Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks: masterworks.art/wardcarroll Purchase shares in great masterpieces from artists like Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Andy Warhol, and more. See important Masterworks disclosures: masterworks.io/cd
Love your channel, just wanted to give a little feedback. The way you put this advertisement in the video was a bit jarring. Not sure what the right answer is , but I wouldn't recommend it that way in the future.
@@UsedToaster I love his channel as well, but I'd rather he didn't plug sponsorships at all. It takes away from the actual content of the channel which is awesome stories about naval aviation, whether combat or wartime stories or interesting stuff done around or even onboard the carrier, talks with aviation experts and other pilots, and of course episodes like this one where he talks with a former Blue Angels Boss. Now if he was plugging something like DCS, War Thunder, his books, a flying school or something else related to the rest of his content, I'd be fine with it but this Masterworks stuff about investing and art and famous paintings and their artists isn't even remotely related to what he usually talks about, meaning it's massively out of place on a channel like this. It's not just the placement of the investment ad, and it isn't just jarring, it's disruptive and basically kills the content.
@@TheOneTrueDragonKing I understand the need for sponsors, especially with how bad TH-cam can be sometimes with creators. If that was plugged in the intro maybe it wouldnt been a big deal. Hopefully if that advertiser requested such a thing they learn from this that it is a turn off. All in all I agree this sponsor just didnt fit the channel though. For me I was hanging on every word of guest and then an abrupt cut scene. I rushed to find my controller to skip ahead. So much so I cant even tell you what the advertising was about as it was so invasive.
@@UsedToaster Yes, I agree - I actually did the same thing but with the Precise Seeking function and my mouse. (Definitely NOT Precise, but that's another story.) The advertising was a massive turn-off and very invasive. Yes, creators need sponsors a lot, but they need to fit the theme of the channel and this one was a very poor fit. To Mooch's credit he tried to awkwardly shoehorn it in but it just didn't fit regardless. Honestly an ad like that would be better off as a standard TH-cam ad with the skip button in the lower right hand corner.
Thanks for your service. I must have seen you perform at the Pax River airshow in 1987 as a Boy Scout. I remember the Number 5 & 6 doing "surprise" merges over the crowd while everyone was looking at the Number 1 - 4 formation. Don't think that survived the post-Ramstein era.
I must comment on this one. Capt Rud was my CO on Connie 93-95. I was there the day he took command and watched him fly off in the Persian Gulf after he was relieved. Absolute best CO I ever had in 20 years of active duty. I loved his shipwide quarters in the hangar bay every Wednesday morning inport San Diego. He would stand up on an aircraft tow tractor and call us all (like 2000 sailors) to circle up around him. He would then give us the no BS scoop on what the ship was doing. Excellent leader who I tried to emulate his style in my own career. He took me to CO NJP in 1993 for being stupid off-duty. He did not bust me, put me on probation and I was able to get my stuff straight and make CPO before retirement in 2004. He also awarded me my ESWS and EAWS while onboard Connie, with pictures to prove which I still have at home. I remember him shooting his boots off the waist catapult as a last launch the day he left as I think he flew by helo to Bahrain. Great to see him so sharp nearly 30 years later! Thank you, Sir!
I am about to turn 70 years old. I have been a huge fan of the Blues since I first saw them fly when I was in grade school. Thank you for this wonderful story. I have huge respect for Boss Rud. You undersell your achievements.
In the late 70's, I was a Skyhawk avionics tech and loved seeing the Blues fly the A-4. The Delta landing was amazing! Later, in the mid 80's, I was designing avionics at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, and loved seeing the Blues fly the Hornet! Thanks to the pilots who made our aircraft look so incredible!
I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't know about the Blue Angels, literally everyone knows who they are....when you think about that, it's pretty incredible. What a legacy
As the son of a Navy fighter pilot, other than the fly in after a deployment, there was nothing more exciting than going to a blue angel's airshow.. I think in my lifetime I must have attended at least 20 of these. 😎👍👍👍
Gil, you're a pretty unique man. You're not arrogant, but you are assertive and still humble. What the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, plus the various other teams around the world do is extraordinarily dangerous. I have seen many of the shows out at MacDill Air Force Base during the airfest that are hosted there. And I am always mesmerized by the pure precision of what you pilots do. It is incredibly dangerous. One mistake is all it takes. Yet every one of your pilots and the rest of the pilots climate their cockpits and wow the crowds. To me as a taxpayer I feel like the military is the one place where my tax dollars are used somewhat prudently. These shows are just the icing on the cake along with the Cherry. If I could I would shake your hand and thank you for all the pleasure that you gave me and those around me. My complete respect for you as a pilot and as a man is easy to give to you. Don't feel left out Ward, you're up there as well!
