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- [atmospheric music playing]
- [insects trilling]
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[man] The Blue Angel Creed!
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[group] As a Blue Angel,
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I will dedicate all my efforts to pride,
professionalism and perfection.
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I will strive to honor the crest I earned
and the flag I wear,
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but I will never forget from where I came.
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Once a Blue Angel, always a Blue Angel.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[quiet chatter]
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[Chris "Cheese" Kapuschansky] First day
that I drove up to the hangar
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in El Centro and,
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you know, saw my name on a parking sign,
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saw my name on the door,
saw my name on the side of a jet already,
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and it was like, "Man, this is...
this is real."
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[Brian "Boss" Kesselring] I have
the blessing, the privilege,
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the honor to be
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boss of the Blue Angels right now,
and I've been so for a couple years.
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But this is my last year.
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Had a chance to be part
of seven deployments,
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served in a lot of different conflicts
around the world throughout the years.
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And... and naval aviation was a home
and was something that
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I feel like I was meant to do.
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[Cheese] It was something that
I wanted to do since I was a kid.
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Something that I never thought
was actually gonna happen.
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[Boss] Every year, about a third
of the entire squadron
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rotates back to the fleet.
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The challenge for every boss
is to get the newbies,
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their replacements,
up to speed for the coming season
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and integrated into
the Blue Angel way of life.
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[Cheese] All these thoughts
were going through my mind, like,
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"Oh, man, you know,
it's just... I don't...
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I don't know what I'm doing.
Do I even belong here?"
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But this is it. This is who I am
for the next two years,
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and this is my job for the next two years.
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I am now a Blue Angel.
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[jet engine whooshing]
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[energetic, intense music playing]
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[music pauses]
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[music resumes
with dramatic ending flourish]
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[pneumatic tools whirring]
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[birds chirping]
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All right, welcome back, everybody. Evan.
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Yes, Boss, we'll debrief
our practice over El Centro.
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- Fired up, ready to go.
- All right.
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I'll take a safety for rolling up
to low brake cross at 450.
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[rapid technical chatter]
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Pay Doc ten dollars
for a zipper and a collar.
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I'll fix it all. I'm glad to be here.
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- Cheese.
- [Cheese] Yes, sir, Boss.
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I'll have it for safety, though,
but underline deep sag on the fan rollout.
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[Boss] Naval aviation is something
I fully dedicate myself,
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and I can look back in 20 years
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and say I gave every fiber of my being
to getting better at it.
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But you come to the Blue Angels,
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and that really happens
in that first season
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where you're trying
to figure this thing out.
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That can be scary.
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I'll fix it all.
I'm glad to be here, Boss.
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- All right, Whiskers.
- [Julius "Whiskers" Bratton] Yes, sir,
Boss,
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I'll take safeties for being 296 knots
out of the PUB.
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Pay Doc five dollars for pregame jitters.
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I'll fix it all. I'm glad to be here,
Boss.
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- Day taps, Boss.
- [Boss] Good jet.
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[others] Good jet.
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All right, roll it!
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There's a crucible
you have to go through together.
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[dramatic music playing]
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It has to be six pilots
totally synced up, flying as one.
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- Go! Let's go!
- [engines whirring]
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[air traffic controller] You are clear
to taxi via runway two-four-A.
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00:06:05,890 --> 00:06:07,890
[Boss over radio] How's it going?
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[Boss] And it can be frustrating at times
to train brand-new guys from the fleet.
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One of the first things we go out and do
is just do basic turns.
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We turn left, we turn right.
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Three, two, nine, seven, four...
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[indistinct radio chatter]
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[Boss] And just do that
over and over again,
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because if you don't have the right
foundation, it's just not gonna work.
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[tense music playing]
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Rip it.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[Boss] As the boss,
you're the flight leader.
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You're the conductor.
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You're the lead goose
in the formation, right?
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[indistinct radio chatter]
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Ready? Hit it.
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These jets are max performing.
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At low altitudes, at high air speeds,
in close proximity to other aircraft.
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I have to be steady at the helm,
as they say.
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Ease in the power.
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Chomps flies in the four position.
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He's back there watching
and making sure that we're good.
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[Frank "Chomps" Zastoupil] The number four
pilot for the Blue Angels.
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It's the best seat in the house.
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You can see everything.
You can see what Boss is doing.
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You can see what
all the wingmen are doing.
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And you're kind of
the airborne safety observer
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because you have
that best seat in the house.
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[Monica "Doc" Borza] Yes.
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As the flight surgeon on the team,
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00:07:52,140 --> 00:07:55,850
you're also the lead
ground safety officer.
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- Okay, rolling.
- Okay, rolling.
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[Doc] I study the demo
inside and out for every position.
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I know where they should be at all times:
their altitude, their air speeds.
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With two brand-new pilots
on the team this year,
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I am constantly watching them.
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Chewy, you kind of start a little flat,
and you're trying to hold it in there,
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and Jamammy actually goes deep.
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Is that kind of what you're seeing?
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[Scott "Jamammy" Goossens] Cheese and I
are 100% the newbies.
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Steep learning curve, for sure.
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Just feel deflated
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and like you're the worst pilot ever.
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How did I get here?
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It just rippled through the formation.
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So, like, Jamammy was first,
I was second, then Cheese was third,
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and just, like, the whole formation
shifted, then had to shift back into set.
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So, this year, we've had
a new two pilot, a new three pilot,
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I'm filling a new role as the slot pilot,
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a new six pilot in the demo,
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and then our number five pilot,
he was out half the year last year,
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not flying in the demo,
so we're getting him
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learning how to fly in formation again.
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We're bringing five new people
into this formation and making one demo.
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- [engines whirring]
- [indistinct shouting]
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Good work. See you in a little bit.
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- Yeah.
- Whoo!
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[engines roaring]
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[Jamammy] It's one team, six jets.
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We all do something
a little bit different.
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We'll start the show with four jets,
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the Diamond takeoff maneuver.
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And then you'll have the two
solo individual takeoff maneuvers.
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[dramatic music playing]
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Generally, our maneuvers alternate
between Diamond and solos.
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And by the end of the show, we'll get
the Delta together, all six jets.
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00:10:01,430 --> 00:10:05,350
The Delta Formation is the signature
formation of the Blue Angels.
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00:10:09,470 --> 00:10:11,350
[Boss] Early on in winter training,
both Chomps and I
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00:10:11,350 --> 00:10:14,970
are heads on a swivel, making sure
our new guys are learning that
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we've got enough space
to get out of the way.
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00:10:20,390 --> 00:10:22,140
Cheese is a guy who's an aggressive guy.
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00:10:22,140 --> 00:10:24,390
If you're riding a horse,
you got to pull back on the reins.
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He's a little more pull-back-on-the-reins
type of guy.
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We had to use a term called
"knock it off" a couple times,
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meaning we're stopping right now.
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Cheese was bringing in
a whole bag of knots.
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Coming in way too hot.
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I'm looking over my shoulder going,
"This ain't gonna work."
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[Jamammy] Three spot's
incredibly challenging.
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A big departure from what you do
in terms of fleet flying.
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You're also on kind of
the more difficult side of the formation.
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We're all very used to looking left
when we fly,
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which is what Cheese gets to do
in the two spot.
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On the left side, in that three spot,
you're looking right the whole time.
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00:11:01,430 --> 00:11:04,270
All your controls are
right in front of you or to the left.
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And it's just sort of
an unnatural position to be in.
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[Doc] The very first time the Diamond
was practicing the Vertical Break...
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...Jamammy went the wrong way.
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00:11:21,350 --> 00:11:24,640
[intense music playing]
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You think to yourself,
okay, as a safety officer,
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is he safe? Number one.
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00:11:35,470 --> 00:11:39,390
Two, do I speak up and get in his cockpit,
or do I stay silent right now
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and watch what he does to recover?
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You have to make that decision,
and I decided:
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Remain quiet. This is his first time.
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He looks safe.
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00:11:53,140 --> 00:11:55,520
He may be going
the wrong direction. [laughs]
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It's not funny, but it doesn't look like
he's gonna hit anybody else.
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[Boss] Kind of scared us.
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00:12:02,270 --> 00:12:05,810
It was like, how is he gonna
respond to this, right?
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00:12:05,810 --> 00:12:09,560
Did he rattle himself to the point
where he's not able to compartmentalize,
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00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:11,060
put that one in the past?
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[tires squeal]
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[Doc] Two flat on the in.
Little mismatch, break the seal.
