking about a 1 barrel roll here, but real inverted -1G for any prolonged duration is just not a normal flight envelope during military service There is no military purpose to hanging upside down for -1G steady flight. Also most pilots hate negative G , its no fun hanging in the straps with blood rushing to your head. Headache material. All the stuff they do is uncharted territory because it has nothing to do with what the jet was designed for. the Manufacturers are keen to help figure it out, because Blue Angels = Great PR for their product.. But its not a design spec they are supposed to test for. Its not a deficiency during aircraft development. The problems mentioned have NO real world application on the carrier.. Else every fleet Hornet would have such inverted fuel pump.. (they don't have it in the fleet)
The first time I saw the Blue Angels in person was in the early 70's when they were still using the F-4's. I was also in a Navy squadron that had two F-4's and we also had four A-4's. But the F-4's with their monster afterburners and thundering sounds could not be replaced in my mind with those little sub-sonic, non afterburner A-4's. I called the A-4 the mosquito because that it what they reminded me of...lol..!!
It just blows my mind that when I went to see the Angels fly in ‘04 the Hornets the Angels flew then were the oldest in the fleet….. think about that. It blew my mind when the Boss told me that & the fact they didn’t preflight the jet either. They laid complete trust in their crew chiefs that the jet was setup & ready to rock a full show each and every day. I’m sure it’s still the same if not faster but he said he was sitting down, strapped in, they were taxing in 4mins total. I’ve always been stuck on the fact that even in 2004 the Navy couldn’t throw out some more millions and get the most exciting air show crew some shiny new jets instead of hand me downs from the fleet!?
As a Cessna 172 owner and a huge aviation fan I appreciate these stories. I just wish I was younger to where I needed inverted fuel pumps on my plane! Lol
He said it in too nice a way, but essentially he discovered a fatal flaw in the F/A18, 2 if you count the rubbish parachute, that had the potential to cause an airshow disaster and was at best let off with a warning.Sometimes the military is a bit dense.
I saw them the first time in the A-4s in about 1978 and have seen them many times in the F-18s. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe what those guys do. From support to maintenance to flyers, they are the best of the best in the World!
First time I saw the Blue Angels was at Macdill AFB in Tampa,Fla when the Angels were flying the Grumman F-11 Tiger. Beautiful aircraft and they put on an amazing show which has only gotten better with time. To be honest,I think the Blue Angels put on a better show than the Thunderbirds,and I spent 6 years in the USAF.
If the safety standards that are required today were in place back then, our military pilots and astronauts would have never been successful. Back then they pioneered and made today possible.
I had the privilege of seeing you all when Gil brought the Blue Angels to Fargo…. Great stories from behind the scenes of the transition process between aircraft…
In combat, would the all F-18's also get a "light" while performing inverted/negative G maneuvers? Or was it something specific to the jets the Blue's received? I tell ya, if it was ALL Hornets being delivered fleet wide, that is a huge no no. Thought we had fixed that issue in WWII !!
The F/18 inverted flight baffling is basically a box around the pumps in the bottom of tanks 2 and 3 that have one way flapper valves in them. The valves hang open in normal flight allowing fuel into the box but will simply hinge closed if the aircraft goes inverted and trap the fuel inside the box. Its a completely stand alone mechanical system. Extremely reliable but the boxes are not very big. Flying displays were obviously not in the design brief!
@@ASchallau He never said it was more powerful than the F-14. It WAS the most powerful aircraft they could transition too. The Tomcat was NEVER an option. He's clearly referring to an aircraft available to transition too. Nothing more. No correction needed.
@@danielh1708 I never said that a correction was needed. I was pointing out that he did indeed make the claim that the F/A-18A was more powerful than the F-14A. His exact words are: “Obviously, we’re going from a, from a a very old uhm aircraft to the most powerful, capable airplane in the fleet at the time, the F-18.” I think he is saying that from a thrust-to-weight perspective, the F/A-18A is more powerful than the F-14A. So, I agree with you in that regard that no correction is needed.
The ejection seats they have today have gyros in them so if one ejects upside down, the seat will turn you upright and also fire up away from the ground. They are also caled zero/ zero seats( zero speed, zero altitude).
