Blue Angels

Narrator: THEY FLY INCHES APART. Man: ANY LITTLE SLIP-UP COULD LEAD TO AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER. Narrator: SIX MEN AND SIX MACHINES MUST BE PERFECTLY SYNCHRONIZED. Man: THE SIMPLE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WHAT WE DO IS DANGEROUS. Narrator: THESE F-18 HORNETS ARE THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT FLOWN BY THE U.S. NAVY'S LEGENDARY BLUE ANGELS. WHAT THE FANS CAN'T SEE IS HOW TOUGH IT IS TO KEEP THESE DECADES-OLD AIRCRAFT SAFELY IN THE SKIES. Man: THE JETS, THEY'RE THE OLDEST ONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE FLEET. AND WE'RE GETTING THE LAST BIT OUT OF THEM THAT WE CAN. Narrator: THESE PILOTS FACE REAL RISK IN ORDER TO MAKE EVERY AIRSHOW A TRIUMPH. Man: READY TO GO, BOSS. Man: ALL RIGHT, GUYS, LET'S FIRE IT UP. Narrator: THESE SIX BLUE UNIFORMS ARE THE STUFF OF AMERICA'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS FLYING TEAM, THE BLUE ANGELS. Man: SEE YA, FELLAS. Crew: SEE YA, BOSS. Narrator: BOSS IS CAPTAIN GREG McWHERTER. APPOINTED BY THE CHIEF OF NAVAL AIR TRAINING, HE AND HIS FIVE-MAN TEAM PERFORM 70 FLIGHT DEMONSTRATIONS AND ENTERTAIN ALMOST 11 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA EVERY YEAR. Greg McWherter: THANKS, RICKY. Ricky: ALL RIGHT, BOSS. McWherter: SOMEONE TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH WITH ME AS A YOUNG KID COMING OUT OF COLLEGE AND SAID, "BOY, WE TRUST YOU TO NOT ONLY BE AN OFFICER, MAYBE TO GO INTO A BRANCH LIKE NAVAL AVIATION." SO TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY AND SHARE THAT STORY OF THE NAVY AND THE MARINE CORPS, AND HOPEFULLY INSPIRE SOME YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE MILITARY LIKE I DID... IT'S REALLY A FANTASTIC JOB. Narrator: EACH PILOT HAS AT LEAST 1,250 TACTICAL JET FLIGHT HOURS. ONLY THE VERY BEST APPLICANTS MANAGE TO WIN A POST ON THIS ELITE TEAM. PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, IS HOME BASE TO THE BLUE ANGELS, AND IT HAS BEEN FOR SIX DECADES. THE BLUE ANGELS ARE SUPPORTED BY A HUGE TEAM OF OVER 130 U.S. NAVY AND MARINE CORPS PERSONNEL. [INDISTINCT TALKING] Narrator: THEIR JOBS INCLUDE MAINTENANCE, ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND GROUND SUPPORT. THIS IS CAPTAIN GREG McWHERTER'S FINAL YEAR AS BOSS. McWherter: FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SAFE AIRPLANES, WE FLY THEM SAFELY, WE DO EVERYTHING FROM A TO Z JUST LIKE WE'VE TRAINED TO DO IT. Narrator: HE'S GOT TWO MORE AIRSHOWS TO GO IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND HE'S FEELING THE PRESSURE TO MAKE THEM NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION. McWherter: IT'S MUCH MORE WORK THAN PEOPLE GIVE US CREDIT FOR. I DON'T THINK THE FLEET UNDERSTANDS HOW HARD WE WORK. Narrator: BEFORE THEY CAN PERFORM TO PERFECTION, THEY NEED TO REHEARSE-- TWICE A DAY, SIX DAYS A WEEK. McWherter: WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT WHAT WE DO, AND IT DOESN'T COME EASY, IT DOESN'T COME WITHOUT PRACTICE. Narrator: THESE MEN ARE TRAINED TO PERFORM WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF PRECISION AS THE MECHANICS AND INSTRUMENTS ON THEIR BOEING F-18 HORNETS. THEY ARE AS DISCIPLINED AS THEY COME. Brent Stevens: I TRUST THESE GUYS EVERY DAY TO GO OUT AND PUT ON A GREAT AND SAFE SHOW. YOU NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN, BECAUSE THE MINUTE IT BECOMES ROUTINE, IT BECOMES UNSAFE, AND AVIATION IS VERY UNFORGIVING. Narrator: THE BOEING F-18 HORNET IS THE LONGEST-SERVING STRIKE FIGHTER IN THE U.S. MILITARY. Stevens: THE F-18, FIRST AND FOREMOST, IS A VERY RELIABLE AIRCRAFT. WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS TRACK RECORD, AND THAT IS THE LAST ALMOST 25 YEARS OR SO FLYING THE F-18, WE'VE NOT LOST A SHOW DUE TO MAINTENANCE. Narrator: KNOWN FOR ITS LIGHTNING-FAST MANEUVERABILITY, IT'S 56 FEET LONG AND OVER 15 FEET HIGH, WITH A WINGSPAN OF MORE THAN 40 FEET. THE F-18'S SHAPE AND SIZE MAKE IT ONE OF THE MOST AERODYNAMIC FIGHTERS EVER CONSTRUCTED. SINCE THE MID 1980s, THE F-18 HAS BEEN THE SHARP EDGE OF THE U.S. FIGHTING FORCE. BRISTLING WITH BOMBS AND MISSILES, THE CARRIER-READY JET WAS THE PRIMARY STRIKE FIGHTER IN BOTH GULF WARS. BUT THESE F-18s ARE NOW OVER 20 YEARS OLD AND ARE BEING PUSHED TO THE LIMIT. John Hecker: THE JETS THAT THEY USE ARE THE OLDEST ONES WE HAVE IN THE FLEET. THEY'RE 24 YEARS OLD. WE JUST PAINT THEM UP IN BLUE AND YELLOW AND MAKE THEM RUN GREAT, BUT THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO THE BONEYARD OR TO BE PUT ON A STICK SOMEWHERE, AND WE'RE GETTING THE LAST BIT OUT OF THEM THAT WE CAN. Narrator: THEY HAVE TWO SHOWS LEFT IN THE SEASON-- ONE AT MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR IN SAN DIEGO; THE OTHER FOR THEIR HOMETOWN CROWD IN PENSACOLA. THE AIRCRAFT RUN THROUGH THE MANEUVERS THAT HAVE MADE THEM WORLD FAMOUS, AND THAT PUTS BOTH PILOTS AND PLANES AT GREAT RISK. THIS MOVE PULLS 6 Gs. IT'S CALLED THE OPPOSING MINIMUM RADIUS TURN, A TIGHT BANKING CIRCLE THAT PUTS THE PILOTS UNDER MORE THAN TWICE THE Gs AS AN ASTRONAUT AT LIFTOFF. EXTREME G FORCES PUSH THE BLOOD DOWN FROM THE HEAD AND UPPER BODY, POOLING IT BELOW THE WAIST. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE PILOT'S VISION IS INSTANTLY IMPAIRED. AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS, HE COULD BECOME UNCONSCIOUS. THE PILOTS USE BREATHING AND MUSCLE-CLENCHING TECHNIQUES TO DRAW BLOOD UP TO THE BRAIN. THIS KEEPS THEM CONSCIOUS DURING THEIR DEATH-DEFYING MANEUVERS. BUT THE G FORCES RUN THE RISK OF TEARING THE PLANES APART, PUTTING EVERY MAN AT RISK. Jason Smith: WHEN I COME INTO WORK, IT'S WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ANY LITTLE SLIP-UP FROM ANY OF US COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER. Narrator: IN MORE THAN 60 YEARS, OVER 20 BLUE ANGELS HAVE DIED-- SEVERAL OF THEM IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES AT AIRSHOWS. BUT THAT'S PART OF THE RISK THESE MEN TAKE. Smith: A NUMBER OF PILOTS HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES ON THIS TEAM. AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT THOSE PILOTS WERE NOT PERFORMING AT THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST. IT'S JUST THAT WHAT WE DO IS RISKY. EVEN THE SMALLEST ERROR CAN HAVE JUST TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. Stevens: WHAT WE DO IS DANGEROUS. WE CAN'T GET AROUND THE FACT THAT WE'RE FLYING MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT VERY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER. Narrator: THE TEAM HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR EIGHT MONTHS. ALL ARE STRETCHED AND TIRED. McWherter: I'M MENTALLY DRAINED. IT IS PHYSICALLY DEMANDING, AND IT'S MENTALLY DEMANDING. Narrator: BUT BOSS GREG McWHERTER IS DETERMINED TO MAKE THESE LAST TWO SHOWS HIS BEST. HIS FIRST CHALLENGE IS GETTING THE PLANES, PILOTS, AND SUPPORT TEAM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SAN DIEGO. McWherter: I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THE DESTINATION OR WHAT'S IN STORE FOR US AT MIRAMAR. I'M THINKING, ARE THE CREW READY TO GO? ARE WE MENTALLY PREPARED? ARE WE PREPARED FROM A FLIGHT PLANNING STANDPOINT? BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY, ONE OF THE HIGHER RISK EVOLUTIONS WE HAVE IS NOT EVEN FLYING THE DEMONSTRATION; IT'S TRANSITING-- GETTING ALL OF OUR MEN, WOMEN, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT TO AND FROM EACH SHOW SITE. Narrator: TRANSITING IS STRAIGHT-UP FLYING. THAT CAN BE TEDIOUS FOR THE PILOTS, AND THEY CAN GROW COMPLACENT. THAT'S WHEN ACCIDENTS CAN HAPPEN. PLANNING AGAINST DISASTER FALLS ON BLUE ANGEL NUMBER 7, LIEUTENANT MARK TEDROW. HE'S IN TRAINING TO FLY FORMATION NEXT SEASON. THIS YEAR, HIS JOB IS TO FLY AHEAD AND MANAGE EVERY DETAIL SO THE REST CAN CONCENTRATE ON FLYING. Mark Tedrow: COMPLACENCY IS ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY THINGS IN AVIATION. AS AVIATORS I THINK YOU KIND OF HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT-- THAT YOU CAN NEVER GET COMPLACENT, TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED, BECAUSE IT'S THAT DAY THAT SOMETHING'S GOING TO COME UP AND BITE YOU. Narrator: MARK TEDROW'S F-18 MAKES ITS WAY FOR THE 2,000-MILE JOURNEY TO SAN DIEGO. McWherter: THREE RIGHT, TWO CLEARS, ON THE UP A LITTLE OUTBOARD CUT, AND THEN OVER THE TOP... Narrator: DESPITE THE SAMENESS OF THE ROUTINE, THE BLUE ANGELS REVIEW EVERY REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE, LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE. McWherter: A PRETTY BIG GAP BETWEEN YOU AND US THERE. KEEP YOUR TIMING THE SAME... Narrator: THE BLUE ANGELS NUMBER 4 PILOT, MAJOR BRENT STEVENS, LEADS THE REVIEW. Stevens: THAT SUN'S GOING TO BE A BEAR. SO AS MY JOB AS THE TRAINING OFFICER, I'LL RUN THE DEBRIEF AND LOOK AT THE VIDEO, AND WE RECORD EVERY SHOW IN HD SO THAT WE CAN SEE IN GREAT DETAIL ANY DEVIATIONS IN THE FORMATION, AND 99% OF THE DEVIATIONS THAT OCCUR IN FLIGHT THE PUBLIC CANNOT PERCEIVE, BUT WE PERCEIVE IT. McWherter: OOH. YOU'LL SEE SOME WINGS OUT OF MY JET. THAT'LL BE SMOOTHER NEXT TIME WE DO IT, BUT OVERALL IT WASN'T BAD. Narrator: THEY BRIEF OVER AND OVER, DAY IN AND DAY OUT. A SIX-DECADE-OLD RITUAL THAT KEEPS PILOTS ALIVE. Stevens: WE ARE THE BEST AT WHAT WE DO, AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. OUR BRIEFING PROCESS, OUR TRAINING PROCESS IS THE ONLY REASON WE CAN FLY THE WAY WE DO AND PUT ON THE SHOWS THAT WE DO. McWherter: ALRIGHT, READY, BREAK. Narrator: AND THE F-18s ARE PUSHED AS HARD AS THEIR PILOTS. THE HIGH-SPEED MANEUVERS TEST THE OLD FIGHTERS TO THEIR LIMIT. Stevens: THE WEAKNESS OF THE AIRCRAFT IS ITS AGE. THEY ARE NOT MAKING THESE AIRCRAFT ANYMORE. THEY HAVEN'T MADE THEM IN OVER TEN YEARS. A LOT OF THE PARTS ARE NO LONGER MANUFACTURED, SO WHEN PARTS BREAK, WE TAKE THEM OUT AND WE REPLACE THEM WITH PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED OR REPAIRED. Narrator: MAINTENANCE IS A CONSTANT CONCERN. Stevens: OVER TIME, MORE AND MORE OF THESE PARTS WILL BREAK, SO IT TAKES A TREMENDOUS MAINTENANCE EFFORT TO KEEP THESE AIRCRAFT FLYING. Narrator: EACH OF THE JETS HAS ITS OWN MAINTENANCE CREW, WHO GO OVER THE TWO-DECADE-OLD PLANES WITH PINPOINT PRECISION. AND THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW WITH ONE OF THEM-- AN OVERHEATING ENGINE. JAMES CUNNINGHAM IS AN AVIATION MACHINIST WHO'S BEEN WITH THE BLUE ANGELS FOR TWO YEARS. James Cunningham: WE HAD A CODE FOR AN ENGINE OVER TEMP. WE CAN ACTUALLY TORCH THE MOTOR, AND THE PILOT COULD LOSE THAT ONE MOTOR. AND THEN HE'D BE FLYING ON A SINGLE ENGINE, WHICH IS NOT GOOD. Narrator: AN OVERHEATED ENGINE DURING AN AIRSHOW OR REHEARSAL COULD TAKE DOWN SIX PLANES AND SIX MEN. IF THE PROBLEM CAN'T BE FIXED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS, THIS F-18 IS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE IMPORTANT AIRSHOW IN SAN DIEGO. Cunningham: WE'VE NEVER MISSED A PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION DUE TO MAINTENANCE. SO THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN AN AIRSHOW, 100% MAINTENANCE AVAILABILITY. Man: I'M TRYING TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. Cunningham: OUTBOARD. Narrator: JAMES' TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THESE