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00:12:18,930 --> 00:12:22,220
Apex ten left, two wide
and five tight in the up.
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Vertical up was three left.
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It's an incredible amount of stress
going in on the newbies.
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You're constantly being told
what you did wrong.
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So, Cheese, we actually overbanked,
it looked like.
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00:12:34,020 --> 00:12:35,390
Did you feel good about that one today?
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00:12:35,390 --> 00:12:36,720
Cheese, see how tight you look there?
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- And, Cheese, you just
drifted forward again.
- [Cheese] Yep.
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00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:40,720
All of us are way fast,
and we're all idle/boards
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00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,640
trying to control everything
in close here.
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[Jamammy] Everyone comes into this team
a relatively accomplished pilot, thinking,
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00:12:47,390 --> 00:12:49,270
"I feel comfortable flying an F-18,
187
00:12:49,270 --> 00:12:52,060
I feel... I feel pretty good
about my abilities as a pilot,"
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00:12:52,060 --> 00:12:55,350
but this place is the...
it's the great equalizer.
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Time away from family is...
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00:12:59,770 --> 00:13:02,930
is the most difficult part
of being on this team.
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00:13:02,930 --> 00:13:06,310
Work in El Centro
for three months in a cocoon.
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00:13:06,310 --> 00:13:08,810
Which we need to be--
you need that kind of safe place
193
00:13:08,810 --> 00:13:12,180
to get it to a point where
we can take it on the road.
194
00:13:13,350 --> 00:13:15,770
But it's just such a grind.
195
00:13:15,770 --> 00:13:18,310
It's monotonous. It's Groundhog Day.
196
00:13:18,310 --> 00:13:21,600
You're waking up in the desert
every day in the dark,
197
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,220
going to work in the dark.
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00:13:25,310 --> 00:13:28,060
Flying two or three times every day.
199
00:13:29,970 --> 00:13:31,970
Going home in the dark,
200
00:13:31,970 --> 00:13:35,100
and then you're studying
for your flight the next day.
201
00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:39,770
[Cheese] I'm not the most
academically sound person,
202
00:13:39,770 --> 00:13:41,850
and it's a struggle.
203
00:13:43,220 --> 00:13:46,060
So, flying two to three times a day,
that's what you need.
204
00:13:46,060 --> 00:13:48,390
I absolutely needed it.
205
00:13:48,390 --> 00:13:50,640
[crickets chirping]
206
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,520
[Boss] This is how I typically do it.
207
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,180
Bring it inboard a little bit,
208
00:13:54,180 --> 00:13:56,680
and I'll extend a little bit here,
and then that'll make
209
00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:58,680
the arc feel more normal
as we come in here.
210
00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:00,310
- Yes, sir, Boss.
- Questions?
211
00:14:00,310 --> 00:14:01,640
- None.
- All right, fired up, ready to go.
212
00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:03,560
Fired up, ready to go, Boss.
213
00:14:05,470 --> 00:14:10,100
[Boss] We're all responsible for our lives
with... in no uncertain terms.
214
00:14:10,100 --> 00:14:12,640
Everybody's lives are in
each other's hands,
215
00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,560
that they're not going to do something
that we don't expect.
216
00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,600
It's an unforgiving business.
217
00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,680
Rip it.
218
00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,220
[triumphant music playing]
219
00:14:31,270 --> 00:14:32,350
[indistinct radio chatter]
220
00:14:32,350 --> 00:14:33,850
Great job today.
221
00:14:33,850 --> 00:14:36,060
Thanks, Boss. It was amazing.
See you back at the ranch.
222
00:14:36,060 --> 00:14:37,350
[Boss over radio] You got it, Mo.
223
00:14:38,430 --> 00:14:41,520
- [insects trilling]
- [birds chirping]
224
00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,020
[Jamammy] You walk down the halls
in El Centro, and you see
225
00:14:44,020 --> 00:14:47,180
all the faces that have made up
the past of this organization.
226
00:14:47,180 --> 00:14:49,390
Legendary figures who you hear about,
227
00:14:49,390 --> 00:14:51,270
you hear whispers about
throughout the fleet.
228
00:14:52,470 --> 00:14:54,310
Boss Wooldridge--
he's one of the first people
229
00:14:54,310 --> 00:14:55,970
I met after I made the team.
230
00:14:57,390 --> 00:14:59,390
He's a legend.
231
00:14:59,390 --> 00:15:01,310
[Lance "Bubb" Benson] One of
the unique things about him is
232
00:15:01,310 --> 00:15:02,560
he got called back
233
00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:04,890
to be the boss of the Blue Angels
three total times.
234
00:15:04,890 --> 00:15:06,890
He's the only guy
that's done it three times.
235
00:15:09,100 --> 00:15:10,390
He has spent so much time.
236
00:15:10,390 --> 00:15:14,220
He's intimately familiar
with what goes on.
237
00:15:14,220 --> 00:15:16,970
[Greg "Boss" Wooldridge] When I came
to the Blue Angels, I was amazed
238
00:15:16,970 --> 00:15:20,890
at how close the formations were
and-and the maneuvers.
239
00:15:22,350 --> 00:15:25,270
How can you do that?
240
00:15:25,270 --> 00:15:27,600
But as Vince Lombardi said,
241
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,640
we're gonna go out there today,
and we're gonna "chase perfection."
242
00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,220
We'll never get perfection,
but along the way,
243
00:15:34,220 --> 00:15:36,810
we're going to realize excellence.
244
00:15:36,810 --> 00:15:39,850
[announcer] ...accelerate to
300 miles per hour.
245
00:15:39,850 --> 00:15:41,720
[Wooldridge] The markers toward
getting to excellence
246
00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:43,930
is when you're able to, as a formation,
247
00:15:43,930 --> 00:15:45,930
feel like you can move it in closer.
248
00:15:45,930 --> 00:15:48,020
[dramatic music playing]
249
00:15:48,020 --> 00:15:50,850
[Boss] We define our season
by what we call our sets,
250
00:15:50,850 --> 00:15:53,100
which is how close we fly together.
251
00:15:55,310 --> 00:15:58,060
[Jamammy] At the beginning of the season,
we'll start in our furthest-out set,
252
00:15:58,060 --> 00:15:59,720
which we call the Fleet Parade.
253
00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,470
As close as you would ever fly
in the Navy.
254
00:16:02,470 --> 00:16:04,600
And then as we start to progress,
255
00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,470
we'll start to bring those sets in
a little bit tighter to Blue Gold.
256
00:16:08,470 --> 00:16:10,180
[Cheese] When we say Blue Gold set,
257
00:16:10,180 --> 00:16:12,640
it's where the line of the blue paint
258
00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,390
and the gold paint actually meet.
259
00:16:15,390 --> 00:16:20,060
That's where Jamammy's gonna
put in his head, is underneath that.
260
00:16:20,060 --> 00:16:22,560
And that's about 18 inches apart.
261
00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,520
[Wooldridge] If you raise your hands
above your head,
262
00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,140
it'd be from the top of your fingertips
to your top of your head
263
00:16:27,140 --> 00:16:29,600
is 18 inches away from each other.
264
00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:30,970
22-ton jets,
265
00:16:30,970 --> 00:16:33,270
400 miles an hour.
266
00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,350
The next step would be
our closest set, which is Yankee,
267
00:16:38,350 --> 00:16:40,350
meaning that he's
going to put his aircraft
268
00:16:40,350 --> 00:16:42,850
underneath the "Y" on my left wing.
269
00:16:42,850 --> 00:16:46,310
So, Jamammy, he's actually gonna
slide up underneath like that.
270
00:16:47,390 --> 00:16:50,850
That creates that parallax that we're all
in that perfect Diamond Formation
271
00:16:50,850 --> 00:16:54,270
and almost have our wingtips overlapping.
272
00:16:54,270 --> 00:16:56,560
[tense music playing]
273
00:16:59,100 --> 00:17:02,220
As the new number two,
I set the formation.
274
00:17:03,270 --> 00:17:07,390
I need to be perfect in every way
because everybody looks at me
275
00:17:07,390 --> 00:17:09,020
to set the distance.
276
00:17:10,390 --> 00:17:12,100
If I'm off by a letter,
277
00:17:12,100 --> 00:17:14,310
Jamammy then looks at that
and he sets it off of me,
278
00:17:14,310 --> 00:17:16,890
and then Chomps sets that distance
off of both of us.