Mostly correct...designed for the average weight aviator plus gear on and zero tail wind. If you are a heavy guy and eject on deck with a tailwind you don't get full seat/man separation prior to impacting the ground.
"We tried a no flaps takeoff at 180 because we knew the landing gear could take it." Well that wasn't exactly true was it? After all, TIRES are part of the landing gear.
I love it....."I was playing with it...trying to see what it would do"...just messin' around with hotrod military aircraft. WOW The F18 didn't have inverted fuel pumps out of the box?!?! WTF
David is a standup guy. I was his crew chief the year prior. When was #6, I knew him well. He was always deeply committed to doing it right. Gil Rud was hands down the best skipper I ever had, and Wes Robinson is a fabulous Doc, musician and human. In 1987, I was Wayne Molnar's crew chief (opposing solo). Wayne went on to fly for Delta.. Everyone on the team was top-shelf. It was an incredible effort by all to transition to the hornet during winter training and be doing shows the next year! Nice job on the interview! Cheers, Joey
Looks like he's sitting down here.
Sounds like All of you folks whether you're flying the planes, keeping them flying, we're the best in every way at what you all did in order to get to that level of flying with the Blue Angels!
Salute to all of you!! Must be great thinking back on many years of cool memories!!!
@@donc9751 Thank you, indeed the best group of humans I’ve ever worked with!
@@evanfinch4987 He's not speaking about physical position... He's talking about his personality of who he is.
i was on the Team 96-99, Boss Dom was the CO. Great Team and my best tour of my 22yrs.
I was standing at the CalCot spur 250' away when your F-18 basically belly flopped onto the tracks. Nose pointed WSW. No fire. Walked up to it & saw there was no canopy. I called UP & told them there was a Blue Angel on the track & I figured I wasn't getting cars spotted that day. Small world.
Semper Fi Brother,
The Naval Aviator community and the Blue Angels in particular have always impressed the hell out of me. My favorite ride in many a Naval Aircraft was in the back of a TE-4J out over the Whiskey 291 training area with a Marine Corps Major Hickerson. That little 'sports car' was a trip to be in through out the ACM routine. Loved it and would do it again, even at my age of almost 75.
USMC Retired
1966-1989
RVN 01/69 - 10/70
Wow! This is an absolutely excellent presentation from a true American hero who at the time under rules was not allowed to be a test pilot but who did better test pilot work as a Blue Angels pilot than the test pilots and aeronautical engineers who let these F-18s into service with serious flaws that could have caused catastrophic air combat mission failures. I hope our US pilots have more phenomenal leaders like this in their ranks. This is true leadership! This is what we need in our US Armed Forces.
Cringe
Seating on the edge of my bed while watching this riveting recollection, a bit sad and a bit exciting. Thanks for sharing..
As a aviation enthusiast that has followed the blues for 40 years, I found the details in this video fascinating. So many people just assume the Blues get “Top of the Line” new aircraft, it couldn’t be any further from the truth. What the team does and HOW they do it year after year never gets old and never ceases to amaze me. The way they bring on new people year after year and stay true to the traditions of the past is a marvel to behold. It is such a special thing in the world of aviation.
They do get top of the line airplanes. This didn't happen because the plane was junk. It happened because it was a new airplane and they were learning about it. Every airplane out there takes time to set their teeth. Nothing is perfect, it's a machine. It says a lot that almost 30 years later we are still flying them.
@@brandonhebert5485 The team and the maintenance crews do a phenomenal job with the jets they have, but 20 year old Super Hornets are not “Top of the Line.” If you listen to the video, he even says the planes were all pre-production, one of one aircraft.
@@rogerkober9836 I have no clue what the quality of the aircraft was, but this happened in 1987. It wasn't a super hornet, it was a hornet, and it was a pre-production model because the blue angels started flying them less than a year after their very first deployment with the navy and this happened very early into that, so for all intents and purposes, the aircraft was about as close to brand new as you can possibly get in the navy, hence why literally nobody on the team had flown it before.
I remember the accident well. Our squadron (VT-21) was on a weapons Det in El Centro at the time. Our C.O., CDR G.G. Maxwell was placed on the review board. I didn't realize Mr. Anderson had the other issues with the tire and engine failure. Glad to hear he had a long career.