PLANES MEANS HE CAN TROUBLESHOOT QUICKLY. BUT TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM, HE MUST FIRST REMOVE THE MASSIVE ENGINE. Cunningham: WE'RE GOING TO UNDO THE MOUNTS, THE AFT MOUNT PIN-- IT'S JUST A PIN THAT HOLDS UP THE AFT SECTION OF THE ENGINE-- AND THEN WE'LL BE READY TO DROP IT. NOT TOO FAST, NOT TOO SLOW, AND WE'LL BE GOOD. Narrator: JAMES IS BETTING THE PROBLEM IS A FALSE READING COMING OFF ONE OF THE CABLES WHICH MEASURES EXHAUST TEMPERATURE. AND HE'S RIGHT. THE SHOW WILL GO ON. BUT ONLY IF THE PILOTS ARE AS FIT AS THE PLANES. Man: HEY, DOC. Smith: HEY, BRANDON. SO YOU'RE HERE FOR YOUR SHORT FORM ANNUAL? Brandon: YUP. Smith: I'LL START OUT JUST WITH A QUICK BLOOD PRESSURE HERE AND GET YOUR TEMPERATURE. Narrator: BOTH MEN AND MACHINES MUST BE IN TOP CONDITION. THEIR ENEMY: G FORCES THAT TEAR INTO THE AIRCRAFT AND THEIR PILOTS ALIKE. Smith: FOLLOW MY FINGERS JUST WITH YOUR EYES HERE. Narrator: CAPTAIN BRANDON CORDILL IS THE BLUE ANGELS NUMBER 3 PILOT. Brandon Cordill: WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN WE PULL G FORCES IS, SO EIGHT Gs...EIGHT TIMES THE FORCE OF GRAVITY. SO MY APPARENT WEIGHT WILL BE EIGHT TIMES WHAT I'M FEELING. SO WHAT IS PHYSIOLOGICALLY HAPPENING IS ALL THE BLOOD IS TRYING TO BE REALLY SUCKED FROM MY HEAD AND BEING PULLED DOWN TO MY FEET. SO IF I DID NOTHING AND I JUST FLEW THE AIRCRAFT AND I PULLED A G FORCE, WHAT I WOULD START TO SEE IS, THEY CALL IT TUNNEL VISION. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE LIGHTS WILL START TO COME IN AND THE OUTER EDGES OF MY VISION ARE GOING TO BECOME VERY GRAY, AND BEFORE LONG, I'LL BE LOOKING THROUGH REALLY A SODA STRAW. EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT WILL BE GRAY. AND THEN AFTER THAT WOULD BE UNCONSCIOUS. Narrator: REGULAR FIGHTER PILOTS WEAR G-SUITS THAT CONTAIN AIR POCKETS IN THE LEGS WHICH INFLATE AND DEFLATE TO RETURN BLOOD TO THE UPPER BODY. BUT THE G-SUITS ARE BULKY AND GET IN THE WAY OF THE BLUE ANGELS' CRITICALLY PRECISE MANEUVERS. Cordill: THE NUMBER-ONE REASON WE DON'T FLY WITH A G-SUIT IS IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW CLOSE WE FLY IN FORMATION. IF I PULLED 6 Gs, 4 Gs, IT WOULD CONSTANTLY BE PUMPING UP AND DEFLATING WITH AIR. AND I CANNOT HAVE MY ARM MOVE LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE FLYING 18 INCHES BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH MOVEMENT FOR ME TO MOVE THE JET AND PUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE FORMATION IN DANGER. [INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER] Man: ALL RIGHT, WATCH YOUR HEAD RIGHT HERE. Narrator: ALL FIGHTER JET PILOTS MUST SUBMIT TO A TRAINING SIMULATOR, SUCH AS THIS ONE. STRAPPED INSIDE, THEY ARE SPUN TO A FORCE OF 8 Gs AND MONITORED BY VIDEO FROM A CONTROL ROOM. Trainer: SIMULATING, STICK IS HOT. PROFILE IS RUNNING. LEGS. BREATH. YOU'RE ON TOP. BREATHE. Narrator: THE BREATHING AND CLENCHING TECHNIQUES HELP THIS PILOT IN TRAINING AS THE BLOOD RACES FROM HIS UPPER BODY AND HIS WEIGHT INCREASES TO OVER HALF A TON. Pilot: AM I SWIRLIN'? Trainer: WATCH YOUR HEAD. Narrator: HE'S SHAKEN AND LIMP AFTER THIS ONE BRIEF TEST. AND IT'S THIS THAT EVERY BLUE ANGEL FACES ON EVERY PUNISHING FLIGHT. AND IF THAT'S NOT RISKY ENOUGH, THEY ENDURE THIS AGONY WINGTIP TO WINGTIP, INCHES APART. C.J. Simonsen: WHEN WE'RE COMBATING THE G FORCES, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CALL THE ANTI-G STRAIN MANEUVER, SO WE'RE SQUEEZING EVERYTHING FROM OUR CALVES, QUADS, GLUTES TO ABS... EVERYTHING ABS DOWN. YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS RELAXED. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TENSE UP HERE, THAT'S GOING TO PUSH THE BLOOD DOWN. HERE WE GO, I'M GOING TO SQUEEZE MY LEGS, TAKE A DEEP BREATH... [PERFORMING BREATHING TECHNIQUE] THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE JET. [INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER] WHEN I GET DONE FLYING, I'M JUST A SWEATY MESS. I'M LIKE I AM NOW, AFTER A 45-MINUTE FLIGHT. SO IT'S VERY PHYSICALLY DEMANDING. I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS TOUGH. Narrator: AS THE BLUE ANGELS READY TO LEAVE PENSACOLA, LIEUTENANT MARK TEDROW IN SAN DIEGO HAS A LONG LIST TO GET THROUGH BEFORE THE REST OF THE TEAM TOUCHES DOWN. Tedrow: THESE ARE THE TO-DO ITEMS FOR EVERY SHOW. Narrator: MARK HAS TWO JOBS: LOGISTICS MAN AND THE NARRATOR, WHO WILL LIVE-HOST THE SHOW FOR THE AUDIENCE. FOR MARK, THE SECOND JOB IS MORE NERVE-WRACKING THAN FLYING AEROBATICS. TEDROW IS ALSO THE BLUE ANGELS' PUBLIC RELATIONS MAN. PART OF THAT JOB INCLUDES TAKING VIPs ON FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS. IT BEGINS WITH A BRIEFING WITH A GROUP OF LOCAL MEDIA AND CELEBRITIES. Kyle Storm: TODAY IN THE BRIEF WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY. THAT'S OUR PRIMARY CONCERN. SO WE TELL THEM WHAT NOT TO TOUCH. WE ALSO TEACH THEM WHAT'S CALLED THE ANTI-G STRAIN MANEUVER, ALSO KNOWN AS THE "HICK" MANEUVER. GO AHEAD AND SQUEEZE THOSE LEGS, TAKE A DEEP BREATH. READY, HIT IT... All: HICK! Narrator: TODAY, MARK'S FIRST GUEST IS MILES McPHERSON, A FORMER DEFENSIVE BACK WITH THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS; NOW A SPIRITUAL LEADER AND AUTHOR. Miles McPherson: I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS FLIGHT, I CAN'T TAKE IT. I GOT A NEW GIRLFRIEND, AND SHE'S BLUE. I HOPE I DON'T PASS OUT, AND I HOPE I TAKE ALL 7 Gs, AND I HOPE I GET SCARED TO DEATH. Storm: THE PERCENTAGE OF MEDIA RIDERS THAT PASS OUT OR HAVE DIFFICULTIES... I'D SAY PROBABLY 50% EITHER PASS OUT OR HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SICKNESS TO