279
00:17:16,890 --> 00:17:20,390
So, if there's any mismatch down the line,
280
00:17:20,390 --> 00:17:22,600
essentially, it's probably caused by me.
281
00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,100
[Whiskers] People just don't realize
how physically demanding the flight is.
282
00:17:38,060 --> 00:17:39,560
I mean, the demo is
283
00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,970
45 minutes of, as Blue Angel eight
calls it, pure violence.
284
00:17:42,970 --> 00:17:45,060
[tense, dramatic music playing]
285
00:17:48,310 --> 00:17:51,520
[Wooldridge] We had, first of all,
a 45-pound spring
286
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,520
pulling the stick away from us.
287
00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,020
You couldn't get a good feel for it
unless it was pulling away from you
288
00:17:57,020 --> 00:17:59,100
at about 45 pounds.
289
00:18:01,930 --> 00:18:05,810
[Doc] It is a full-body workout
when these aviators fly,
290
00:18:05,810 --> 00:18:08,100
from their feet to their hands
to their head.
291
00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:12,350
They use their entire body
292
00:18:12,350 --> 00:18:14,720
to combat g-forces.
293
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:16,810
[dramatic music playing]
294
00:18:19,180 --> 00:18:21,720
[Jamammy] When you're pulling g's
in the aircraft, all your blood
295
00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,930
is rushing down to your legs,
to your lower extremities.
296
00:18:24,930 --> 00:18:27,430
And once that blood leaves your head,
297
00:18:27,430 --> 00:18:30,270
you're then at risk
of loss of consciousness.
298
00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:35,100
[Doc] First sign is
you're gonna lose your vision
299
00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:38,930
and start graying out-- tunnel vision.
300
00:18:38,930 --> 00:18:44,020
In order to combat that, we're gonna push
that blood back up with our muscles.
301
00:18:44,020 --> 00:18:47,350
[Whiskers] Squeezing the legs,
the butt, the abs.
302
00:18:47,350 --> 00:18:50,970
And if it's a real heavy g pull,
then making sure I lock down
303
00:18:50,970 --> 00:18:52,560
a three-quarter-lung-capacity breath.
304
00:19:06,310 --> 00:19:10,720
As a pilot, you understand the risk.
305
00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,270
You do a job where,
at practice, in training,
306
00:19:13,270 --> 00:19:15,390
you can end it all in an accident.
307
00:19:18,270 --> 00:19:20,470
So it's just... it's a mix of emotions.
308
00:19:20,470 --> 00:19:22,560
[majestic music playing]
309
00:19:28,020 --> 00:19:30,020
[Cary "Chewy" Rickoff] What we do
is very dangerous.
310
00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:34,060
First couple times you take off,
you got to push the "I believe" button.
311
00:19:34,060 --> 00:19:36,350
But one of the things we learn
in flight school
312
00:19:36,350 --> 00:19:38,430
very early on is it's a team sport.
313
00:19:38,430 --> 00:19:40,560
We're all the same,
cut from the same cloth.
314
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:47,140
[Jamammy] The risk is never any lower
when we go out and practice
315
00:19:47,140 --> 00:19:50,140
as it is when we're doing the actual show,
so we take
316
00:19:50,140 --> 00:19:51,850
a fine-tooth comb to everything.
317
00:19:53,390 --> 00:19:54,810
[engines whooshing]
318
00:20:02,970 --> 00:20:05,600
[indistinct chatter, laughter]
319
00:20:07,350 --> 00:20:08,890
[Jamammy] It looked like
we were good, and--
320
00:20:08,890 --> 00:20:10,850
[Cheese] We were good until a half mile.
321
00:20:10,850 --> 00:20:13,140
[Chomps] That's gonna be your focus
for tomorrow, is that arc.
322
00:20:13,140 --> 00:20:15,180
So let's take a hammer down
to that one tomorrow.
323
00:20:15,180 --> 00:20:16,720
Really try to fine-tune that.
324
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,180
[Jamammy] During the debrief,
we dissect everything.
325
00:20:21,180 --> 00:20:23,470
There's definitely times
at the end of days
326
00:20:23,470 --> 00:20:25,890
where you're frustrated
'cause you can't get a maneuver right.
327
00:20:25,890 --> 00:20:29,350
And not only do you know
that you did it incorrectly in the air,
328
00:20:29,350 --> 00:20:32,770
but now you get to watch it
frame by frame on a TV screen,
329
00:20:32,770 --> 00:20:34,850
like, zoomed in with an HD camera,
330
00:20:34,850 --> 00:20:37,720
so you can really see
how bad you were, you know.
331
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,220
But that's-that's part of it.
That's how we... that's how we get better.
332
00:20:41,220 --> 00:20:44,850
Every single person does that,
including Boss.
333
00:20:44,850 --> 00:20:47,430
That's, like... that's a tendency for me,
probably a tendency for somebody else,
334
00:20:47,430 --> 00:20:48,970
is you're trying to get down this much...
335
00:20:48,970 --> 00:20:51,470
You should be your own worst critic.
336
00:20:51,470 --> 00:20:52,930
That's a commitment we have.
337
00:20:52,930 --> 00:20:55,020
It's easy to say, tough to do.
338
00:20:55,020 --> 00:20:56,810
Be a better version of yourself.
Be a better teammate.
339
00:20:56,810 --> 00:20:58,430
Help the team get better every day.
340
00:20:58,430 --> 00:21:00,850
[♪ Buzzcocks: "Why Can't I Touch It?"]
341
00:21:00,850 --> 00:21:03,930
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
- [cheering, laughing]
342
00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:06,680
-"Diamond" on three. One, two, three.
- [group] Diamond!
343
00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,060
[Cheese] Failing together.
344
00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:12,970
The "failing together" mindset
345
00:21:12,970 --> 00:21:14,470
really gets people close.
346
00:21:17,180 --> 00:21:19,890
[Chomps] Everything is trust,
347
00:21:19,890 --> 00:21:22,890
and so far, over El Centro,
that's where we really build that trust.
348
00:21:22,890 --> 00:21:26,390
[rapid technical chatter]
349
00:21:27,470 --> 00:21:30,020
[Chomps] What you're seeing now
in this final week is this teamwork,
350
00:21:30,020 --> 00:21:31,680
this focus point, this foundation
351
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,100
to try to reach for that perfection
every single day.
352
00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:37,180
But the closer you get to that pinnacle,
353
00:21:37,180 --> 00:21:39,180
the further away
you realize you actually are.
354
00:21:39,180 --> 00:21:42,640
♪ Well, it seems so real ♪
355
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,350
♪ I can see it ♪
356
00:21:45,350 --> 00:21:48,220
♪ And it seems so real ♪
357
00:21:48,220 --> 00:21:50,930
♪ I can feel it ♪
358
00:21:50,930 --> 00:21:53,930
♪ And it seems so real ♪
359
00:21:53,930 --> 00:21:56,890
♪ I can taste it ♪
360
00:21:56,890 --> 00:21:59,680
♪ And it seems so real ♪
361
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,470
♪ I can hear it ♪
362
00:22:02,470 --> 00:22:07,720
♪ So why ♪
363
00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,640
♪ Can't I touch it? ♪
364
00:22:14,270 --> 00:22:18,560
♪ So why ♪
365
00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,560
♪ Can't I touch it? ♪
366
00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:33,560
[crickets chirping]
367
00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,640
[song ends]
368
00:22:40,390 --> 00:22:42,390
[quiet, atmospheric music playing]
369
00:22:45,020 --> 00:22:46,520
[clears throat]
370
00:22:49,220 --> 00:22:52,310
All right. It's Friday, March 11, 2022
371
00:22:52,310 --> 00:22:54,390
over Naval Air Facility El Centro,
California,
372
00:22:54,390 --> 00:22:57,600
where the winds are three-three-zero
at nine, ten miles vis, sky clear.
373
00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:01,640
Forecast for the winds: three-four-zero
at six, unlimited vis, sky clear.
374
00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,180
When we're cleared for takeoff, we'll put
four on the runway with a wind check.
375
00:23:04,180 --> 00:23:07,970
Check your parking brake off.
Maneuver: Diamond Half Squirrel Cage.
376
00:23:07,970 --> 00:23:09,850
Left turnout
followed by the solo section...
377
00:23:09,850 --> 00:23:13,720
[Whiskers] During the briefs,
we will follow around our ground track
378
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,100
with our pens
as Boss is talking through the sequence.