I'll date you little bit....I checked in VMFA-323 right after we move from El Centro to Miramar
That was a truly amazing story. It verifies the A4 was a incredible aircraft and there were incredible pilots in the program.
The A-4 is one of the best aerobatic aircraft ever manufactured.
@@Skyhawks1979. Agreed, Crew Chief #1 & #7 75-78.
The A-4F was probably the best demo team bird the blues ever had. Solid stick, honest, flat bottom low wings that all lined up in formation, unparalleled roll rate.
What an INSIGHTFUL interview. Thank you for your service Commander.
Really enjoy these behind the scene stories. Thanks Ryan.
Love these team members telling the stories of what goes on behind the shiney blue and gold paint . I remember watching Lt. Anderson , Boss Ruud and their team perform , but who knew what they had to go through to bring the show to us . Thanks for what you do so well , Ryan , to bring the rest of the show to us . 😎👍
I'm full of admiration for people like him. They know that if they screw up (even slightly), it could be all over for them, but they go ahead and do it anyway.
I’m not a pilot but can we appreciate the brain power at work here. The maturity of the man to take constructive criticism and continue to methodically push the envelope? That’s heady if you ask me.
I saw the Blue's at Willow Run in 1972 in the F-4 Phantom. That aircraft was also a handful.
They made the F-4J handle like a lightweight fighter. I've never seen other F-4s behave like that, and I saw them flying all the time from Edwards AFB, George AFB, El Toro MCAS, China Lake NWTC, and Miramar NAS from the early 1970s-esrly 1990s.
Thank you Dave for your courtesy and camaraderie you extended to me back in 80s! 🍻
Incredible story. Very interesting history on an incredible team.
Back in the 90’s I was on the Police Department Motorcycle Unit. I had honor to escort the Blue Angels from their hotel in Altamonte Springs FL to their Air Show in Orlando FL. It was amazing speaking with these men. One said to me he thought my job was far more dangerous driving a Police bike at high speed through traffic. He said his job was just math, haha. Just an amazing team … Outstanding organization. Thank you all for your dedication and service.
Anderson imo was the best announcer the Blues had. He had that auditable voice with deep residence. And if memory serves, he was one of the few that pretty much stood at attention, never flinched to see where the diamond or solos where. He had the timing down. Great pilot too. Anderson also referred to a maneuver called the opposing blivot. Two solos cross at center point with one hit, roll 180 into the vertical belly to belly, then cross again at the top. 2nd hit. Very exciting. LtCmdr. Michael Gershon lost his life in Niagara Falls performing this and collided with Lt.Caputi on the top hit. Caputi ejected successfully.
I was at the airshow at NAS Moffett the week before the accident that you are referring to that killed Gershon.
I vividly remember seeing that maneuver and thinking, “there is very little margin for error. Someone’s gonna hurt.”
Sure enough, one week later….
@kaypie3112 I was there as well. But there will always be a point of risk during the demo. Just a few yrs ago, Lt. Jeff Kuss lost his life during a relatively simple split S maneuver. Fatigue and he executed the too low were the results of the investigation. The opposing blivot was a safe maneuver. It looked more dangerous (optically) then it really was. I question how that extended push for +Gs would inhibit the super bug performance tho...
@@pkelly3463 Hello there. How are you?
You were at the Moffett NAS show in 1985? Awesome.
With regard to Kuss’s crash-
He screwed up at least four things that day:
-He added a complete 360 roll after takeoff as he climbed out.
-He did not climb high enough, rolling inverted and pulling through at too
Low an altitude- as you stated.
-Crucially, he left the engines in afterburner too long as he pulled through.
-He initiated ejection at too low an altitude- probably to insure that the
Airplane went in where it ultimately did after he realized he wasn’t going
to complete the maneuver successfully.
The team took the split-s on takeoff out of the demonstration after Kuss’s accident deeming it “unsafe or too risky.” But what is interesting is that the solos still do an opposing split-S later on in the demonstration.
They would have to explain that logic to me. A low altitude split-S is either risky- or it’s not. Which one is it?
