MILAVIA - MILITARY AVIATION

Glenn E. Bloore took these magnificient photographs of the Blue Angels performance at the 2005 El Centro Airshow. Located in California, Naval Air Facility El Centro is the home of the Blue Angels demonstration team during the winter (January through March). The El Centro airshow is the first public performance for the team. During the remainder of the show season the squadron is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Flying the F/A-18 Hornet, the Blue Angels perform graceful aerobatic maneuvers in four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two solo pilots. Finally they come together to perform maneuvers in a six-jet delta formation. The Blue Angel F/A-18s have the nose cannon removed, a smoke-oil tank installed and a spring installed on the stick which applies pressure for better formation and inverted flying. Otherwise, the aircraft that the squadron flies are the same as those in the fleet.

Supporting the team, is a C-130T Hercules nicknamed 'Fat Albert', which has been with the team since 1970. 'Fat Albert' demonstrates the Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) at selected airshows, including El Centro.