379
00:23:16,100 --> 00:23:19,350
[Boss] Whiskers will be in from behind
the crowd to Sneak to Vertical Rolls,
380
00:23:19,350 --> 00:23:22,520
and the five ship will be in from
the right for the Line Abreast Loop.
381
00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,180
[Whiskers] Once we get
to a certain maneuver,
382
00:23:25,180 --> 00:23:26,600
we will chair-fly.
383
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,140
Around the crowd for the Delta Roll.
384
00:23:28,140 --> 00:23:29,310
- Ball, say five.
- [Cheese] Cheese.
385
00:23:29,310 --> 00:23:30,390
- [Jamammy] Jamammy.
- [Chomps] Chomps.
386
00:23:30,390 --> 00:23:31,470
- [Chewy] Chewy.
- [Whiskers] Whiskers.
387
00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:33,560
[Cheese] After you do it so much,
388
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,640
you know exactly where you're going,
what you're doing, how it's gonna feel,
389
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,390
and you can actually, like,
visualize yourself doing it,
390
00:23:39,390 --> 00:23:44,430
getting a-a practice in on that maneuver
before you go out and do it.
391
00:23:44,430 --> 00:23:46,930
Airspeed call. Come left.
392
00:23:46,930 --> 00:23:48,180
[Whiskers] Got six, Boss.
393
00:23:48,180 --> 00:23:50,180
Boss.
394
00:23:50,180 --> 00:23:51,680
Come in for left.
395
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,310
We're left turn for the Delta Roll.
396
00:23:55,310 --> 00:23:58,680
A little more pull.
397
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:01,520
Horizon seven-five, easing power idle.
398
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,310
Ready? Roll hat.
399
00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,180
- We're left turn for the Fleur De Lis.
- [Cheese] Cheese.
400
00:24:06,180 --> 00:24:07,270
- [Jamammy] Jamammy.
- [Chomps] Chomps.
401
00:24:07,270 --> 00:24:08,640
- [Chewy] Chewy.
- [Whiskers] Whiskers.
402
00:24:12,350 --> 00:24:14,560
[Boss] Distractions, we talked about it,
are gonna be here.
403
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:15,930
It's game-on time.
404
00:24:15,930 --> 00:24:18,720
And just keep in mind
you're gonna have jitters.
405
00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,850
You're gonna go out there,
and even though it's at El Centro,
406
00:24:21,850 --> 00:24:24,350
there's-there's gonna be
a few thousand people there
407
00:24:24,350 --> 00:24:27,640
that'll be saying something
that's gonna be looking to distract you.
408
00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:29,850
Think about that tonight,
and think about when you get in there,
409
00:24:29,850 --> 00:24:32,720
just like we talked about,
everything from the walk down,
410
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,140
start talking the cadence,
thinking about it, hop in the jet,
411
00:24:36,140 --> 00:24:38,970
do everything and don't get distracted
by looking around.
412
00:24:38,970 --> 00:24:40,680
Stay focused inside the canopy.
413
00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,560
And then once we're on the runway,
it's same as it ever was.
414
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:44,970
So, with that, I'm glad to be here.
415
00:24:44,970 --> 00:24:46,640
Rip it!
416
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,720
[majestic music playing]
417
00:25:04,390 --> 00:25:07,520
- [sirens wailing]
- [pulsing, suspenseful music playing]
418
00:25:16,270 --> 00:25:18,270
[Boss] We're going to try to do
what we can to make the demo
419
00:25:18,270 --> 00:25:22,720
as tight, as low,
as entertaining as possible.
420
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,430
But that's not my line.
421
00:25:24,430 --> 00:25:27,350
You know, this...
this-this tiger that I'm chasing.
422
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,270
The most important thing is
423
00:25:30,270 --> 00:25:32,020
six jets up, six jets down.
424
00:25:43,970 --> 00:25:45,970
[Cheese] First day of the show season,
425
00:25:45,970 --> 00:25:49,140
and I can't tell you
what it's gonna feel like.
426
00:25:49,140 --> 00:25:51,600
I have no idea what to expect.
427
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:53,100
You know, it's another
one of those things.
428
00:25:53,100 --> 00:25:56,520
Like, man, am I... am I ready to do this?
429
00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,600
[dramatic music playing]
430
00:26:24,270 --> 00:26:27,270
[applause, whistling]
431
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,560
[Griffin "Push Pop" Stangel] Ladies
and gentlemen, your United States Navy
432
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,390
takes pleasure in performing for you this,
433
00:26:37,390 --> 00:26:39,430
our first flight demonstration
of the season.
434
00:26:39,430 --> 00:26:41,850
[engines whirring]
435
00:26:41,850 --> 00:26:44,810
Now, to the left,
Captain Kesselring calls:
436
00:26:44,810 --> 00:26:47,020
"Smoke on. Off brakes now.
437
00:26:47,020 --> 00:26:48,350
Burners ready now."
438
00:26:48,350 --> 00:26:50,060
And the Blue Angel Diamond is rolling.
439
00:26:51,060 --> 00:26:53,560
Burners ready now.
440
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,100
[engines whooshing]
441
00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:59,270
[dramatic music continues]
442
00:27:13,430 --> 00:27:16,430
[speaking indistinctly
in chanting cadence]
443
00:27:19,470 --> 00:27:21,810
[Push Pop over speakers] The Diamond is
approaching for a maneuver that is likely
444
00:27:21,810 --> 00:27:25,470
familiar to those of you who have seen
the Blue Angels perform in the past.
445
00:27:25,470 --> 00:27:28,970
From the right, at 400 miles per hour,
the Diamond Roll.
446
00:27:31,850 --> 00:27:36,890
All four aircraft flying as one in this
graceful 360-degree rolling maneuver.
447
00:27:46,270 --> 00:27:47,970
[applause]
448
00:27:49,270 --> 00:27:51,310
The two solo pilots will next demonstrate
449
00:27:51,310 --> 00:27:55,270
the inverted flight capability
of the F-18.
450
00:27:55,270 --> 00:27:57,850
Approaching inverted from the left
and right, Lieutenant Commander Rickoff
451
00:27:57,850 --> 00:28:01,970
and Lieutenant Commander Bratton
will roll their aircraft 360 degrees.
452
00:28:01,970 --> 00:28:03,470
[Boss] Bratty, hit it.
453
00:28:09,430 --> 00:28:14,100
[Push Pop] Ladies and gentlemen,
the Opposing Inverted to Inverted Roll.
454
00:28:16,930 --> 00:28:19,970
As the four Diamond pilots approach,
you should notice
455
00:28:19,970 --> 00:28:23,600
the flight leader and slot pilot
are both in the inverted position.
456
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:25,470
The Blue Angel Double Farvel.
457
00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:26,850
Ready? Hit it.
458
00:28:27,850 --> 00:28:29,850
[soaring, dramatic music playing]
459
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,060
[Boss] Rip it.
460
00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:45,640
Pull. Pull it.
461
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,520
[indistinct radio chatter]
462
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,060
[Push Pop] The 2022 team
takes a great deal of pride
463
00:28:55,060 --> 00:28:57,640
in saluting Navy
and Marine Corps aviators,
464
00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,220
maintenance crews
and support personnel everywhere.
465
00:29:01,220 --> 00:29:04,560
From the left, your Blue Angels.
466
00:29:06,310 --> 00:29:08,310
[majestic music playing]
467
00:29:19,350 --> 00:29:22,390
It has been an honor and our pleasure
to perform for you
468
00:29:22,390 --> 00:29:25,600
our first flight demonstration
of the season.
469
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,680
[cheering and applause]
470
00:29:29,140 --> 00:29:31,520
[Boss] The Blue Angels aren't about
just jet performance.
471
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,060
Anybody can go out there and learn
to do a lot of twirls and loops and rolls,
472
00:29:35,060 --> 00:29:36,560
but to do it together,
473
00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,890
to make six jets fly as one,
that's the magic.
474
00:29:39,890 --> 00:29:41,310
That's the Blue Angel magic.
475
00:29:41,310 --> 00:29:42,640
[Push Pop] Ladies and gentlemen,
476
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,680
representing your United States Navy
and Marine Corps,
477
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,180
the Blue Angels 2022.
478
00:29:48,180 --> 00:29:50,970
[applause]
479
00:29:50,970 --> 00:29:54,220
[Whiskers] It was a little bumpy road,
but I made it.
480
00:29:54,220 --> 00:29:56,890
[Cheese] Once we finished crowd-lining,
you know, Chomps came up and said,
481
00:29:56,890 --> 00:29:59,850
"Hey, guys, congrats.