Admiral sir, Who knew you would need inverted fuel pumps on jets that would do extensive negative G inverted flight. you guys were lucky in that first season with the Hornet...
I was at Reno this year and got to stay in the pits with my RV. There was a Super Hornet display daily and man that plane is a beast. It was doing negative pushes over the top that caught me by surprise. It also flys on the tailpipe quite well. It was tied with of all things the Bonanza demo as best flying in my opinion of course.
@@dirtcurt1was there as well, that hornet was impressive!!
Great stuff. Time really flies. I can't believe the timeline of the Hornet transistion. I joined in 1986.
I was the head Flight Attendant in 1993 with United when we had a left main gear tire blow on takeoff out of Denver. The was before DIA opened and at Stapleton. The tire got sucked into the left engine on 757-200. we lost the engine, the tires on that gear and hydraulics as we landed. We also lost the PA system and had to prep the cabin with a megaphone. Luckily everything went smoothly and we didn't have to evacuate. The point is a blown tire on takeoff is not fun. ps, The engine completely disintegrated from the tire.
...I was El Centro Navy Base Photographer that rode with Base Security to the crash site and documented the landing (burning) site for the Navy...
Had the pleasure to meet Mr. Anderson before he was a Blue Angel. I was at my stepbrother’s house. He, my stepbrother, was a A6 Intruder pilot with VA65. If I remember correctly, Mr. Anderson was a Flying Tiger also. I was only a E3 at the time with VF14. We were all stationed at NAS Oceana. In case you happen to see this Mr. Anderson, my stepbrother is Jim “Arnie” Palmer.
What a professional, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. You're a very dedicated & tactically proficient pilot & leader. I'm very impressed with your presence of mind during these events.
This is an amazing story, Scott Anderson came into the Blues around that time he had been my division officer in VA-37.
That’s so great to have people like that having your back when things go wrong. I hope the Navy still has that type of management style. I don’t believe the airlines do anymore.
It helps if you are a trans person of color
So interesting to hear of the learning process... especially of the retread issue with the tires. Wow!
We need more men like David Anderson. It seems we're running out of them.
Give me a break, the aviators after him were just as good and just as brave. I saw many brave men in Afghanistan and Iraq flying and in the infantry. Every generation brings brave good men and women to the fight. Trust me, we won't run out of good fighting Americans.
What An Lesson Learned.
Great Interview
Thank You Sir For Everything You Done For Our Country
You Were Dedicated and Fearless, Eager To Learn and Get The Job Correct.
You Are Truly Awesome Sir.
Great leadership to let him continue since he was trying to do his job as a Blue Angel.
Second movie I ever watched was Touch The Sky featuring The Blue Angels taking up Christopher Reeve, this was the Pilot he got to fly with in the number 7 A-4. The A-4 has been my favorite airplane since. Glad to see this gentleman went on to have the career he did. Blue Skies, Sir
Great interview!
What an awesome video! First time I've ever heard an OFFICER admitting he screwed up, even though the test pilots wouldn't thoroughly do their job so he had to do it for them. In my opinion, any new high performance plane should never be allowed to do this kind of precision flying until it's been fully tested and flight characteristics fully understood! I'm not a pilot but I love high performance cars. I don't go balls out,in a race, in a new model until I learn it's limitations through testing. Isn't that what testing programs are for anyways? I'm GLAD that he wasn't REPRIMANDED and no one was KILLED!
Beyond fascinating. Thank you!
USN 1970-76... loved the F-4, A-4 and very impressed with F-18...
UA 777 Capt (ret)
My Father, Cdr. Harry Leslie Devoe USN&USNR flew F-9F Cougars and was one of the first Squadrons to transition to the A-4 Skyhawk (VA-106) Gladiators. In my childhood I got to see at Ceisel Field The Blue Angels fly F-11 Tigers, F-4 Phantoms, A-4 Skyhawks, NAS Willow Grove and many other places.