I feel very, very fortunate to have attended the 1986 A4 Air Show and the transition Air Show to F18's in 1987 at Moffet Field in Mountain View, CA. I remember the excitement as a young kid in seeing the new F18's and the sound of those engines. I was fortunate to be able to meet Gil and the other Blue Angels and have them sign the Air Show program. Those Moffet Field Air Shows were by far the best in the arena of air shows. A huge runway and deck space brought in every imaginable aircraft in the military and civilian inventory. Thanks Gil for your service to our country and to inspiring this kid to a career in public service.
@@BlueAngelPhantoms Nice! You were there as well? There was nothing like the air shows at Moffet. I feel very fortunate to have been there. I am definitely getting his book. Do you remember the Flying Tigers had a exhibit there at the Air Show where some of the WWII vets were there signing things? I have a beautiful mural that I bought signed by a few of them and the artist. Good times!!
@@Ryanboy2020 I was 5 years old. My dad took a lot of video from that day. I still remember how scared I was after one of the solos did a sneak pass from behind the crowd. I was lucky enough in college to get an internship with NASA Akers Research Center at Moffett and had an office that overlooked the runway.
@@BlueAngelPhantoms Oh ok. Yah I was quite a bit older. I was 16 at the time. I do remember how loud it was with the new F18's. Moffet Field turned into a NASA facility. NASA Ames research facility after the BRAC closures of the early 90's. I went back there when I left active duty and entered the Army Reserves and was attached to a Air Ambulance unit right off the runway. It was great to see the U-2 fly out of there and when The President visited the Bay Area he always landed at Moffet so I have some great AF One shots.
Captain Rud, I watched you and the Blues fly at NAS Oceana with my family in 1986. Hearing the oohs and ahs from not just my family but the entire crowd made me damn proud to be a sailor in the US Navy. Thanks for some awesome memories, Sir.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Gil Rud several times during my career as a pilot in the North Dakota ANG. He is an excellent storyteller and I can highly recommend his book.
I was a civilian air traffic controller in Pensacola for nearly 10 years, and it was always a pleasure to see and work the Blues. Occasionally they'd pop into our airport (Pensacola Int'l - KPNS) and do a practice ILS approach. After their touch and go, they'd hit the burner, rattling the windows, and pop a bit of smoke. Good times.
I'm old enough to remember this happening! Growing up in San Diego (and living next to Miramar in the 70's), I would love to watch the Blue Angels perform their show, flying the A-4 Skyhawks. I had discovered that on Fridays prior to the big weekend show, they would do a show for the Press to help market the event. They also opened it up to military dependents and groups like the Boy Scouts, etc. Knowing this, I would beg my father, who was retired Navy, to take me to Miramar for the Friday show. The best part about this show.... there was hardly anybody around on the tarmac, not like on the Saturday and Sunday shows. The weekend shows got fairly crowded, but not as much as it did after Top Gun (the movie) came out in the mid-80's. Then the crowds became so big that they did a 3 day Friday, Saturday, Sunday event. There went my private Blue Angel showing!.... sigh I tell you this because I remember when the transition from the Skyhawk to the big afterburning Hornets arrived. It was truly amazing. The A-4 was impressive in it's own right, but the roaring Hornets in afterburner made your whole body rumble and vibrate. It was exhilarating! The video brought all this back for me. I remember Cmdr Rud's name being called by the show announcer. I really enjoyed the stories in the video. Thank you.
Oh, I could just sit there and chat with Gil Rud all day. Well, I say chat, but I mean listen. What a fantastic guy with one very unique and amazing career.
As a civvie, it is difficult to understand all the intricacies and background work that goes into an Airshow (and one in which six aviators need to coordinate and work together to wow the crowd). Thanks Gil and Ward for educating us using simple and understandable words! Much appreciated!
Wow... that was a great vid, thank you both. Loved the roll rate story, I can't imagine being that pilot. Also the turn and burn one, the sound and raw power are amazing. Cheers and salute.