You're... you're demo pilots now."
482
00:30:00,850 --> 00:30:02,850
So it was pretty incredible.
483
00:30:05,770 --> 00:30:07,600
[Jamammy] You finish
that show in El Centro,
484
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,470
that drop of salute happens,
you head back to your room,
485
00:30:10,470 --> 00:30:12,180
and you start packing it up.
486
00:30:12,180 --> 00:30:14,600
Then you see Fat Albert
getting loaded up with all of our gear,
487
00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,140
all of our personnel,
and you realize that,
488
00:30:17,140 --> 00:30:21,180
"Hey, I've got an eight-month season
staring me in the face right now."
489
00:30:22,850 --> 00:30:24,680
So it's daunting, to say the least.
490
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,310
Not just that first week
but every week after that.
491
00:30:28,310 --> 00:30:31,720
Bert's rolling, and so are we,
to a... to a town near you.
492
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,100
[Jon "XO" Fay] Fat Albert is
our C-130J Super Hercules asset,
493
00:30:37,100 --> 00:30:39,350
affectionately known as Bert.
494
00:30:39,350 --> 00:30:42,020
Those are our Marines, an all-Marine crew.
495
00:30:42,020 --> 00:30:44,100
They also provide logistics support.
496
00:30:45,810 --> 00:30:48,640
Fat Albert is key in essentially
supporting the team
497
00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,560
to and from every single air show site.
498
00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:55,770
It's about 30,000 pounds of cargo,
45 personnel.
499
00:30:57,060 --> 00:31:00,020
- Okay, you got all the newbies?
- Maybe.
500
00:31:00,020 --> 00:31:01,350
- [laughter]
- Yeah.
501
00:31:01,350 --> 00:31:03,850
[Lauren Song] We have
six pallets worth of gear.
502
00:31:03,850 --> 00:31:06,310
All of our friends are sitting
on the red seats or blue seats
503
00:31:06,310 --> 00:31:10,560
on the sides, crammed in tight,
almost knee to pallet.
504
00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,640
- And about this close to your buddy.
- [both laugh]
505
00:31:20,810 --> 00:31:23,060
[Boss] We've just done
that first air show.
506
00:31:23,060 --> 00:31:25,270
Now we're off to New Orleans.
507
00:31:25,270 --> 00:31:27,520
We're gonna roll into town like a...
508
00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:28,720
like a circus, I guess.
509
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,180
[dramatic music playing]
510
00:31:32,220 --> 00:31:34,430
[reporter] The U.S. Navy Blue Angels
returned to town this weekend.
511
00:31:34,430 --> 00:31:35,850
[reporter 2] The Blue Angels
came into town,
512
00:31:35,850 --> 00:31:38,180
landing at the Naval Air Station
in Belle Chasse.
513
00:31:42,890 --> 00:31:44,850
[William "B" Huckeba] Right when
we get there with Fat Albert,
514
00:31:44,850 --> 00:31:47,350
you know, we kind of, like, set the tone.
515
00:31:48,930 --> 00:31:53,350
When that crew entrance door opens,
everything is set up perfectly
516
00:31:53,350 --> 00:31:55,140
so that we're able to put on a great show.
517
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:59,890
[Jamammy] It's definitely similar
to being on a sports team.
518
00:32:01,140 --> 00:32:02,970
The schedule is relentless.
519
00:32:04,270 --> 00:32:07,100
You are constantly on the road.
You're constantly traveling.
520
00:32:08,220 --> 00:32:10,850
Exact mesh of a sports team
521
00:32:10,850 --> 00:32:13,810
with the schedule of a touring
rock and roll band.
522
00:32:16,770 --> 00:32:18,770
[indistinct chatter, cheering]
523
00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:21,350
I always say it's like
planning 30 weddings.
524
00:32:21,350 --> 00:32:24,890
Thirty weddings and 30 places
you've never been to
525
00:32:24,890 --> 00:32:26,680
with 30 families you've just met.
526
00:32:38,220 --> 00:32:40,220
[jet engines roaring]
527
00:32:42,470 --> 00:32:44,720
[indistinct radio chatter]
528
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,890
[Boss] Great job today.
529
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,390
Pitch-Up Break. Cheese, upper deck.
530
00:32:51,390 --> 00:32:52,560
And down.
531
00:33:00,140 --> 00:33:03,180
[majestic music playing]
532
00:33:03,180 --> 00:33:06,350
[yelling excitedly]
533
00:33:25,020 --> 00:33:27,220
[Jamammy] Coming back home
at the end of those three months
534
00:33:27,220 --> 00:33:29,470
and-and seeing our families
on the flight line
535
00:33:29,470 --> 00:33:31,970
for the first time was incredible.
536
00:33:38,770 --> 00:33:41,060
It's so special to have this home base.
537
00:33:43,060 --> 00:33:45,720
This place that just loves us so much.
538
00:33:47,770 --> 00:33:49,180
Our families are here.
539
00:33:49,180 --> 00:33:51,640
Our families live here all the time.
540
00:33:55,060 --> 00:33:57,270
[excited chatter]
541
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:05,270
[Jamammy] For me, when I found out
I made the team, that was on July 11th.
542
00:34:05,270 --> 00:34:06,560
One month later, Jo was born.
543
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,680
And a month after that,
I left to go join the team.
544
00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:13,470
So, the fact that they take care
of our families so well, I think,
545
00:34:13,470 --> 00:34:16,720
is what really, uh,
endears this place to us.
546
00:34:20,180 --> 00:34:22,100
[tires squeal]
547
00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:53,850
[indistinct chatter]
548
00:34:55,970 --> 00:34:57,970
[insects trilling]
549
00:35:07,930 --> 00:35:09,350
[quiet chatter]
550
00:35:09,350 --> 00:35:10,680
[opens drawer]
551
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:11,930
[rummaging]
552
00:35:11,930 --> 00:35:13,520
[closes drawer]
553
00:35:15,140 --> 00:35:17,890
[Boss] I never had any thought
that I would be on the team.
554
00:35:17,890 --> 00:35:20,350
You know, joining a team
where I'm gonna be gone for,
555
00:35:20,350 --> 00:35:22,560
you know, nearly 300 days a year,
556
00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:25,640
uh, with a brand-new little daughter
and having some tough conversations
557
00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,060
with my wife about:
"Do we want to do this?"
558
00:35:28,060 --> 00:35:30,100
And for me, it was... it was:
559
00:35:30,100 --> 00:35:33,270
This is a way I can, you know,
in a sense, kind of give back.
560
00:35:33,270 --> 00:35:35,350
[soft, wistful music playing]
561
00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:38,850
June 20, 1986.
562
00:35:38,850 --> 00:35:41,770
I'm, like, this nine-year-old boy
up in Fargo, North Dakota.
563
00:35:43,470 --> 00:35:47,560
My dream when I saw the Blue Angels
was to go serve my country.
564
00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,390
[children chattering]
565
00:35:50,390 --> 00:35:52,680
You know, I grew up
playing sports-- basketball--
566
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:54,850
and finishing up college
and, you know, thinking like,
567
00:35:54,850 --> 00:35:57,560
"Boy, I'd love to fly for the Navy,
but I'm just... you know, I'm too big.
568
00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,350
I can't fit in the cockpit."
569
00:35:59,350 --> 00:36:02,850
And sure enough, it turns out I fit
and they-they would have me,
570
00:36:02,850 --> 00:36:05,850
and kind of the rest is history,
as far as joining the Navy.
571
00:36:05,850 --> 00:36:07,810
[child laughing]
572
00:36:10,220 --> 00:36:11,850
[Ashley Kesselring] I'm currently
a major in the Marine Corps,
573
00:36:11,850 --> 00:36:14,310
managing aircraft maintenance.
574
00:36:15,390 --> 00:36:17,810
Brian told me, you know,
"One of the bucket things in my career
575
00:36:17,810 --> 00:36:19,600
is to maybe apply for the Blue Angels.
576
00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:21,680
It's one in a million.
One in a million, though.
577
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,100
We're never gonna get it."
578
00:36:23,100 --> 00:36:28,640
And we were both in quite a bit of shock
when we found out that that was happening.
579
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,430
We're just super fortunate
to have been stationed together.
580
00:36:32,810 --> 00:36:34,850
For the next duty station,
he's got his orders.
581
00:36:34,850 --> 00:36:37,680
I do not have my orders yet,
so I'm still kind of knocking on wood,
582
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,770
hoping everything kind of
comes in alignment for it.