In the spring of 1987 I was 3rd Mate on the Schooner Appledore II. I We had just docked in Ferindino, Florida. I read in the morning paper that the Blue Angels were going to do, please correct me if I'm wrong, the debut show of the F/A-18. At first I was somewhat resentful. I asked for a 12 leave and hitchhiked to NAS JAX. The show was undeliverable. You guys are as you well know are the BEST. Thank you. Sadly I was at the MCAS Beaufort in '05. I remember that the Naval Aviator, who sadly died during the show was from Wakefield, Mass. I was also at Buffalo NY, '85 for the high Arch collision. Your Sacrifice is not unnoted.
It always amazes me how pilots, private commercial or military, will work to not hit people on the ground when they know their potentially (or are) about to die.
Thank you for your service ! 🙏💙⚓️✈️
Extremely interesting..thanks for all your insight
The old A-4 was our ‘test hanger queen aircraft’ when I went through AMH ‘A’ School at NAS Memphis (Millington) back in 1977-1978
wow, it's insane to think that is how things were done back then, the retread coming apart and blowing up the engine is mind boggling, and to find out that way. Wow.
What incredible stories. I’d love to fly with this guy!
What a great story.
Key word "Leadership" and the support. Think we would get that now in today's military?
Awesome interview!!! Gonna sub and watch much more! Thanks!
Great insights!
A follow-up would be very interesting, to help understand how the 'gap' was bridged between 'flight testing on the line' vs. 'back office flight testing'.
On one hand, it sounds as if the envelope was exceeded while trying to determine true limitations, in the field.
On the other hand, suspect it is more a matter of how the story is being related.
You aren't allowed to use retreads on the front tires of commercial vehicles, but they put them on the nose gear of a multimillion dollar plane...
Great stories, loved the video. Brave man, and I wish he had the proper ejection seat so he could reach the ground safer.
Glad your doing well.. it’s been awhile since AOCS. I think it was 14-77... and yes that Georgia draw came in handy as an announcer
Remember going to their air show in Miramar in 1986, right after Top Gun came out. I think it was one of the last times they flew the A-4. I loved that little plane, it was so maneuverable. I understand the Navy wanting to fly their newest planes with the Blue's, but I don't think there was a better plane for aerobatics than that A-4!
Great interview.👍
Holy cow! How did the seat get you out with your huge canines weighing you down?! Self-made test pilot, loses both motors, points the jet away from populated areas, punches out, and then gets back in 2 days later. Not to mention the first dirty roll takeoff 3 weeks after and an engine blows up. I have 2,000 hours in the F-18, mostly super hornet time, and this is just crazy in the coolest way.
Good ol' Brawley! Glad everything worked out for the best.
Used to camp at Superstitions every January for 2 weeks. The Angels were always there practicing overhead. We were 10 mi. from Seeley. The El Centro base. Free show every day!!!
Really interesting lecture thanks
I'll never forget being at NAS Willow Grove in the 90s when they dirty roll on takeoff happened and the solo came real close to hitting the house on the other side of the highway... enough so that a lot of dust and dirt was kicked up over the house.
that one tire coming apart single handedly wiped out all the money they tried to save on new tires when they had to order a new engine!!!😂
The test pilots can't do it because they aren't Angels and the Angels shouldn't do it because they aren't test pilots 😂
GREAT stuff....from the Right Stuff; these men are walking/talking history....worth knowing.
Outstanding account!
Dave! Great to see you! Hoping all is well for you. Thanks for sharing your insight and experiences. BZ! Peebs
Loved your efforts I saw both loved the A4 show ❤🎉
The first Blue Angels show I had ever seen was in the mid 70s at Selfridge Air National Guard base in Michigan. They flew the A4 Skyhawks and for a troubled 12 year old boy stuck in the foster care system in Detroit with no hope it was one of those things that made me want to be a better kid. And I did. Magical.
Amen. No limit to what the sound of a jet engine roaring past you at 500 mph can make a person do.
@@brandonhebert5485 haha. Agreed. Have you ever seen NHRA drag racing? I didn’t until 1998. To me, things were fairly unimpressive until……the top fuel funny cars. I still can’t fathom the power harnessed and distributed through the vehicle to the road surface. I grew up in the Detroit area. I moved to the south in 1984 when I joined the Army and received one of the most important lessons in my life. Actually two lessons. Growing up in the northern education system we were all convinced the stereotypical “southerner” was fact. The first lesson was learned within a year that any northerner who thinks that is full of sh!t and more ignorant than any “good ol’ boy”, “the south is gonna do it again” reputation taught to me. That NHRA event proved Bubba as well as anyone who runs a large farm are geniuses. The second lesson was “bless your heart” is not a compliment. Haha.
the limit speed of the tire is stamped on the sidewall, interesting trivia, it is also in miles per hour and not knots because the test equip is calibrated in mph.
