Are Blue Angels pretty respected within the Navy?
MS: When I was on the other side I always made fun of the Blue Angels because of these tight blue flight suits. We’re just air show guys. SF: What extra training do the Blue Angels get? MS: The training starts in November; the show season starts in March. We start flying far apart and get closer once we are consistent. We’re much closer now than we were in March. We’re as close as we can be right now. SF: The Blue Angels fly F/A-18 Hornets. Are these planes pretty top-of-the-line? MS: These airplanes were probably built about 1984. They’re the oldest F-18s the Navy has. The new ones have radars and software and computers and stuff. We don’t need that in the show. The guys in Afghanistan, they get all the new stuff. SF: You guys must use a lot fuel for these shows. MS: These jets are a little more efficient because we don’t have anything hanging on then. Normally in the fleet, you have gas tanks, bombs, missiles – lots of drag. And that slows you down, requires more power and more gas t