583
00:36:40,770 --> 00:36:42,390
But again, it's not...
584
00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:44,600
Don't stress about something
you don't have the control over.
585
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,680
It's definitely a bit of a jigsaw,
as far as trying to, you know,
586
00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,140
plan a family in the military.
587
00:36:52,140 --> 00:36:53,890
It's doable. I mean, we've got two.
588
00:36:53,890 --> 00:36:55,810
It's definitely doable, so...
589
00:36:55,810 --> 00:36:59,520
it'll be just one of those things
that you... that you work through.
590
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:01,060
[Boss] Yeah, there you are.
591
00:37:01,060 --> 00:37:02,470
All right, Remy.
592
00:37:05,970 --> 00:37:08,810
There's not much flying tours left
for a guy like me.
593
00:37:08,810 --> 00:37:11,560
The mission was really what...
what I went back to.
594
00:37:13,470 --> 00:37:17,770
People's dreams, uh, dreams they never
thought they could possibly achieve,
595
00:37:17,770 --> 00:37:21,560
can come true, and that's the mentality
we want in the Blue Angels.
596
00:37:27,100 --> 00:37:28,890
What I never realized--
597
00:37:28,890 --> 00:37:32,270
and I've been on great teams before--
what I didn't realize is how attached
598
00:37:32,270 --> 00:37:33,560
I'd be to this team.
599
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,890
[grunts] Bye-bye, Remy.
600
00:37:35,890 --> 00:37:38,180
[wistful music continues]
601
00:37:47,770 --> 00:37:49,890
There isn't a family
like a Blue Angel family.
602
00:37:49,890 --> 00:37:51,220
And I'll miss that.
603
00:37:51,220 --> 00:37:54,310
I'll miss that and...
and all that goes along with it.
604
00:37:56,100 --> 00:37:58,520
[Chomps] Everything here is about
being a member of the team.
605
00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:00,600
[♪ Fatboy Slim: "Praise You"]
606
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,020
[Boss] It takes all 141 personnel
on our command doing their job,
607
00:38:05,020 --> 00:38:07,310
putting forth that maximum effort.
608
00:38:09,470 --> 00:38:10,930
[Chomps] It's constant.
609
00:38:10,930 --> 00:38:13,890
It's 18 hours a day
with the same people every day.
610
00:38:13,890 --> 00:38:16,100
So every single person in here--
every pilot,
611
00:38:16,100 --> 00:38:18,430
every officer, every teammate,
every enlisted maintainer--
612
00:38:18,430 --> 00:38:20,930
whatever position we have
on this team is family.
613
00:38:20,930 --> 00:38:23,310
♪ Through the hard times and the good...
614
00:38:23,310 --> 00:38:25,770
- [man] What's up? Mic check.
- [group] Hey!
615
00:38:25,770 --> 00:38:27,560
[James Hernandez] Like I said,
give it 100%.
616
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,180
This is the time that I need y'all.
I'm glad to be here.
617
00:38:30,180 --> 00:38:32,180
[group] Whoo!
618
00:38:41,140 --> 00:38:43,390
♪ I have to praise you ♪
619
00:38:45,390 --> 00:38:46,600
♪ I have to praise you...
620
00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:49,520
Chief Mass Communication Specialist
Paul Archer.
621
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,100
[Oyindamola Michael] My name
is Oyindamola Michael.
622
00:38:53,100 --> 00:38:54,970
I am the number six crew chief.
623
00:38:54,970 --> 00:38:57,220
[Push Pop] My name is
Lieutenant Griffin Stangel.
624
00:38:57,220 --> 00:38:58,850
Uh, call sign "Push Pop."
625
00:38:58,850 --> 00:39:01,470
Lieutenant Brian Abe. Uh, I go by Mo here.
626
00:39:01,470 --> 00:39:03,520
Lieutenant Paul Kruger, call sign "Suppo."
627
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,100
I'm Lieutenant Henry Cedeño
628
00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:06,680
from Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico.
629
00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:08,970
♪ I have to praise you...
630
00:39:12,180 --> 00:39:14,470
[Push Pop] So, my role on the team
as Blue Angel number seven
631
00:39:14,470 --> 00:39:15,970
is I'm the narrator.
632
00:39:15,970 --> 00:39:17,470
♪ I have to praise you...
633
00:39:17,470 --> 00:39:20,100
My goal is to interact
with a crowd of tens of thousands,
634
00:39:20,100 --> 00:39:22,270
sometimes hundreds of thousands of people.
635
00:39:24,930 --> 00:39:27,270
[Cody Hendrix] I'm a mass
communication specialist.
636
00:39:27,270 --> 00:39:28,560
We're aerial photographers, right?
637
00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:30,100
We get to go up and fly in the jet
638
00:39:30,100 --> 00:39:32,810
and take all the pretty Blue Angel photos.
639
00:39:32,810 --> 00:39:34,270
[camera shutter clicking]
640
00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,890
[Boss] I've got a female
front man right now.
641
00:39:39,890 --> 00:39:41,890
That's only happened,
I think, maybe once before.
642
00:39:41,890 --> 00:39:43,270
You know, running the entire crew.
643
00:39:43,270 --> 00:39:45,560
- [Keri "Front Ma'am" Kalmus] What's up,
guys?
- [group] Hey!
644
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:47,810
[Front Ma'am] All right, all hands
tomorrow is gonna be 0800.
645
00:39:47,810 --> 00:39:50,020
I got a lot of information
to put out, so pay attention.
646
00:39:50,020 --> 00:39:51,180
I need two volunteers.
647
00:39:51,180 --> 00:39:52,890
From '99 to 2000,
648
00:39:52,890 --> 00:39:55,220
Karen Marini was
the last female front man.
649
00:39:55,220 --> 00:39:56,640
They called her Frontchik.
650
00:39:56,640 --> 00:39:58,020
Now I go by Front Ma'am.
651
00:39:58,020 --> 00:40:00,640
And then my bravo is a front man.
652
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,850
Hot seat, Front Ma'am.
Flight walk complete. We have ATAF...
653
00:40:03,850 --> 00:40:07,060
Essentially, I'm walking
every single jet on the line,
654
00:40:07,060 --> 00:40:09,640
along with our crew chiefs.
655
00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:13,680
[Kevin "219" Hill] We have 12 crew chiefs,
and it's two crew chiefs per pilot.
656
00:40:16,100 --> 00:40:20,310
I'm the number one crew chief,
Boss Kesselring's crew chief.
657
00:40:20,310 --> 00:40:22,060
We go in the cockpit,
just check everything
658
00:40:22,060 --> 00:40:24,020
that the pilot would check
before they take off.
659
00:40:24,020 --> 00:40:27,560
Flight controls, you know,
the displays, everything.
660
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:30,470
[Front Ma'am] And then I'm just
double-verifying, triple-verifying
661
00:40:30,470 --> 00:40:33,180
everything's good for that pilot to get
in the cockpit and go out and fly.
662
00:40:33,180 --> 00:40:34,430
[Front Ma'am hollers]
663
00:40:34,430 --> 00:40:37,350
As a pilot, I never
pre-flighted an airplane.
664
00:40:37,350 --> 00:40:40,930
I had so much trust in my crew chief.
665
00:40:40,930 --> 00:40:44,850
[Boss] All I do is get
in my aircraft and strap in.
666
00:40:44,850 --> 00:40:47,350
He'd tell me it's good to go,
and it's good to go.
667
00:40:47,350 --> 00:40:51,020
[219] When the jet's good to go,
we do a signature handshake.
668
00:40:51,020 --> 00:40:53,850
- We do it and go, "Whoo!"
- [both] Whoo!
669
00:40:53,850 --> 00:40:56,350
♪ Praise you like I should ♪
670
00:40:56,350 --> 00:40:59,020
♪ I have to praise you ♪
671
00:40:59,020 --> 00:41:00,720
[Boss] Uh, prepare to take off.
672
00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,180
[Chomps] When I was four years old,
my dad took me to an air show
673
00:41:10,180 --> 00:41:12,100
in Fort Worth, Texas,
674
00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:15,100
and I got to watch the Blue Angels fly
for the very first time.
675
00:41:15,100 --> 00:41:17,060
I thought that they were awesome.
676
00:41:17,060 --> 00:41:18,890
To the point where I, like,
ran away from my parents
677
00:41:18,890 --> 00:41:20,810
to go try to find the jets,
wherever they were parked.