Amazing, I wonder..will there ever be an F-35 Blue Angels?
If the world lasts that long we should. The F-35 puts on a hell of a solo show. A full team would be badass to watch.
A long ass time, decades
I was a civilian airshow performer when the transition happened. In '87, they had to be bringing along several spare airplanes.
I laud this man for doing the "let's see if we can do this in this airplane" flight test, even though he could have got his ass in a sling .
There's nothing prettier than a Scooter, and those were the best shows.
Thats what makes these pilots great. Fun stories enjoyed that.
A very brave man! Love the accent.
"Learning by doing" on a different level. Good story. Thank's for sharing. Regards from Europe.
No Blue Angels Super Hornets over here, just stone aged Red Arrows Hawks, Patrouille de France Alphajets and Patrouille Suisse F/5's... Would love to fly the F/A 18 .. and you could fly my 747-8 ...
mind blown we would consider fielding ANY aircraft in combat without inverted fuel pumps
"Because I was inverted"
I know were he's coming from. I was a troubleshooter who's main job was solving problems and negative outcomes were likely. But I wasn't flying a mulit-million dollar plane at low altitude that could kill me.
Maybe , maybe, the natural transition would be from the phantom to the hornet because the sizes the two engines, the weight would make that change easier…. I mean , from a single engine, smaller that is the A-4 to a more heavy, large and twin engine as the hornet is that change I’m agree was harder to those pilots caught in the middle … marvelous interview .
I used to read Grampa Pettibone’s articles of aircraft safety and mishaps.
I would think that all fighters would have inverted fuel pumps! How would you be able to dogfight if you can’t go inverted, pull negative g’s and do other fighter types maneuvers?
One of the Best. Right here Folks.
We lost an angel in El Centro when I was stationed there in the 70"s
was the transition to F18s from A4s a contributing factor to that one pilot who crashed an at El Toro air show?
He should have gotten double pay for not only being a Blue Angels pilot, but also for being the manufacturer's test pilot. I can't believe the manufacturer leaves it up to its customers to test all areas of the flight envelope rather than doing it themselves way early in aircraft development so they could work on the deficiencies during aircraft develpment.
The manufacturer never designed it for Air shows, its a fighter jet, its not supposed to fly inverted in regular military service.
There are so many things that just don't work while inverted.. fuel pump is just the start of it.
Not talking about a 1 barrel roll here, but real inverted -1G for any prolonged duration is just not a normal flight envelope during military service
There is no military purpose to hanging upside down for -1G steady flight.
Also most pilots hate negative G , its no fun hanging in the straps with blood rushing to your head. Headache material.
All the stuff they do is uncharted territory because it has nothing to do with what the jet was designed for.
the Manufacturers are keen to help figure it out, because Blue Angels = Great PR for their product.. But its not a design spec they are supposed to test for. Its not a deficiency during aircraft development. The problems mentioned have NO real world application on the carrier.. Else every fleet Hornet would have such inverted fuel pump.. (they don't have it in the fleet)
Sounds like they improved the airframe through a bit of destructive testing.
The first time I saw the Blue Angels in person was in the early 70's when they were still using the F-4's. I was also in a Navy squadron that had two F-4's and we also had four A-4's. But the F-4's with their monster afterburners and thundering sounds could not be replaced in my mind with those little sub-sonic, non afterburner A-4's. I called the A-4 the mosquito because that it what they reminded me of...lol..!!
How many tires does an engine cost?
It just blows my mind that when I went to see the Angels fly in ‘04 the Hornets the Angels flew then were the oldest in the fleet….. think about that. It blew my mind when the Boss told me that & the fact they didn’t preflight the jet either. They laid complete trust in their crew chiefs that the jet was setup & ready to rock a full show each and every day. I’m sure it’s still the same if not faster but he said he was sitting down, strapped in, they were taxing in 4mins total. I’ve always been stuck on the fact that even in 2004 the Navy couldn’t throw out some more millions and get the most exciting air show crew some shiny new jets instead of hand me downs from the fleet!?