Having spent four and a half years with the blues I always considered myself a quasi-expert on their operations, and having been there when Captian Rud came aboard was aware of some of the things they went through when we switched to the F18, but this was packed with information I did not know and was probably the best description of the change over I ever heard....they had some steller pilots back then, Curt Watson and Mark Bircher among them....I always thought an interview with either of those gentlemen would be a good one for you to do....Of course, being a Marine, I would love to hear Mark again..
There is another great Blue Angels Channel that has a great interview with Gil and several Team members past and present. The channel is "Blue Angels Phantoms" Ryan N does and amazing job covering the team. MK Blues channel also has daily performance videos from practice sessions January-March in El Centro.
I have to say this particular interview really lifted my spirits @ 70 yrs old its impressive to hear the enthusiasm still in his voice, like he's still a kid at heart! I bet if you gave him a jet to fly some of his move today he would jump at the opertunity..Top notch interview along with great stories from Capt. Rud God Bless him and may he live a long and healthy life!!
Great interview Mooch! I was a high schooler the three years Gil Rud was Boss. I pestered my older brothers into taking me to EVERY airshow in Southern California from China Lake to Pt. Mugu to El Toro to Miramar to El Centro to see every show Gil flew & got to meet him dozens of times. I even got to meet him at Annapolis the week my cousin graduated in 1988. Gil and his team inspired me to strive for excellence, to always improve & never settle. My vision went south in high school and Coke-bottle glasses killed my dreams of being a naval aviator, but I’m a successful I.T. professional today and never lost that lovin’ feeling for aviation. I’m also a successful aviation photographer and my channel has clips of some of the amazing things I’ve managed to see and photograph. Thank you Mooch and thank you Gil Rud for inspiring me to be my best.
Mooch, I greatly enjoy and look forward to all your videos but this one is especially special for me. My dad and I had the great honor to meet and have dinner with "The Boss" Gil Rud and the entire Blues squadron back in the late 80s when The Blues put on a show at China Lake. My uncle Fred Lentz was a test pilot at China Lake at the time and he and Boss Rud were friends as former A7 guys. My Uncle invited my dad and I out to attend the show and meet the Blues and what a thrill and unforgettable experience that was. I will never forget how gracious and accommodating Boss Rud was to my dad and I, and it was something we used to reminisce about until my dad’s dying day. Thank you for producing a great video that rekindled those fond memories!!! (BTW, can't wait until you publish your next book)!!!
I first saw the Blues in '68 at age 12,while living in Reading,Pa. In '69 we moved to Orlando,Florida,and watched them once at Sea World,Sanford airport, and many times at Kissimmee. In '88 we moved to Pensacola, and of course,I've seem them at the NAS,and over the beach. Always thrilling,always fun. And always the best.
Thank you for mentioning Adm. Tony Less. My father introduced him to me during the 1974 show season. He's probably one if the best A-4 pilots I've ever met and a true professional.
a Very informative interview - up to your usual standards... Capt Rud defintely had some challenges as Blue Angel 1 on the transition to the F/A 18 Hornet.
The first of many airshows I went to was at Palm Beach County fairgrounds in the early 80s. I only remember the Blue Angels and those A-4s. I was instantly in love with airplanes. Thank you all for your service and inspiration!
Jim Maslowski who first urged him to apply for the Blues was an Ensign with VA56 when I was an Airman Apprentice AT striker. I had gone into the Navy with a guaranteed “A” school, but when the “interview “ came to determine my career path they told me my scores on the GCT/ARI and my one year of college made me the ideal candidate to go directly to the fleet and learn on the job. When I got to VA56 they had no openings in the AT shop or the line shack. They put me in the office typing the POD. They also made me the legal yeoman. Ensign Maslowski was around the office a lot and he was the one who inspired me to apply for the NESEP program and get my commission. It was so good to just hear his name mentioned and to know others found him to be an inspiring and mentoring person as well.
I met Boss Rud at an airshow in St. Louis after we toured the factory where Hornets and Super Horners were built in the late 90's during my tour in the Blues. We were all on a bus going somewhere, and I was seated behind Boss Rud and the current flight leader Boss Dom. The tales that Boss Rud was telling to Boss Dom were absolutely awesome! The things one could get away away with way back in the day! Cheers Boss Gil Rud!
One of your best. I am 81 and a carrier sailor. We watched F4 and F8 in our air power demos on USS FDR in the mid 60s. I still get a thrill of AB takeoffs and flights. Scrotums to the bulkhead
I've seen the Blues fly in Phantoms, Skyhawks, Hornets and now Super Hornets. The dirty roll in the A-4 on takeoff looks sporty as they seem to barely clear the ground. That 6 ship formation landing though is unbelievable to watch. Blue Angels at NAS Barbers Point and Waikiki while I was in college....awesome memory.