678
00:41:20,810 --> 00:41:22,350
And they had to come up
over the loudspeaker:
679
00:41:22,350 --> 00:41:23,930
"If you've lost a little
four-year-old son,
680
00:41:23,930 --> 00:41:25,720
can you come to the announcer booth
681
00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:28,430
and we'll give your son
back to you" type of thing.
682
00:41:28,430 --> 00:41:32,220
I found 'em. I fell in love
with aviation at four years old.
683
00:41:33,310 --> 00:41:36,310
[indistinct radio chatter]
684
00:41:36,310 --> 00:41:38,600
I wanted to do something like that.
685
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,020
Right when Cheese's jet
kind of drifted deep,
686
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:44,720
your jet looked like it just twitched
and kind of almost did the same thing.
687
00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:46,720
So we just need to focus on that set
down the line, especially...
688
00:41:46,720 --> 00:41:48,430
[Boss] Chomps is a big softie.
689
00:41:48,430 --> 00:41:50,640
He just understands the stakes at play.
690
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,520
I mean, he's the guy
that has the best vantage point
691
00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:57,180
of the entire formation
every second, every day.
692
00:41:58,770 --> 00:42:03,640
That's a heavy weight, and Boss kind of
owns that as the commanding officer.
693
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:05,430
But there are things I just can't see.
694
00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:08,270
And back there, we had some depth...
695
00:42:08,270 --> 00:42:12,270
[Jamammy] Chomps is, uh,
our lone Marine Corps pilot.
696
00:42:12,270 --> 00:42:14,180
We make fun of him,
call him General Zastoupil,
697
00:42:14,180 --> 00:42:16,680
because he kind of gives off that persona
698
00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:19,140
when he... when he goes
and talks to people.
699
00:42:19,140 --> 00:42:21,060
[Chomps] All right, so big take away
is now gonna be reducing
700
00:42:21,060 --> 00:42:23,560
the overreaction for the flat there.
701
00:42:24,430 --> 00:42:25,680
[Chewy] Yeah, I was trying not to hit him.
702
00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,810
[Chomps] I know, but that's a huge, huge
dump on the nose.
703
00:42:29,810 --> 00:42:33,100
That's correct. It's also the closest
I've ever been to a jet.
704
00:42:33,100 --> 00:42:35,680
- [Chomps] So...
- I can freeze it and hold it, but...
705
00:42:37,310 --> 00:42:38,970
There's gotta be some sort of compromise.
706
00:42:38,970 --> 00:42:42,100
Like you just have to keep driving more
to just kinda get away,
707
00:42:42,100 --> 00:42:45,180
but not that huge just dumping
of the nose away from the formation.
708
00:42:45,180 --> 00:42:46,850
Looked pretty gross up there.
709
00:42:46,850 --> 00:42:49,220
Uh, Delta Roll will be a focus
into tomorrow as well.
710
00:42:49,220 --> 00:42:51,060
Bearing lines, matching of the rate.
711
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:55,470
There's one Marine option
in the Blue Angels
712
00:42:55,470 --> 00:42:57,640
at any given time, so we can only have one
713
00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:01,060
jet demonstration pilot
on any particular year.
714
00:43:01,060 --> 00:43:02,520
So this year is my final year.
715
00:43:04,310 --> 00:43:07,890
My job is to try to bring everyone
together on the same page
716
00:43:07,890 --> 00:43:10,770
so there's never any, like,
lingering questions between the elements.
717
00:43:10,770 --> 00:43:13,310
And so that's why it kind of rests
on the number four spot,
718
00:43:13,310 --> 00:43:16,220
always a second-year guy,
to do the debrief.
719
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:21,390
[laughter, indistinct chatter]
720
00:43:21,390 --> 00:43:23,470
We're gonna be on the road
quite a bit coming up.
721
00:43:23,470 --> 00:43:26,770
Quite a... quite a bit.
And it's a lot of time away from family.
722
00:43:26,770 --> 00:43:31,350
That's something that we also don't get
that much of, is time with our families.
723
00:43:32,470 --> 00:43:36,180
So, when we come here,
we try to spend as much time as we can.
724
00:43:36,180 --> 00:43:38,270
And when I walked out
of the house this morning,
725
00:43:38,270 --> 00:43:40,350
I had one daughter attached
to my left leg, saying,
726
00:43:40,350 --> 00:43:42,600
"Daddy, don't go.
Just stay here this weekend."
727
00:43:44,310 --> 00:43:48,100
And my little son is just literally,
like, rock climbing up my right leg
728
00:43:48,100 --> 00:43:50,680
as I'm walking to the truck this morning.
729
00:43:52,350 --> 00:43:55,520
[tense, dramatic music playing]
730
00:44:05,390 --> 00:44:07,020
[engines roaring]
731
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:13,520
It is so cool to see
the reactions of the public.
732
00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:17,970
They think, you know, oh, you're a
rock star with this high-paced lifestyle.
733
00:44:17,970 --> 00:44:20,680
Yeah? Uh, a lot of practice.
734
00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:23,560
[Doc] And then in the evenings,
we attend commits
735
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,140
where we'll go to a local outreach event.
736
00:44:26,140 --> 00:44:29,060
- [applause]
- The pilots will go to schools.
737
00:44:29,060 --> 00:44:33,810
So, our mission is to showcase
the teamwork and professionalism
738
00:44:33,810 --> 00:44:35,890
of the United States Navy
and Marine Corps.
739
00:44:35,890 --> 00:44:39,890
[Doc] I was with Boss
at the Blue Angel Foundation.
740
00:44:39,890 --> 00:44:42,140
- Thanks so much for coming out today.
- Awesome to meet you.
741
00:44:42,140 --> 00:44:43,470
[Gil Rud] The Blue Angel Foundation
742
00:44:43,470 --> 00:44:46,850
is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization
743
00:44:46,850 --> 00:44:50,100
to help wounded veterans,
744
00:44:50,100 --> 00:44:53,180
and Freedom Station is part of that.
745
00:44:53,180 --> 00:44:57,060
[Doc] It was truly special to spend
some time with those wounded warriors.
746
00:44:58,430 --> 00:45:01,640
We also get to go to the hospitals.
747
00:45:01,640 --> 00:45:04,810
I'm Monica.
I am the doctor for the Blue Angels.
748
00:45:04,810 --> 00:45:07,180
We get to interact with each child
749
00:45:07,180 --> 00:45:09,430
and just spend a little time with them.
750
00:45:13,770 --> 00:45:15,890
- [Boss] All right!
- [applause]
751
00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:24,020
The first time you put this suit on,
you feel kind of like an imposter.
752
00:45:24,020 --> 00:45:27,020
And I remember that
every time I wear the uniform.
753
00:45:28,220 --> 00:45:30,020
I think a good feeling to have is
754
00:45:30,020 --> 00:45:32,640
you should never feel
too comfortable in this suit.
755
00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:37,100
You're representing
a whole bunch of folks.
756
00:45:37,100 --> 00:45:39,140
You're not just representing yourself.
757
00:45:39,140 --> 00:45:41,220
[wistful music playing]
758
00:45:45,770 --> 00:45:50,180
For me, that's... that's looking
at the 28 faces on the wall every day.
759
00:45:53,270 --> 00:45:56,720
The 28 men that we've lost in this job.
760
00:45:59,850 --> 00:46:01,470
[reporter] Breaking news tonight:
761
00:46:01,470 --> 00:46:04,310
A Blue Angels jet went down
in Smyrna, Tennessee,
762
00:46:04,310 --> 00:46:05,970
which is just outside of Nashville.
763
00:46:05,970 --> 00:46:08,770
[Bubb] We were right there
when it happened.
764
00:46:08,770 --> 00:46:11,140
Several of the guys, you know,
saw it happening in real time.
765
00:46:13,930 --> 00:46:16,770
[reporter 2] Captain Jeff Kuss
was killed when he went down in Smyrna
766
00:46:16,770 --> 00:46:20,100
practicing at the Great American Air Show.
767
00:46:21,270 --> 00:46:26,100
[Bubb] He was just one of the most upbeat
and professional guys you've ever met.
768
00:46:27,220 --> 00:46:31,140
I mean, you get into this mindset
on this team
769
00:46:31,140 --> 00:46:33,930
that every day is gonna be the exact same.
770
00:46:33,930 --> 00:46:36,850
Right? We get into the routine,
and the routine is kind of set.