Awesome , i love hearing these stories. I had no idea there was issues like that with the Hornet.
You and Gill, brother
Semper Fi Sir!
As a Cessna 172 owner and a huge aviation fan I appreciate these stories. I just wish I was younger to where I needed inverted fuel pumps on my plane! Lol
He said it in too nice a way, but essentially he discovered a fatal flaw in the F/A18, 2 if you count the rubbish parachute, that had the potential to cause an airshow disaster and was at best let off with a warning.Sometimes the military is a bit dense.
I saw them the first time in the A-4s in about 1978 and have seen them many times in the F-18s. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe what those guys do. From support to maintenance to flyers, they are the best of the best in the World!
First time I saw the Blue Angels was at Macdill AFB in Tampa,Fla when the Angels were flying the Grumman F-11 Tiger. Beautiful aircraft and they put on an amazing show which has only gotten better with time. To be honest,I think the Blue Angels put on a better show than the Thunderbirds,and I spent 6 years in the USAF.
That was a really cool talk. Thanks.
Got a notice on this one FWIW.
If the safety standards that are required today were in place back then, our military pilots and astronauts would have never been successful. Back then they pioneered and made today possible.
I had the privilege of seeing you all when Gil brought the Blue Angels to Fargo…. Great stories from behind the scenes of the transition process between aircraft…
You guys are cool!
In combat, would the all F-18's also get a "light" while performing inverted/negative G maneuvers? Or was it something specific to the jets the Blue's received? I tell ya, if it was ALL Hornets being delivered fleet wide, that is a huge no no. Thought we had fixed that issue in WWII !!
The F/18 inverted flight baffling is basically a box around the pumps in the bottom of tanks 2 and 3 that have one way flapper valves in them. The valves hang open in normal flight allowing fuel into the box but will simply hinge closed if the aircraft goes inverted and trap the fuel inside the box. Its a completely stand alone mechanical system. Extremely reliable but the boxes are not very big. Flying displays were obviously not in the design brief!
Love the stories. But needs one correction. The F18 was not more powerful than the F14.
Where was that ever stated?
@@danielh1708It’s literally said at the 8 second mark in the video.
@@ASchallau He never said it was more powerful than the F-14. It WAS the most powerful aircraft they could transition too. The Tomcat was NEVER an option. He's clearly referring to an aircraft available to transition too. Nothing more. No correction needed.
@@ASchallau BTW...the -18a they would transition to had a higher thrust to weight ratio than the -14a.
@@danielh1708 I never said that a correction was needed. I was pointing out that he did indeed make the claim that the F/A-18A was more powerful than the F-14A. His exact words are: “Obviously, we’re going from a, from a a very old uhm aircraft to the most powerful, capable airplane in the fleet at the time, the F-18.”
I think he is saying that from a thrust-to-weight perspective, the F/A-18A is more powerful than the F-14A. So, I agree with you in that regard that no correction is needed.
The ejection seats they have today have gyros in them so if one ejects upside down, the seat will turn you upright and also fire up away from the ground. They are also caled zero/ zero seats( zero speed, zero altitude).
Mostly correct...designed for the average weight aviator plus gear on and zero tail wind. If you are a heavy guy and eject on deck with a tailwind you don't get full seat/man separation prior to impacting the ground.
"We tried a no flaps takeoff at 180 because we knew the landing gear could take it."
Well that wasn't exactly true was it? After all, TIRES are part of the landing gear.
I love it....."I was playing with it...trying to see what it would do"...just messin' around with hotrod military aircraft. WOW
The F18 didn't have inverted fuel pumps out of the box?!?! WTF
I have to say, I dont think I've seen displays, albeit online only, that are to the level of the Blue Angels. The precision is just astounding.
Got to know what the plane can do in combat in a "controled" environment.~USAF Vet
Even though you were not a test pilot, your risk probably saved lives.......because the sad truth about flight manuals is they're written in blood!