Station in Pensacola attending NAMI in 82 and 83. Watched the Blues from our classroom windows every morning when they were at home. Fast forward to 1992 I am out of the Navy and Living and working in El Centro. Around the 2nd week of January who comes landing down the road from my house? Thats right the Blue Angels for Winter training. 31 years later and I can hear them over my house as I write this.:)
Again, a fantastic story. I live in Jacksonville and can remember the first F-18 show! The afterburners were just another this teenager! Thank you all for your service
Outstanding interview, mate. Most interested in the burner work, and especially to learn about the modulated vs staged comparison with early F-16’s. No doubt that drove the USAF to evolve their engines….!
He reminds me so much of the Pilots in the 70’s and 80’s, hard chargers who knew how to work with a purpose and party just as hard. All good sticks and better men. In the Chiefs Mess, we knew when we were blessed with Leaders like him!
Thanks again Ward..! Yet another great video and this time on a crowd favorite-- The Blues... Grew up watching them at El Toro before the Marines of El Toro moved to Miramar in about 1997 or so.
The F/A-18s with the Angels have a special place for me. My grandfather was an engineer that did quite a lot of work on developing and introducing the F/A-18. For him, seeing those birds flying with the Angels was something like his magnum opus. The best and final years of his work in the hands of the best aviators that the Navy has.
I grew up in the Imperial Valley, we used to see them training during school recess all the time, and just when you were driving down the road too. It was pretty neat.
Another great episode and am pretty sure capt Rud could have gone on for another few hours with interesting stories. So perhaps a follow up one day ? 😀🤔
Great interview and I definitely want to read his book. I was lucky enough to see the Blue Angels twice in the 80s when I was a teenager and they were flying the A-4 Skyhawks. The F-18s are impressive but the Skyhawks were beautiful and amazing.
Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time
by signing up for Masterworks: masterworks.art/wardcarroll
Purchase shares in great masterpieces from artists like Pablo Picasso,
Banksy, Andy Warhol, and more. See important Masterworks disclosures:
masterworks.io/cd
Love your channel, just wanted to give a little feedback. The way you put this advertisement in the video was a bit jarring. Not sure what the right answer is , but I wouldn't recommend it that way in the future.
@@UsedToaster I love his channel as well, but I'd rather he didn't plug sponsorships at all. It takes away from the actual content of the channel which is awesome stories about naval aviation, whether combat or wartime stories or interesting stuff done around or even onboard the carrier, talks with aviation experts and other pilots, and of course episodes like this one where he talks with a former Blue Angels Boss.
Now if he was plugging something like DCS, War Thunder, his books, a flying school or something else related to the rest of his content, I'd be fine with it but this Masterworks stuff about investing and art and famous paintings and their artists isn't even remotely related to what he usually talks about, meaning it's massively out of place on a channel like this.
It's not just the placement of the investment ad, and it isn't just jarring, it's disruptive and basically kills the content.
@@TheOneTrueDragonKing I understand the need for sponsors, especially with how bad TH-cam can be sometimes with creators. If that was plugged in the intro maybe it wouldnt been a big deal. Hopefully if that advertiser requested such a thing they learn from this that it is a turn off. All in all I agree this sponsor just didnt fit the channel though.
For me I was hanging on every word of guest and then an abrupt cut scene. I rushed to find my controller to skip ahead. So much so I cant even tell you what the advertising was about as it was so invasive.
@@UsedToaster Yes, I agree - I actually did the same thing but with the Precise Seeking function and my mouse. (Definitely NOT Precise, but that's another story.)
The advertising was a massive turn-off and very invasive. Yes, creators need sponsors a lot, but they need to fit the theme of the channel and this one was a very poor fit.
To Mooch's credit he tried to awkwardly shoehorn it in but it just didn't fit regardless. Honestly an ad like that would be better off as a standard TH-cam ad with the skip button in the lower right hand corner.
@@robertd7073 boomer capslock activated
I was on the team during the Hornet transition, served with Boss Rud in 87, Boss Moneymaker in 88 & 89. Best tour of my 30 year Navy career.
That's amazing.
Thanks for your service. I must have seen you perform at the Pax River airshow in 1987 as a Boy Scout. I remember the Number 5 & 6 doing "surprise" merges over the crowd while everyone was looking at the Number 1 - 4 formation. Don't think that survived the post-Ramstein era.