THEM BECAUSE IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT FEELING AND PEOPLE JUST AREN'T USED TO IT. Narrator: MILES McPHERSON IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. HE COMES BACK NOT ONLY CONSCIOUS, BUT ELATED. Tedrow: WELCOME BACK. McPherson: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT WAS FANTASTIC. FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC. IT IS AMAZING HOW PRECISE THEY HANDLE THAT MACHINE. THEY'RE LIKE ONE WITH THE MACHINE, AND THEY CAN STOP IT ON A DIME, TURN IT TO A VERY SPECIFIC POINT, COME RIGHT BACK TO ANOTHER POINT. IT'S UNBELIEVABLE. Narrator: IN PENSACOLA, THE F-18s ARE READIED ON THE TARMAC FOR THEIR FLIGHT TO THE AIRSHOW IN SAN DIEGO. MEANWHILE, THEIR GIGANTIC FLYING TOOLBOX IS ALSO GEARING UP. IT'S A C-130 HERCULES. ACQUIRED BY THE BLUE ANGELS IN 1970, IT'S AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS FAT ALBERT. Benjamin Blanton: FAT ALBERT'S PRIMARY MISSION IS TO SUPPORT THE LOGISTICAL DEMANDS BEHIND THE BLUE ANGELS. OUR SHOW SEASON SPANS 35 WEEKS, 35 DIFFERENT CITIES. AND WHAT WE DO IS WE ENSURE THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT FIX THE AIRPLANES AND PUT THE SHOW ON BEHIND THE SCENES GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO SAFELY. Narrator: FAT ALBERT CAN CARRY UP TO 45,000 POUNDS OF PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT, AND THE BLUE ANGELS OFTEN REACH THE C-130'S IMPRESSIVE CARGO LIMIT. Blanton: THAT'S OUR SPARE PARTS, OUR TOOL BOXES... EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO KEEP BLUE AND GOLD JETS IN THE AIR. Narrator: FAT ALBERT LEADS THE WAY ON EVERY MISSION SO THAT IT'S THERE TO SERVICE THE JETS THAT FOLLOW. TWO HOURS LATER, THE F-18s TAKE OFF. IN A CAR, IT WOULD TAKE OVER 24 HOURS TO DRIVE FROM PENSACOLA TO SAN DIEGO. FOR THE F-18s AT MAXIMUM SPEED, IT'S AN HOUR AND A HALF. THEIR STURDY COMPANION FAT ALBERT ARRIVES FIRST, CARRYING ENOUGH SPARE PARTS TO FILL A HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM. Hecker: WE TRAVEL 100,000 MILES EVERY YEAR. WE BRING ABOUT 40 PERSONNEL AND ABOUT 35,000 POUNDS OF CARGO AND EQUIPMENT. IF WE HAVE TO GET AN ENGINE FOR AN F-18, WE'LL RUN SOMEWHERE TO GET IT, BUT MOST OF THE TIME WE BRING EVERYTHING ELSE WITH US, SO WE'RE SELF-SUFFICIENT PRETTY MUCH. Narrator: AS THE BLUE ANGELS TOUCH DOWN IN SAN DIEGO, TWO TIRES BLOW ON JET NUMBER 4. PETER HEINLEIN IS THE CREW COORDINATOR. Peter Heinlein: UPON LANDING THE 4 JET, BLEW BOTH THE MAIN MOUNT TIRES. Narrator: THE MAIN MOUNT TIRES ARE THE ONES BEARING THE WEIGHT OF THE ENGINES. Heinlein: IT'S NOT TOO COMMON, SO WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE READY FOR IT AND TRY TO GET IT OUT THERE SAFELY. AS YOU SEE, ALL THE FIRE TRUCKS AND EVERYBODY IS OUT THERE, SAFE AS POSSIBLE, TRYING TO GET IT BACK OVER HERE PARKED. Narrator: THE PLANE HAS TO GET OFF THE RUNWAY IN ORDER FOR THE OTHER F-18s TO LAND. Nate Widner: WE HAVE TO CLEAR OFF THAT RUNWAY AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE FIVE JETS FLYING IN THE AIR THAT NEED TO RECOVER. Heinlein: IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE JET COULD VEER OFF THE RUNWAY, GET STUCK IN THE MUD, TIP OVER, THE BRAKES GET VERY HOT AND THEY COULD START A FIRE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN GET THE JETS OFF THE RUNWAY SAFELY AND BACK INTO SERVICE SAFELY. Narrator: THE TIRES ARE REPLACED, AND THE AIRCRAFT CHECKS OUT. BUT THE BLOW-OUT IS ON EVERYONE'S MINDS AS THEY PREPARE FOR TOMORROW'S PERFORMANCE. SLEEP FOR THE PILOTS IS AS CRITICAL AS MAINTENANCE FOR THE F-18s. BOTH MAN AND MACHINE MUST WORK TOGETHER PERFECTLY. THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. AT DAWN, THE GROUND CREW CONDUCTS A FULL SWEEP OF THE APRON, SEARCHING FOR FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS THAT COULD JEOPARDIZE THE F-18s AND THEIR PILOTS. THEY DO THIS BEFORE EVERY DEMONSTRATION, WITHOUT FAIL. Heinlein: AND WE'RE GONNA BASICALLY WALK OUR FLIGHT LINE TO PICK UP ANY DEBRIS, ROCKS, ANYTHING THAT FALLS DOWN. BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT COULD GET SUCKED INTO AN INTAKE THAT WILL HURT ONE OF THE MOTORS. Narrator: EVEN MORE CRITICAL IS A RIGOROUS INSPECTION OF THE F-18s. Storm: OUR TRUST BETWEEN OUR PILOTS IS VERY UNIQUE. THEY DON'T WALK AROUND THEIR AIRCRAFT INSPECTING IT. THEY HOP RIGHT INTO THE SEAT, AND THEY TAKE THAT AIRCRAFT. THEY KNOW THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IT, THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM 100% BEST AIRCRAFT THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN. THEY PUT THEIR LIVES IN OUR HANDS, BASICALLY, WHENEVER WE SHAKE THEIR HAND. McWherter: I'M THE ONE PILOT ON THE PLANET THAT DOESN'T PREFLIGHT HIS OWN AIRCRAFT. WHEN I WALK UP TO MY JET AND MY CREW CHIEF SAYS, "BOSS, YOUR JET'S READY TO GO," I SALUTE HIM. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE JET'S READY TO GO. I CLIMB UP, AND I FIRE IT UP AND GO. Narrator: CROWDS ARE NOW STREAMING IN TO THE LARGEST MILITARY AIRSHOW IN THE UNITED STATES. AND MOST ARE HERE TO SEE THE MAIN ATTRACTION, THE BLUE ANGELS. McWherter: SAN DIEGO'S A HUGE METROPOLITAN AREA. AND THAT'S A GREAT MARKET FOR US AS THE NAVY AND THE MARINE CORPS TO SHOW MAYBE SOME PEOPLE THAT AREN'T EXPOSED ON A DAILY BASIS TO WHAT THE SAILORS AND MARINES DO. John Farnam: IT'S A HUGE PRIVILEGE, OF COURSE, TO HAVE THE BLUE ANGELS COME TO THE MIRAMAR AIRSHOW. THEY MAKE THE SHOW. THEY CLOSE OUT ON A HIGH NOTE THAT PEOPLE DON'T FORGET. THEY ARE A CLASS ACT FROM START TO FINISH AND THE MOST PROFESSIONAL YOU'LL SEE. McWherter: MY SPECIFIC GOAL TODAY IS GONNA BE THE WINGS ON THE LINE-ABREAST LOOP. I'M FIRED UP, AND I'M READY TO GO. Narrator: BEFORE EVERY SHOW, THE TEAM UNDERGOES A ROUTINE PRE-PERFORMANCE EXERCISE LED BY THE BOSS. Stevens: WE'RE STILL SEEKING THAT PERFECT SHOW. McWherter: EVERY SHOW SITE IS UNIQUE, EVERY FLIGHT HAS ITS UNIQUE CHALLENGES, BUT THE SIMPLE MATTER OF THE FACT IS THAT WE DO ALMOST THE SAME THING EVERY DAY. AND THE HARD THING IS BATTLING THAT COMPLACENCY. THE WAY WE COMBAT THAT IS THROUGH PRACTICED FOCUS. THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, AND ALL OF THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL LENDS ITSELF TO A MUCH SAFER DEMONSTRATION. THE SOLOS BEGIN FROM THE RIGHT WITH A TUCK-OVER ROLL. Narrator: PART OF THAT FOCUS COMES FROM AN UNUSUAL TRAINING EXERCISE PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. McWherter: UP WE GO. Narrator: THEY PERFORM A RITUAL THAT'S LIKE A FORM OF MEDITATION. IT PREPARES THE PILOTS FOR WHAT'S TO COME. McWherter: WE'RE BEHIND THE CROWD, SET UP THE FAN BREAK. PUMPS OFF. PUMPS OFF. SMOKE OFF, PUSH. Narrator: THEY CALL IT "CHAIR FLYING," AND IT IS JUST THAT. McWherter: AIR SPEED CALL, COMING LEFT. Stevens: THE CHAIR FLYING THAT WE DO IN THE BRIEF, IT SERVES A NUMBER OF PURPOSES, AND FOR ME IT ALLOWS ME TO GET MY MIND READY TO GO OUT AND DO THE AIRSHOW. IT ALSO ALLOWS THE BOSS TO GET READY TO KIND OF GET IN HIS ZONE. AND WE'LL MAKE ALL THE SAME MOVEMENTS. WE'LL MAKE THE SAME THROTTLE CORRECTIONS, STICK INPUTS... EVERYTHING WHILE VISUALIZING EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON. TO ME IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT AND A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF ME GETTING READY TO GO FLY. Narrator: CLOSE TO THE CENTER OF THE AIRFIELD, THE BLUE ANGELS' FLIGHT CONTROL CENTER IS SET UP. IT'S CALLED THE COMM CART. THIS IS THE LIFELINE BETWEEN THE PILOTS AND THE GROUND. David Rodgers: WE USE THE GROUND RADIOS HERE TO HAVE OUR SUPPORT OFFICERS TALK TO THE PILOTS IN THE AIR DURING THE FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION. Narrator: THE TEAM MONITORS THE WEATHER TO ENSURE THE BLUE ANGELS ARE SAFE FROM SUDDEN DANGEROUS CHANGES. Brandon Settle: THIS RIGHT HERE HOUSES ALL OF OUR ANTENNAS AND OUR ANEMOMETERS SO THAT WE CAN TELL WIND DIRECTION AND WIND SPEED. Narrator: THEY WILL ALSO MONITOR THE CHATTER. GARBLED COMMUNICATIONS COULD INDICATE A PILOT IS IN TROUBLE. Settle: AND THIS IS THE THREE ANTENNA SETUP FOR OUR THREE COMMS THAT WE USE TO TALK TO THE PILOTS WITH WHENEVER THEY'RE IN THE AIR. Narrator: MEANWHILE, SHOW NARRATOR LIEUTENANT MARK TEDROW IS COPING WITH HIS NERVES AS THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS TO SHOWTIME. Tedrow: I'VE DONE IT SO MANY TIMES, BUT EVERY SHOW I'M NERVOUS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO THINK THROUGH EVERY MANEUVER, EVERY BIT OF NARRATION SO THAT I DON'T MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF. THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. Narrator: THE MIRAMAR AIRSHOW IS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE MOST ADVANCED AIRCRAFT THE U.S. MILITARY HAS TO OFFER. SUPPORT AIRCRAFT SHOW OFF THEIR OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES. SEVERAL AVIATION TEAMS JOIN IN THE DISPLAY, WITH A SERIES OF STUNTS THAT WOW THE CROWDS. BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE HAVE COME FOR THE LAST ACT-- THE LEGENDARY BLUE ANGELS. Simonsen: WE REPRESENT 550,000 SAILORS AND MARINES WORLDWIDE, AND PEOPLE LOOK TO US-- TOWNS LIKE MANKATO, MINNESOTA, OR FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA-- THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE A LARGE MILITARY INFLUENCE. SO, YOU NOW, WE SHAKE A PERSON'S HAND, IT MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE EVER MET ANYBODY IN THE MILITARY. IT'S A HUGE HONOR FOR US TO REPRESENT THOSE FOLKS, AND WE WANT TO DO IT THE BEST TO OUR ABILITY. Tedrow: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR UNITED STATES NAVY FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION SQUADRON REPRESENTS A TIME-HONORED TRADITION OF PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM, AND EXCELLENCE SPANNING 101 YEARS OF NAVAL AVIATION. Narrator: THIS IS WHAT THE CROWD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR. FIRST, FAT ALBERT MAKES HIS GRAND ENTRANCE. Tedrow: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WITH THE STARS AND STRIPES FLYING PROUDLY ABOVE THE COCKPIT, THE BLUE ANGELS C-130... FAAAAT ALBERT! Blanton: SO WE ARE KNOWN KIND OF AS THAT SILENT SUPPORT MECHANISM. THE FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION IS ONE LITTLE PIECE OF THAT. I THINK IT GETS PLENTY OF RECOGNITION. FAT ALBERT IS VERY POPULAR WITH KIDS BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER, IT DOESN'T PUT OFF THE SAME AMOUNT OF JET NOISE, IT'S A LITTLE LESS IMPOSING, SO KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVE FAT ALBERT. Tedrow: THE 2012 TEAM TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE IN SALUTING NAVY AND MARINE CORPS PILOTS, MAINTENANCE CREWS, AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL EVERYWHERE. FROM THE RIGHT, THE BLUE ANGELS 2012. Man: THANKS, MO! CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF! Narrator: MAKING A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION COUNTS. Stevens: THE BIG ONE FOR ME IS OUR VERY FIRST MANEUVER, THE DIAMOND 360. IF WE CAN REALLY HIT THAT HARD AND HAVE VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT AND FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THAT MANEUVER, WE KNOW WE HAVE A GOOD AIRSHOW GOING, AND EVERYONE GETS EXCITED. Narrator: WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PRE-FLIGHT