wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
My annual trip to Pensacola for the Blue Angels Homecoming show. It was on Friday and Saturday, as usual, but no Friday night show this year. 
The Saturday show was cloudy, although with a high ceiling until the last 15 minutes or so, but not good light. I didn't even bother with pictures on Saturday, and the Blue Angels had to switch to their low show for the last 8 or 10 minutes.
On Friday, it was sunny, but with the first couple of passes of the Navy's F-35C I was worried about not getting any good vapor.
Got a lucky poof in the minimum-radius turn, though!
He did a touch-and-go to demonstrate both the high descent rate used for carrier landings, and the immediate kick to full power on touchdown in the event of a missed wire.
And the high-speed pass, just barely subsonic.
A second F-35C joined, and they formed up with an F4U Corsair for the Tailhook Legacy Flight.
There is a Russian airplane called the YAK-55, built for international unlimited aerobatic competition, an aircraft conceptually similar to the Extra 300 and 330 that US air show fans are familiar with. These guys had the idea of joining two of them together, just because, and then suspending a jet engine under the center wing section, just because, and came up with this, which they call the YAK-110. That's not an official YAK designation, of course; it's simply 55 plus 55... This is the only three-engine aircraft in the world certified for unlimited aerobatics. the pilot goes through some weird loads because of not being centered in the airframe!
Fat Albert's low transition takeoff. Builds speed before...
...pulling up to a 45-degree climb, leveling off at about 3,000 feet. There is in-cockpit video on Youtube showing the crew floating weightlessly as they level out at the top of the climb.
They made a photo pass, so I, um... took a couple photos!
They make a steep descent to simulate a landing area near mountains.
The Saturday show was cloudy, although with a high ceiling until the last 15 minutes or so, but not good light. I didn't even bother with pictures on Saturday, and the Blue Angels had to switch to their low show for the last 8 or 10 minutes.On Friday, it was sunny, but with the first couple of passes of the Navy's F-35C I was worried about not getting any good vapor.
Got a lucky poof in the minimum-radius turn, though!
He did a touch-and-go to demonstrate both the high descent rate used for carrier landings, and the immediate kick to full power on touchdown in the event of a missed wire.
And the high-speed pass, just barely subsonic.
A second F-35C joined, and they formed up with an F4U Corsair for the Tailhook Legacy Flight.
There is a Russian airplane called the YAK-55, built for international unlimited aerobatic competition, an aircraft conceptually similar to the Extra 300 and 330 that US air show fans are familiar with. These guys had the idea of joining two of them together, just because, and then suspending a jet engine under the center wing section, just because, and came up with this, which they call the YAK-110. That's not an official YAK designation, of course; it's simply 55 plus 55... This is the only three-engine aircraft in the world certified for unlimited aerobatics. the pilot goes through some weird loads because of not being centered in the airframe!
Fat Albert's low transition takeoff. Builds speed before...
...pulling up to a 45-degree climb, leveling off at about 3,000 feet. There is in-cockpit video on Youtube showing the crew floating weightlessly as they level out at the top of the climb.
They made a photo pass, so I, um... took a couple photos!
They make a steep descent to simulate a landing area near mountains.