Boss Pat Moneymaker had team of teams those years.
I must comment on this one. Capt Rud was my CO on Connie 93-95. I was there the day he took command and watched him fly off in the Persian Gulf after he was relieved. Absolute best CO I ever had in 20 years of active duty. I loved his shipwide quarters in the hangar bay every Wednesday morning inport San Diego. He would stand up on an aircraft tow tractor and call us all (like 2000 sailors) to circle up around him. He would then give us the no BS scoop on what the ship was doing. Excellent leader who I tried to emulate his style in my own career. He took me to CO NJP in 1993 for being stupid off-duty. He did not bust me, put me on probation and I was able to get my stuff straight and make CPO before retirement in 2004. He also awarded me my ESWS and EAWS while onboard Connie, with pictures to prove which I still have at home. I remember him shooting his boots off the waist catapult as a last launch the day he left as I think he flew by helo to Bahrain. Great to see him so sharp nearly 30 years later! Thank you, Sir!
I am about to turn 70 years old. I have been a huge fan of the Blues since I first saw them fly when I was in grade school. Thank you for this wonderful story. I have huge respect for Boss Rud. You undersell your achievements.
In the late 70's, I was a Skyhawk avionics tech and loved seeing the Blues fly the A-4. The Delta landing was amazing! Later, in the mid 80's, I was designing avionics at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, and loved seeing the Blues fly the Hornet! Thanks to the pilots who made our aircraft look so incredible!
Always a pleasure to listen to Boss Rud. His book is outstanding.
Love your channel Blue Angels Phantoms!
@@acefox1 Thank you!!
I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't know about the Blue Angels, literally everyone knows who they are....when you think about that, it's pretty incredible. What a legacy
As the son of a Navy fighter pilot, other than the fly in after a deployment, there was nothing more exciting than going to a blue angel's airshow.. I think in my lifetime I must have attended at least 20 of these. 😎👍👍👍
Gil, you're a pretty unique man. You're not arrogant, but you are assertive and still humble. What the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels, plus the various other teams around the world do is extraordinarily dangerous. I have seen many of the shows out at MacDill Air Force Base during the airfest that are hosted there. And I am always mesmerized by the pure precision of what you pilots do. It is incredibly dangerous. One mistake is all it takes. Yet every one of your pilots and the rest of the pilots climate their cockpits and wow the crowds. To me as a taxpayer I feel like the military is the one place where my tax dollars are used somewhat prudently. These shows are just the icing on the cake along with the Cherry. If I could I would shake your hand and thank you for all the pleasure that you gave me and those around me. My complete respect for you as a pilot and as a man is easy to give to you. Don't feel left out Ward, you're up there as well!
9:06 "Whatever you do Boss, don't try to fix it cuz that's when things get ugly, just stay with it." Awesome!
I feel very, very fortunate to have attended the 1986 A4 Air Show and the transition Air Show to F18's in 1987 at Moffet Field in Mountain View, CA. I remember the excitement as a young kid in seeing the new F18's and the sound of those engines. I was fortunate to be able to meet Gil and the other Blue Angels and have them sign the Air Show program. Those Moffet Field Air Shows were by far the best in the arena of air shows. A huge runway and deck space brought in every imaginable aircraft in the military and civilian inventory. Thanks Gil for your service to our country and to inspiring this kid to a career in public service.
Moffett 1987 was my first air show. I’ll never forget it! There is a great story that Boss Rud shares in his book about that weekend.
@@BlueAngelPhantoms Nice! You were there as well? There was nothing like the air shows at Moffet. I feel very fortunate to have been there. I am definitely getting his book. Do you remember the Flying Tigers had a exhibit there at the Air Show where some of the WWII vets were there signing things? I have a beautiful mural that I bought signed by a few of them and the artist. Good times!!
@@Ryanboy2020 Not just there...my guess is he WAS a Blue!
@@Ryanboy2020 I was 5 years old. My dad took a lot of video from that day. I still remember how scared I was after one of the solos did a sneak pass from behind the crowd. I was lucky enough in college to get an internship with NASA Akers Research Center at Moffett and had an office that overlooked the runway.
@@BlueAngelPhantoms Oh ok. Yah I was quite a bit older. I was 16 at the time. I do remember how loud it was with the new F18's. Moffet Field turned into a NASA facility. NASA Ames research facility after the BRAC closures of the early 90's. I went back there when I left active duty and entered the Army Reserves and was attached to a Air Ambulance unit right off the runway. It was great to see the U-2 fly out of there and when The President visited the Bay Area he always landed at Moffet so I have some great AF One shots.