VISUALIZATION NOW COMES TO LIFE IN THE AIR. McWherter: POWER, SET. Tedrow: NOW, TO THE LEFT, CAPTAIN McWHERTER CALLS "SMOKE ON." McWherter: SMOKE ON, PULL. Tedrow: OFF BRAKES NOW, BURNERS READY NOW, AND THE BLUE ANGEL DIAMOND IS ROLLING. [INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER] McWherter: BURNERS READY NOW. EASING POWER. [CHEERING] Tedrow: VIEWING THE HORIZON, CAPTAIN McWHERTER ROLLS THE FORMATION 180 DEGREES TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION TO COMPLETE THE HALF CUBAN EIGHT. AS THE DIAMOND ACCELERATES IN THE DESCENT, THEY ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY AIRSPEED FOR THEIR NEXT MANEUVER. [INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER] Narrator: THEY FLY INCHES APART AND APPROACH EACH OTHER JUST UNDER THE SPEED OF SOUND. ONE SLIGHT DEVIATION IN THEIR ACT COULD PROVE FATAL. Smith: ONE THING THAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T SEE IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON INSIDE THAT COCKPIT. WHEN THE PILOTS ARE TURNING AND DOING SHARP TURNS LIKE THEY NEED TO DO FOR THE DEMO, THEY'RE PULLING G FORCES, AND WHEN YOU'RE PULLING THOSE Gs, IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO SQUEEZE YOUR LEGS, TO SQUEEZE YOUR ABDOMINAL MUSCLES TO KEEP THAT BLOOD UP IN YOUR HEAD SO THAT YOU DON'T ACTUALLY JUST PASS OUT. Narrator: A SIMPLE DEVICE ON THE GROUND HELPS THE PLANES IN THE AIR FIND THEIR WAY TO THE CENTER OF THE AIRFIELD. Virgil Craven: THE MIRROR IS TO AID THE PILOTS AS THEY'RE FLYING TO LOCATE CENTER POINT. Narrator: THE PILOTS CAN SEE THE MIRROR FROM 25 MILES AWAY. Craven: IF THE SUN ISN'T OUT WE WILL USE A SPOTLIGHT THAT THE MO HAS. WE HAVE TWO SPOTLIGHTS AT THE COMM CART IN CASE IT'S A CLOUDY DAY. BUT THE PILOTS ABSOLUTELY NEED A REFERENCE POINT TO LOCATE CENTER POINT TO MAKE SURE ALL THEIR HITS ARE ON TIME AND ACCURATE, AND THE MIRROR IS SIMPLY THE EASIEST THING TO USE. Narrator: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RICHARD MERCADO HAS HIS OWN CRITICAL JOB AT THE COMM CART: MAKING SURE THERE ARE NO COLLISIONS WITH OTHER AIRCRAFT. Richard Mercado: I'M LOOKING AT THE JETS, I'M LOOKING ALL AROUND AND MAKE SURE THERE'S NO OTHER AIRPLANES GOING INTO OUR AIRSPACE. I HAVE OTHER PEOPLE BEHIND THE COMM CART WHO ARE ON BINOCULARS, TOO, THAT ARE ALSO LOOKING AROUND, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY INTERLOPERS, ANY OTHER AIRPLANES COMING THROUGH. Narrator: WITH JETS FLYING AROUND AT UP TO 700 MILES PER HOUR, ANY COLLISION COULD BE FATAL. [CHEERING] ONCE AGAIN, THE BLUE ANGELS' DARING SHOW IS A CROWD PLEASER. Mercado: I LIKE TRAVELING THE COUNTRY AND SEEING THE PEOPLE AND SEEING THE KIDS' EYES WHEN THEY SEE THESE AIRPLANES FLY AND MOTIVATING THEM TO ONE DAY MAYBE FILL THOSE STEPS AND FLY JUST LIKE THESE GUYS DO. [RADIO CHATTER] Narrator: BUT BOSS PILOT GREG McWHERTER ISN'T SATISFIED. IT'S HIS SECOND LAST SHOW AS A BLUE ANGEL, AND IT ISN'T HIS BEST. McWherter: THERE WAS A COMM CALL THAT WASN'T PERFECTLY PLACED OR PERFECTLY SAID. THERE WASN'T A MANEUVER THAT HAD THE PERFECT PLACEMENT OR THE PERFECT FORMATION. SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS US SO GOOD AND ON OUR TOES IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS STRIVING FOR PERFECTION. Narrator: BOSS IS DETERMINED TO ATTAIN THAT PERFECTION AT HIS LAST SHOW, FOR THE HOME CROWD IN PENSACOLA. McWherter: DOING OUR HOMECOMING SHOW IN PENSACOLA IS SPECIAL FOR US. THIS IS WHERE OUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL, WHERE OUR FAMILIES LIVE. AND THERE'S JUST SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT FLYING FOR YOUR HOMETOWN CROWD. Narrator: THE MIRAMAR AIRSHOW HAS GONE OFF WITHOUT A HITCH. THE TEAM MAKES THE LONG CROSS-COUNTRY RETURN FLIGHT FROM SAN DIEGO TO PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. WITH ALL THE PLANES SAFELY ON THE TARMAC, THE STRAINED F-18s HIT THE SHOP. Bruce Kunkel: THIS IS ACTUALLY THE NERVE CENTER. ALL MAINTENANCE, ANY TYPE OF TRANSACTION THAT GOES ON HAS TO COME THROUGH HERE. Storm: WE RUN THROUGH THESE AIRCRAFT WITH A FINE-TOOTH COMB, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO CLEAN THE WINDSCREEN, CLEAN THE CANOPY, CHECK THE PILOT'S GEAR, HELMET, BECAUSE WHEN THEY PULL SO MANY Gs IN THIS AIRCRAFT, IT WILL LITERALLY PULL RIVETS AND BOLTS OFF THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH FORCE AGAINST IT. SO IT'S A DAY-TO-DAY GRIND WITH THESE AIRCRAFT TO KEEP THEM UP AND FLYING THE WAY WE DO. Narrator: TODAY, THE MAINTENANCE TEAM HAS ITS HANDS FULL. AN IMPORTANT STABILIZER COMPONENT IS BROKEN. Heinlein: THE 6 JET, THE STAB ACTUATOR, THE HYDRAULIC SERVO THAT MOVES THE ACTUAL FLIGHT SURFACE, HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. IT COULD BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE STAB COULD LOCK UP IN FLIGHT AND STAB IS ONE OF THE MAIN FLIGHT SURFACES, CONTROL SURFACES FOR THE JET, SO SEND THE JET INTO A SPIN OR POTENTIALLY CRASH THE JET OR THE PILOT. DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. Narrator: IT'S UP TO THE MECHANICS TO MAKE SURE THE BOSS GETS PERFECT F-18s BEFORE THE SHOW. Widner: I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE THE CREW WHO CANCELLED AN AIRSHOW BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE JETS TO FLY. Heinlein: THEY'RE TURNING THE 6 JET FOR... Narrator: THE BLUE ANGELS HAVE A BACKUP JET, SO AS THE PLANE'S BEING FIXED, BOSS GREG McWHERTER CAN STILL PUT ON A FULL REHEARSAL. Heinlein: AS SOON AS THE 6 JET'S DONE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GO HOME. Narrator: CAPTAIN McWHERTER PUSHES HIS TEAM, KNOWING THEY CAN DO BETTER. Steven: HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT ROTATION, BOSS? McWherter: I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A HAIR FLAT TODAY. WE TURNED A LITTLE BIT LATE TODAY AS WE WERE PROCESSING THE WIND, SO THAT'LL BE BETTER TOMORROW. Stevens: I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A LOT BUMPIER. THE TURN-IN IS WHERE ALL THE TEXTURE IS, AND ONCE WE GET OVER THOSE TREES AND PAST THE MUSEUM, EVERYBODY IS LOCKED OUT, IT'S REAL NICE. McWherter: THE PROBLEM WAS IS THAT WITH THAT MUCH IN-FRONT-OF-THE-CROWD WIND, IT'S GONNA AFFECT OUR PLACEMENT FOR THE DIAMOND ROLL, SO I JUST NEED TO ROLL OUT EARLIER AND ACCOUNT FOR THE WIND ON THE BACK SIDE, BUT OVERALL IT WASN'T BAD. Narrator: FOR MAJOR BRENT STEVENS, THE STAKES ARE HIGH AND PERSONAL. Stevens: AFTER WE LAND ON SATURDAY AND I TAKE OFF THAT BLUE FLIGHT SUIT, THAT'S THE LAST TIME I'LL EVER WEAR THAT BLUE FLIGHT SUIT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Narrator: LIKE THE BOSS, BRENT WANTS TO END HIS CAREER WITH THE BLUE ANGELS WITH HIS BEST SHOW EVER. BACK ON THE AIRFIELD, WITH JUST 18 HOURS TO GO BEFORE SHOWTIME, PETER HEINLEIN IS STILL FIXING ONE PROBLEM AND NOW HAS AN EVEN BIGGER ONE. ONE OF THE HORNETS WON'T EVEN START BECAUSE OF A BAD FUEL LEAK. Heinlein: WE FOUND SOME FUEL IN SOME PLACES IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE, SO NOW WE'RE CHANGING A COUPLE OF COMPONENTS THAT HOOK TO THE MOTOR. IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT A SIX-HOUR CHANGE, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. Narrator: UNDETECTED FUEL LEAKS CAN BE DISASTROUS. Heinlein: PRETTY BIG DEAL, SAFETY HAZARDS, FUEL TRAVELING WHERE IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS, CAUSING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. Narrator: THAT'S THE RISK OF FLYING 25-YEAR-OLD PLANES WITH PARTS THAT ARE HARD TO FIND. Widner: THEY'RE OLD. WE WE GET SOME OF THE OLDEST AIRCRAFT. PRETTY MUCH THE AIRCRAFT THAT THE FLEET NO LONGER WANTS TO USE, WE RECEIVE. Narrator: THE STAKES ARE HIGH FOR PETER'S TEAM TO LIVE UP TO THE BLUE ANGELS' PERFECT MAINTENANCE RECORD. McWherter: WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE BEST MAINTAINERS ON THE PLANET THAT KEEP THESE JETS IN TIP-TOP SHAPE. BUT SOMETIMES, WE LIVE IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD AND WE FLY MECHANICAL AIRCRAFT, AND SOMETIMES THINGS BREAK OR DON'T COOPERATE. Heinlein: IF IT'S AN ENGINE CHANGE, ALL OF US WILL HAVE A LONG NIGHT BECAUSE WE ALL STAY BECAUSE WE'RE ALL THE SAME TEAM. Narrator: EVERY F-18 HAS TO FUNCTION PERFECTLY. THERE CAN BE NO MAINTENANCE COMPROMISES WITH THE BLUE ANGELS' PINPOINT PRECISE, DANGEROUS MANEUVERS. McWherter: WE ARE AS CLOSE AS 12 INCHES APART AT TIMES DURING THE DEMONSTRATION. WE'LL GO AS SLOW AS 100 MILES PER HOUR TO AS FAST AS JUST UNDER 700 MILES PER HOUR. OUR JOB AT THE END OF THE DAY IS TO FLY A SAFE AND ENTERTAINING DEMONSTRATION AND DO OUR VERY BEST TO REPRESENT THE NAVY AND THE MARINE CORPS. Narrator: PETER'S TEAM FINALLY FINDS THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. IT TAKES SIX HOURS, BUT THE F-18 IS ONCE AGAIN IN TOP FORM FOR THE SHOW. Heinlein: IT IS A NORMAL THING. WE HAVE ROUTINE PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. WE HAVE THESE PROBLEMS WITH OLDER JETS, SO YOU'VE GOT TO FIX WHAT YOU NEED TO FIX AND KEEP THEM UP AND KEEP THEM SAFE. Narrator: 11 A.M. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON TO SHOWTIME. Stevens: WELL, THIS IS MY LAST BRIEF AS A BLUE ANGEL. IT'S OUR END-OF-SEASON SHOW, AND THIS IS THE SHOW OF ALL SHOWS THAT YOU JUST WANT TO BE ON YOUR "A" GAME, HAVE YOUR BEST PERFORMANCE AND GO OUT ON TOP. AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. SO WE'RE HERE TO GET IN THIS BRIEF, GET IN THE ZONE, AND JUST HAVE A GREAT FINISH TO AN AMAZING TWO YEARS. McWherter: I WANT US TO FOCUS NOW, PUT ON A SAFE, ENTERTAINING DEMONSTRATION. REMEMBER THAT TODAY'S FLIGHT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE 300 WE'VE DONE BEFORE. OUR SAME STANDARDS, ALTITUDES, AIRSPEEDS. FORMATION SETS DON'T CHANGE TODAY BECAUSE IT'S THE END OF THE SEASON. LET'S PUT ON A BLUE ANGEL STANDARD SHOW AND HAVE A GREAT, GREAT TIME OUT THERE. SOLOS, YOU GUYS ENJOY YOURSELVES. Man: YES, SIR, WE ALWAYS DO. McWherter: I MEAN THAT. GOOD LUCK. GOOD DUDES. Mercado: IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE'RE AT HOME, THIS IS OUR HOME TURF, YOU KNOW. ALL OUR FAMILIES ARE HERE. WE HAVE A NEW SET OF MEMBERS WHO ARE CHECKING IN. EVERYBODY'S EXCITED TO BE HERE. I MEAN, THIS IS THE BEST OF THE BEST. THIS IS THE DAY. Narrator: NOW IT'S UP TO THE BLUE ANGELS TO MAKE BOSS McWHERTER'S LAST SHOW HIS BEST. CROWDS BEGIN TO FILL THE STANDS, AND THE EXCITEMENT BUILDS. McWherter: I'M FIRED UP, AND I'M READY TO GO. Stevens: JUST LOCK IT OUT, AND, MAN, LET'S PUT ON THE BEST DEMONSTRATION WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND LET'S GO OUT ON A HIGH NOTE, LET'S HAVE A GREAT ONE. FIRED UP AND READY TO GO, BOSS. McWherter: AWESOME. JK? JK: FIRED UP, READY TO GO, BOSS. Man: FIRED UP, READY TO GO, BOSS. Narrator: THIS IS LIEUTENANT MARK TEDROW'S LAST PERFORMANCE AS NARRATOR. NEXT YEAR, HE'S GOING TO FLY AS ONE OF THE BLUE ANGELS. Tedrow: I'M MORE EXCITED THAN NERVOUS RIGHT NOW. I'M EXCITED TO LEARN THE MANEUVERS AND GET IN THE AIRCRAFT AND START FLYING IN THE DEMONSTRATION. