Farm Field Blue Angels

[Britain]

Sitting at the end of the runway, in a farm field in El Centro. Private air show sort of.

[inVERt'D]

Great photos! Bring back memories of airshows and even work. I used to see those guys practicing when I worked in the hills and valleys near Miramar before the Marines took the airbase over. I remember a couple of times working on the steep hillsides near Admiral Baker field when they pretty much scared the crap out of my teammates and I. We would be sweeping for ordnance just below the houses there, listening intently to our detectors, pretty much oblivious to the birds singing and bees buzzing. Suddenly there would be this deafening roar that would shake the whole body. I think we must have looked like terrified cartoons before our feet touched the ground again. We'd look up and see a jet right overhead so low I'd almost expect shingles to rain down on us. I don't know who lived up there, but I'm guessing it wasn't anyone they expected to answer to. More than 20 years later, and I still can't think of the Blue Angels without remembering those times. SOBs

[Britain]

In late 60's my dad was with the 154 Black Knights. He was always on duty during the airshows at Miramar , I always tagged along, it was pretty cool to be in the hangers close to the jets and action.

[alittleoff]

I too remember back in the sixties when my Dad (USMC) and our friend John (US Army), would be in the Superstition/Chocolate Mountain and even in the bombing range. Those guys would sneak up behind us. If we saw them first we would wave and they gave us a wig-wag. Cool stuff.

Steve

[Britain]

# 5 wig-wag..have about 3 shots of the pilot looking down at me, probably only seeing the jeep. I would say his air speed at about 250.

[inVERt'D]

He's probably thinking "Lucky...wish I had a Jeep like that."

[Britain]

Navy Here's my Dads Flight Jacket, goes back a long time

[inVERt'D]

That's really cool. I still wanna be a fighter pilot when I grow up.

The Shangri-La was before my time (decommissioned the year I was born, according to Wikipedia), but I remember the Ranger being a regular in San Diego harbor back in the day. Used to be able to sail quite close to the Navy ships back then, but I don't think that's the case nowadays.

[Britain]

Spent a lot of time in the South Pacific, Guam, Philippines and Thailand in the early 60's.
VAP-61 did a total photographing and mapping of Viet Nam.

[inVERt'D]

Apparently they'd been preparing for the Vietnam (definitely not a War) for some time, huh? Was getting too hot for the Frenchies by then.

I tried a few guesses for the name of the VP-48: Flamingos of Death? Pelicans of Peril? I never would have guessed Pregnant Pelicans, but given that they were a seaplane squadron the name seems fitting.
http://www.vpnavy.com/vp48.html

[Mitch]

Nice stuff there Britain! Love the photos.

[Britain]