Captain Rud, I watched you and the Blues fly at NAS Oceana with my family in 1986. Hearing the oohs and ahs from not just my family but the entire crowd made me damn proud to be a sailor in the US Navy. Thanks for some awesome memories, Sir.
17:39 "Same way, same day". 😁 That's precision for you! I love it...
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Gil Rud several times during my career as a pilot in the North Dakota ANG. He is an excellent storyteller and I can highly recommend his book.
I was a civilian air traffic controller in Pensacola for nearly 10 years, and it was always a pleasure to see and work the Blues. Occasionally they'd pop into our airport (Pensacola Int'l - KPNS) and do a practice ILS approach. After their touch and go, they'd hit the burner, rattling the windows, and pop a bit of smoke. Good times.
I'm old enough to remember this happening!
Growing up in San Diego (and living next to Miramar in the 70's), I would love to watch the Blue Angels perform their show, flying the A-4 Skyhawks.
I had discovered that on Fridays prior to the big weekend show, they would do a show for the Press to help market the event. They also opened it up to military dependents and groups like the Boy Scouts, etc. Knowing this, I would beg my father, who was retired Navy, to take me to Miramar for the Friday show. The best part about this show.... there was hardly anybody around on the tarmac, not like on the Saturday and Sunday shows. The weekend shows got fairly crowded, but not as much as it did after Top Gun (the movie) came out in the mid-80's. Then the crowds became so big that they did a 3 day Friday, Saturday, Sunday event. There went my private Blue Angel showing!.... sigh
I tell you this because I remember when the transition from the Skyhawk to the big afterburning Hornets arrived. It was truly amazing. The A-4 was impressive in it's own right, but the roaring Hornets in afterburner made your whole body rumble and vibrate. It was exhilarating!
The video brought all this back for me. I remember Cmdr Rud's name being called by the show announcer. I really enjoyed the stories in the video. Thank you.
Thanks
Thanks for the support!
What a great interview! I was a SWO on USS Constellation and had the pleasure of serving under commanding officer Capt. Gil Rud.
Grew up near Pensacola. Love the Blues! That said, "Go Army! Beat Navy!"
Oh, I could just sit there and chat with Gil Rud all day. Well, I say chat, but I mean listen. What a fantastic guy with one very unique and amazing career.
Thanks Mr Carroll! Please keep making more content!
Thanks for the support, Chloe!
Another outstanding episode Ward.
Thanks for the support, KC Pilot!
As a civvie, it is difficult to understand all the intricacies and background work that goes into an Airshow (and one in which six aviators need to coordinate and work together to wow the crowd). Thanks Gil and Ward for educating us using simple and understandable words! Much appreciated!
Wow... that was a great vid, thank you both. Loved the roll rate story, I can't imagine being that pilot. Also the turn and burn one, the sound and raw power are amazing. Cheers and salute.
Old school badassery! BZ to you, CAPT Rud, and great interview, Ward!
Fantastic episode. I love hearing from guys like Gil Rud. A man who did extraordinary things and is telling us how it was done.
Scott Anderson was in that first or second group of Blue Angels who flew the Hornet I was proud to have served with him in VA-37 he was an A-7 pilot.
Having spent four and a half years with the blues I always considered myself a quasi-expert on their operations, and having been there when Captian Rud came aboard was aware of some of the things they went through when we switched to the F18, but this was packed with information I did not know and was probably the best description of the change over I ever heard....they had some steller pilots back then, Curt Watson and Mark Bircher among them....I always thought an interview with either of those gentlemen would be a good one for you to do....Of course, being a Marine, I would love to hear Mark again..
Thanks!
Thanks for the support!
There is another great Blue Angels Channel that has a great interview with Gil and several Team members past and present. The channel is "Blue Angels Phantoms" Ryan N does and amazing job covering the team. MK Blues channel also has daily performance videos from practice sessions January-March in El Centro.
Great interview - during my flight student and then instructor time in Pensacola, the Blues were a major attraction
I have to say this particular interview really lifted my spirits @ 70 yrs old its impressive to hear the enthusiasm still in his voice, like he's still a kid at heart! I bet if you gave him a jet to fly some of his move today he would jump at the opertunity..Top notch interview along with great stories from Capt. Rud God Bless him and may he live a long and healthy life!!