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, REPRESENTING YOUR UNITED STATES NAVY AND MARINE CORPS, THE BLUE ANGELS 2012. Narrator: SHOWTIME. Tedrow: THE BLUE ANGEL DIAMOND WILL MOMENTARILY BE MAKING ITS APPROACH IN RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED FLIGHT THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A CLOSE LOOK AT THAT VERY MINIMUM 18-INCH WINGTIP-TO-CANOPY SEPARATION THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THESE FOUR AIRCRAFT. Narrator: ALL THEIR TRAINING AND PRACTICE COMES DOWN TO THESE FEW MINUTES. Tedrow: FROM THE RIGHT AT 400 MILES PER HOUR, THE DIAMOND ROLL. ALL FOUR AIRCRAFT ROLLING AS ONE IN THIS GRACEFUL 360-DEGREE ROLL MANEUVER. McWherter: EASE THE PULL... MOVING OUT. [INDISTINCT CHATTER] Tedrow: OUR TWO SOLO PILOTS ARE APPROACHING ONCE AGAIN-- THIS TIME TO DEMONSTRATE THE INVERTED FLIGHT CAPABILITIES OF THESE F-18s. APPROACHING INVERTED FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT, THEY WILL ROLL THEIR AIRCRAFT 360 DEGREES OVER CENTER POINT, THE OPPOSING INVERTED TO INVERTED ROLL. [RADIO CHATTER] Tedrow: AS THEY EXECUTE A MANEUVER PERFORMED BY NO OTHER JET DEMONSTRATION TEAM IN THE WORLD TODAY, AT LESS THAN 250 MILES PER HOUR, THE DIAMOND DIRTY LOOP. FROM THE LEFT, AT 450 MILES PER HOUR, AN AERIAL SALUTE TO OUR FORWARD DEPLOYED FORCES. ALL SIX AIRCRAFT WILL SEPARATE, PERFORM INDIVIDUAL 360-DEGREE ROLLS, AND THE FOUR DIAMOND PILOTS WILL RENDEZVOUS THROUGH A LOOPING MANEUVER. THE BLUE ANGEL FLEUR-DE-LIS! Stevens: FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, THE MOST CHALLENGING MANEUVER IS THE DOUBLE FARVEL. Narrator: MAJOR BRENT STEVENS IS ABOUT TO BE PUSHED TO HIS LIMIT. Stevens: AND THAT'S THE MANEUVER WHERE THE BOSS WILL BE UPSIDE DOWN, AND THEN I'LL BE UPSIDE DOWN DIRECTLY ABOVE HIM FLYING IN FORMATION, AND WE'RE DOING ALL OF THIS AT ABOUT 150 FEET OR SO ABOVE THE GROUND. THAT MANEUVER TAKES HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS OF PRACTICE. Narrator: AND THEN, THE MOVE THAT PULLS A FORCE OF 6 Gs, THE MINIMUM RADIUS TURN. [PILOT PERFORMING HICK MANEUVER] THE ENTRANCED AUDIENCE HAS NO IDEA OF THE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, PLANNING, AND PRACTICE THAT HAS MADE THIS SHOW SO EXCITING. Mercado: TODAY WENT PHENOMENAL. IT WAS PERFECT, IT WAS AWESOME. GREAT FLIGHT. Narrator: DOWN IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA... EVEN THE LOCALS, WHO HAVE SEEN THE BLUE ANGELS FLY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, ARE DAZZLED. Mercado: THE SHOW WENT SPECTACULARLY, IT WAS AWESOME. I MEAN, THE CROWDS WERE PUMPED, WE WERE PUMPED. I MEAN, IT WAS GREAT. Narrator: THE PLANES COME BACK TO EARTH, AND FOR SOME OF THESE ANGELS, IT'S THE LAST TIME. ALL EYES ARE ON BOSS GREG McWHERTER. HE WANTED THE LAST FLIGHT OF HIS BLUE ANGELS CAREER TO BE HIS BEST. McWherter: YOU KNOW, THE SHOW WAS FANTASTIC. WE FEEL GREAT. Narrator: AND HE GOT IT. McWherter: I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE TEAM DOES AFTER I LEAVE. I'M VERY EXCITED TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER CHAPTER IN LIFE. Narrator: NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME ANGELS TO STEP DOWN AND MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW TEAM THAT WILL FACE THEIR OWN SET OF CHALLENGES. A NEW CREW OF PILOTS MUST BEGIN TRAINING FOR NEXT YEAR. THE PATH TO BECOMING A BLUE ANGEL LEADS TO A TAILOR IN PENSACOLA. THE SHOP HAS AN UNLIKELY NAME FOR THE TESTOSTERONE AND ADRENALINE THAT FIRES THESE PILOTS. Tailor: AH, YEAH, YOU GOT YOUR NAME ON THERE. THAT LOOKS GOOD, HUH? Nate Barton: YEAH, NUMBER THREE LOOKS GOOD. Tailor: OK, NOW LET ME HAVE YOU DO A SLOW TURN FOR ME. Barton: THE FIRST TIME THAT I FOUND OUT, I HELD MY EARS BECAUSE MY WIFE WAS SCREAMING SO LOUD IN THE BACKGROUND. I'VE GOT TWO KIDS, AND THE BLUE ANGELS ARE HEROES TO THEM AS WELL. SO IT WAS A VERY EXCITING TIME FOR OUR WHOLE FAMILY. I'M SO EXCITED TO FLY. CAN'T WAIT. Narrator: LIEUTENANT MARK TEDROW NOW GRADUATES TO FORMATION PILOT, SHAKING OFF HIS STAGE FRIGHT AND TAKING TO THE SKIES. Tedrow: FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE GOING TO BE HERE NEXT YEAR, WE'RE EXCITED TO GET ROLLING AND GET MOVING ON WITH OUR NEXT JOB FOR NEXT SEASON, SO IT SHOULD BE GOOD. McWherter: THE BLUE ANGELS ARE A FANTASTIC ORGANIZATION, AND I FOR ONE AM GOING TO BE VERY, VERY PROUD... Narrator: ON THE GROUND, COMMANDING OFFICER GREG McWHERTER HANDS OVER LEADERSHIP TO A NEW BOSS, COMMANDER TOM FROSCH. Tom Frosch: I WOULD EQUATE IT TO YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAM ASKING YOU TO COME PLAY WITH THEM FOR TWO YEARS. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST... YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE IT WITH WORDS. IT'S THE BEST JOB IN THE NAVY. McWherter: IT'S ALWAYS HARD LEAVING THE BLUE ANGELS. HAVING ENJOYED THE BLUE ANGELS AND HAVING SEEN IT FIRST-HAND, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXCITING FOR ME TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. AND WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS TO SEE SOMEONE FOLLOW IN OUR FOOTSTEPS AND TAKE THE TEAM TO NEW LEVELS. Narrator: THOUGH THE CREWS CHANGE, THE F-18s DON'T. THESE SEASONED AND TRUSTED AIRCRAFT MUST BE MAINTAINED TO PERFECTION FOR A NEW TEAM OF BLUE ANGELS TO TURN AVIATION PRECISION INTO DEATH-DEFYING ENTERTAINMENT. Cunningham: IT'S PRIDE IN KNOWING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS PERFORM A DEMONSTRATION. WE'RE NEVER GOING TO LET THE PUBLIC DOWN. WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO PERFORM TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. Narrator: IT'S A CYCLE THAT HAS CONTINUED FOR OVER SIX DECADES. Mercado: WE HAVE SOME PILOTS HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WATCHED THE BLUE ANGELS GROWING UP AS KIDS, AND NOW THEY'RE HERE AND NOW THEY'RE DOING IT. SO THAT'S AN AMAZING FEELING TO DO THAT. Narrator: THE GREATEST SHOW ABOVE EARTH CARRIES ON.