Thanks Ward, saw the blues in A-4s as a kid at El Toro, will never forget it!
Gil always has great insights from his time in the Navy. My first introduction to him was watching Rolling In The Sky from the 1987 season.
Great interview Mooch! I was a high schooler the three years Gil Rud was Boss. I pestered my older brothers into taking me to EVERY airshow in Southern California from China Lake to Pt. Mugu to El Toro to Miramar to El Centro to see every show Gil flew & got to meet him dozens of times. I even got to meet him at Annapolis the week my cousin graduated in 1988.
Gil and his team inspired me to strive for excellence, to always improve & never settle. My vision went south in high school and Coke-bottle glasses killed my dreams of being a naval aviator, but I’m a successful I.T. professional today and never lost that lovin’ feeling for aviation. I’m also a successful aviation photographer and my channel has clips of some of the amazing things I’ve managed to see and photograph.
Thank you Mooch and thank you Gil Rud for inspiring me to be my best.
Wow, thanks for this Mooch. What a story and what a great guy
Capt. Rud was my CO onboard the USS Constellation. A huge influence on my perceptions of what a leader was. Great to see him again.
Mooch, I greatly enjoy and look forward to all your videos but this one is especially special for me. My dad and I had the great honor to meet and have dinner with "The Boss" Gil Rud and the entire Blues squadron back in the late 80s when The Blues put on a show at China Lake. My uncle Fred Lentz was a test pilot at China Lake at the time and he and Boss Rud were friends as former A7 guys. My Uncle invited my dad and I out to attend the show and meet the Blues and what a thrill and unforgettable experience that was. I will never forget how gracious and accommodating Boss Rud was to my dad and I, and it was something we used to reminisce about until my dad’s dying day. Thank you for producing a great video that rekindled those fond memories!!! (BTW, can't wait until you publish your next book)!!!
I was reluctant to watch this; but the interview was excellent, thanks again Ward.
I love the "Blues," and am proud to be a Naval Aviator!
OUTSTANDING Thanks Mooch....
Old Steve Shoemaker🇺🇸
fantastic interview of a real hero
Another great interview, Ward. Thanks to you and Capt. Rud.
I first saw the Blues in '68 at age 12,while living in Reading,Pa.
In '69 we moved to Orlando,Florida,and watched them once at Sea World,Sanford airport, and many times at Kissimmee.
In '88 we moved to Pensacola, and of course,I've seem them at the NAS,and over the beach.
Always thrilling,always fun.
And always the best.
If you thought a air traiffic controller has a stressful and always on the edge job, try Blue Angel (Boss)
This looks so awesome I am saving it to watch tomorrow on the holiday!
I hope that you have a beautiful holiday with lived ones,Mooch!thank you for all that you give us!
Brilliant video. I have seen the Blue Angels perform at one of the air shows held at Duxford.
What a fantastic interview of a true aviation pioneer. Thanks for making the time so we can all hear your story!
Thank you for mentioning Adm. Tony Less. My father introduced him to me during the 1974 show season. He's probably one if the best A-4 pilots I've ever met and a true professional.
Fantastic Ward...thanks for taking us along
Jim Maslowski! My former CO of the USS Concord! Small world! Go Navy! Beat Army!
A Blue Angel pilot with an antique John Deere proudly displayed along beside fighter jets. My hat is off to you sir.
What a super great interview. This was thank you so much❤❤
Outstanding story. I love your channel after just recently finding it on TH-cam.
Another incredible video and interview! Many thanks for your services.
I always learn new and interesting stuff on this channel. Awesome.
Great episode, Ward! Thanks so much for the inside look at such an awesome outfit. Simply incredible flying by these guys.
I like this Captain Gil. I know people that can't drive 10 feet apart in traffic
These are great stories. Thanks for sharing them.
a Very informative interview - up to your usual standards... Capt Rud defintely had some challenges as Blue Angel 1 on the transition to the F/A 18 Hornet.
And happy Thanksgiving to you as well Gil! Thank you !
The first of many airshows I went to was at Palm Beach County fairgrounds in the early 80s. I only remember the Blue Angels and those A-4s. I was instantly in love with airplanes. Thank you all for your service and inspiration!
Ward, you're always awesome, Sir.
Jim Maslowski who first urged him to apply for the Blues was an Ensign with VA56 when I was an Airman Apprentice AT striker. I had gone into the Navy with a guaranteed “A” school, but when the “interview “ came to determine my career path they told me my scores on the GCT/ARI and my one year of college made me the ideal candidate to go directly to the fleet and learn on the job. When I got to VA56 they had no openings in the AT shop or the line shack. They put me in the office typing the POD. They also made me the legal yeoman. Ensign Maslowski was around the office a lot and he was the one who inspired me to apply for the NESEP program and get my commission. It was so good to just hear his name mentioned and to know others found him to be an inspiring and mentoring person as well.
Great interview,. I have seen the Blue Angels perform dozens of times, they always impress.
I met Boss Rud at an airshow in St. Louis after we toured the factory where Hornets and Super Horners were built in the late 90's during my tour in the Blues. We were all on a bus going somewhere, and I was seated behind Boss Rud and the current flight leader Boss Dom. The tales that Boss Rud was telling to Boss Dom were absolutely awesome! The things one could get away away with way back in the day! Cheers Boss Gil Rud!
One of your best. I am 81 and a carrier sailor. We watched F4 and F8 in our air power demos on USS FDR in the mid 60s. I still get a thrill of AB takeoffs and flights. Scrotums to the bulkhead
You really cannot beat quality, in aircraft or people, here we have both.
I've seen the Blues fly in Phantoms, Skyhawks, Hornets and now Super Hornets. The dirty roll in the A-4 on takeoff looks sporty as they seem to barely clear the ground. That 6 ship formation landing though is unbelievable to watch. Blue Angels at NAS Barbers Point and Waikiki while I was in college....awesome memory.
Great episode! That brought a lot of context to the 11-year old boy who was standing underneath the mid-air in Niagara Falls.
Very intense flying.
Loved it!! Gil is really enjoyable to listen to; I almost felt like I was there.
Amazing! Thanks Ward.......
What a great American! Your interviews are beyond compare. Thanks for some great memories!
Station in Pensacola attending NAMI in 82 and 83. Watched the Blues from our classroom windows every morning when they were at home.
Fast forward to 1992 I am out of the Navy and Living and working in El Centro. Around the 2nd week of January who comes landing down the road from my house? Thats right the Blue Angels for Winter training. 31 years later and I can hear them over my house as I write this.:)
Awesome video, Ward! What a story.
Love love love the Blue Angels
Again, a fantastic story. I live in Jacksonville and can remember the first F-18 show! The afterburners were just another this teenager! Thank you all for your service
Outstanding interview, mate. Most interested in the burner work, and especially to learn about the modulated vs staged comparison with early F-16’s. No doubt that drove the USAF to evolve their engines….!
Man, I love this channel.
Excellent throughout!
Another interesting and outstanding job.
That was a fantastic interview. One of the best so far.
He reminds me so much of the Pilots in the 70’s and 80’s, hard chargers who knew how to work with a purpose and party just as hard. All good sticks and better men. In the Chiefs Mess, we knew when we were blessed with Leaders like him!
I don’t know how you do but every one of these interviews are fantastic
Thanks again Ward..! Yet another great video and this time on a crowd favorite-- The Blues... Grew up watching them at El Toro before the Marines of El Toro moved to Miramar in about 1997 or so.
Unbelievable , what a life that gentleman got to live … Awesome stuff fellas , much respect
Great stuff, thanks Ward.
Gil is a delight. I saw the Angels in 61? 62? F-11s? I was astounded, I was 9 years old.
The F/A-18s with the Angels have a special place for me. My grandfather was an engineer that did quite a lot of work on developing and introducing the F/A-18.
For him, seeing those birds flying with the Angels was something like his magnum opus. The best and final years of his work in the hands of the best aviators that the Navy has.
Great content as always. Keep it going .
I grew up in the Imperial Valley, we used to see them training during school recess all the time, and just when you were driving down the road too. It was pretty neat.
Very interesting. Really enjoyed.
Another great episode and am pretty sure capt Rud could have gone on for another few hours with interesting stories. So perhaps a follow up one day ? 😀🤔
Nice video, great story!
Great interview and I definitely want to read his book. I was lucky enough to see the Blue Angels twice in the 80s when I was a teenager and they were flying the A-4 Skyhawks. The F-18s are impressive but the Skyhawks were beautiful and amazing.
Wonderful interview!
I got to see the pictured team perform at Miramar while I worked for TOPGUN. Great show!
excellent, really enjoyed that, thank you
Insightful and entertaining interview. 🤠👍
Amazing info, thank you Gil & Ward!