771
00:46:38,220 --> 00:46:40,140
And then, when a massive event
like that happens,
772
00:46:40,140 --> 00:46:43,930
everybody's just like,
"What are we gonna do right now?"
773
00:46:49,720 --> 00:46:52,310
It's a different type of flying.
774
00:46:52,310 --> 00:46:54,720
Those maneuvers are low
and fast to the ground.
775
00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:57,520
Right?
There's very little room for mistakes.
776
00:47:04,220 --> 00:47:06,810
[Boss] We owe it to them
to think about their memory.
777
00:47:08,430 --> 00:47:10,850
And I ask myself every day, "Who am I?"
778
00:47:20,390 --> 00:47:23,180
Who am I, right, to sit here?
779
00:47:25,020 --> 00:47:27,430
Tough to have an ego
when you look at those guys up there
780
00:47:27,430 --> 00:47:28,930
and go, "Okay, who am I?"
781
00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:35,890
It's a humbling experience.
It's still humbling.
782
00:47:35,890 --> 00:47:37,970
[indistinct radio chatter]
783
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:48,180
I'm in my last year,
and I'm turning it over.
784
00:47:48,180 --> 00:47:51,970
It's a unique process,
picking my replacement.
785
00:48:05,060 --> 00:48:08,060
There's only a handful of people
who ever experience this.
786
00:48:10,970 --> 00:48:13,720
The boss application--
there is no other time that you can apply
787
00:48:13,720 --> 00:48:15,270
for the Blue Angels, right?
788
00:48:15,270 --> 00:48:17,600
So it's a very final thing.
789
00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:22,140
They've flown down here
from all corners of the world.
790
00:48:23,220 --> 00:48:25,020
And this is some life-changing news.
791
00:48:25,020 --> 00:48:26,470
Maybe a lifelong dream.
792
00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:32,890
[Wooldridge] For me, back in the '90s,
793
00:48:32,890 --> 00:48:36,390
I was just an average
squadron commanding officer.
794
00:48:36,390 --> 00:48:38,680
You know, they would never pick me.
795
00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:40,890
Why even try?
796
00:48:40,890 --> 00:48:43,310
So I was relaxed and honest.
797
00:48:43,310 --> 00:48:45,770
You know, "I'm just gonna be me."
798
00:48:45,770 --> 00:48:49,680
And I was shocked when they pulled me out,
799
00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:52,350
outside the room, said, "You're the guy."
800
00:48:52,350 --> 00:48:54,560
[chuckling] Oh, boy. Whew.
801
00:48:54,560 --> 00:48:56,720
[clears throat]
802
00:48:56,720 --> 00:48:58,060
[sniffles]
803
00:49:03,810 --> 00:49:05,970
[inhales deeply, clears throat]
804
00:49:05,970 --> 00:49:08,810
And that was a life changer.
I was real surprised.
805
00:49:13,430 --> 00:49:17,180
[Boss] It's a tough decision.
I mean, these folks are all Olympians.
806
00:49:18,270 --> 00:49:21,060
These folks work their entire life.
807
00:49:21,060 --> 00:49:24,720
You've heard of the gold medalist,
maybe the silver or even the bronze,
808
00:49:24,720 --> 00:49:29,100
but someone comes in fourth
and no one knows their name.
809
00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:35,770
[man inside room] First off, thank you,
everyone. Very, very well done.
810
00:49:35,770 --> 00:49:37,350
- Please hold your heads high.
- [candidates chattering]
811
00:49:37,350 --> 00:49:39,060
- Very well done. Very well done.
- [candidates] Thank you.
812
00:49:39,060 --> 00:49:40,350
Very well done.
813
00:49:40,350 --> 00:49:41,890
- Okay.
- [Boss] We'll come on out here.
814
00:49:41,890 --> 00:49:43,140
Awesome.
815
00:49:44,850 --> 00:49:46,350
[whispers] All right.
816
00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:49,600
[man] You won't start getting
your PAO training right away,
817
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:52,060
but you'll be expected to say
a few things, uh, to the press.
818
00:49:52,060 --> 00:49:55,020
Right, your-your most important thing
to do right now is
819
00:49:55,020 --> 00:49:56,350
- you're gonna call your wife.
- Mm-hmm.
820
00:49:56,350 --> 00:49:57,930
Give her a call-- make it a quick one--
821
00:49:57,930 --> 00:49:59,720
- and call your... call your mom and dad.
- Yeah. Yeah.
822
00:49:59,720 --> 00:50:02,180
Okay, then let me know.
Just give them a couple of minutes...
823
00:50:02,180 --> 00:50:04,220
That was, uh,
extremely emotional, for sure.
824
00:50:04,220 --> 00:50:06,850
Uh, surprising to start,
and then a... and then a...
825
00:50:06,850 --> 00:50:08,680
just a flood of different emotions.
826
00:50:09,930 --> 00:50:12,720
My name's Commander Alex Armatas.
Call sign is "Scribe."
827
00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:16,560
I grew up in Central New York, and, uh,
very young I knew I wanted to fly.
828
00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:17,970
Press conference one.
829
00:50:17,970 --> 00:50:19,930
[Scribe] I've been in the Navy
for quite a while now.
830
00:50:19,930 --> 00:50:22,060
A little over 20 years.
831
00:50:23,060 --> 00:50:24,930
I kind of prepared myself
to not be the one,
832
00:50:24,930 --> 00:50:27,220
so now I'm very quickly
having to come to terms
833
00:50:27,220 --> 00:50:29,890
with the fact that this will be, uh...
this will be my role next, and, uh...
834
00:50:29,890 --> 00:50:31,560
and I need to get ready for that, so...
835
00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:33,970
[Boss] So, what do you think?
Shock? Shock and awe?
836
00:50:33,970 --> 00:50:36,100
- Yeah, big-time.
- Yeah. Yeah, me, too.
837
00:50:36,100 --> 00:50:37,890
I think, uh...
838
00:50:37,890 --> 00:50:40,680
- Job's gonna be different than you think.
- [chuckles] Yeah?
839
00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:43,520
[Boss] It's gonna be challenging
in aspects you don't know.
840
00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:45,060
- I wouldn't trade it for the world.
- Yeah.
841
00:50:45,060 --> 00:50:46,810
[Boss] It's been fantastic.
842
00:50:48,180 --> 00:50:50,220
- [applause]
- [indistinct chatter]
843
00:50:50,220 --> 00:50:51,720
I appreciate it. Thank you.
844
00:50:51,720 --> 00:50:53,640
[Scribe clears throat]
845
00:50:54,970 --> 00:50:56,390
[Scribe] Uh, good afternoon, everyone.
846
00:50:56,390 --> 00:50:58,060
As mentioned, my name's
Commander Alex Armatas.
847
00:50:58,060 --> 00:50:59,930
Uh, it is an absolute honor to be here.
848
00:50:59,930 --> 00:51:03,180
It's, uh, very humbling, very emotional,
as Captain Kesselring mentioned.
849
00:51:03,180 --> 00:51:04,770
Admiral, thank you as well, sir.
850
00:51:04,770 --> 00:51:06,520
Uh, and, uh, just...
851
00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:08,180
[Boss] Even though
he's a very skilled leader
852
00:51:08,180 --> 00:51:09,640
and very skilled aviator,
853
00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:12,520
he's gonna go through that same crucible,
that same learning curve.
854
00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,470
As I look back, oh, boy.
855
00:51:15,470 --> 00:51:17,430
There's just... he doesn't know
what he doesn't know yet.
856
00:51:17,430 --> 00:51:18,520
[applause]
857
00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:20,350
- Does this get easier with time? This--
- Yeah.
858
00:51:20,350 --> 00:51:21,600
Does it get easier? I hope so.
859
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:23,310
- How you doing? Outstanding job. Yeah.
- Thanks, Admiral. I appreciate it.
860
00:51:23,310 --> 00:51:25,020
- Outstanding.
- Yeah, this is, uh...
861
00:51:25,020 --> 00:51:27,350
I hope it gets easier the more you do it.
862
00:51:29,390 --> 00:51:33,680
[Wooldridge] The Blue Angels were
the brainchild of Admiral Chester Nimitz.
863
00:51:33,680 --> 00:51:35,600
In 1946,
864
00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:37,970
Admiral Nimitz said,
"We've got to make sure
865
00:51:37,970 --> 00:51:40,850
the American public doesn't forget
about Navy planes."
866
00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:49,020
He pulled a fellow that had
five aerial victories during the war,
867
00:51:49,020 --> 00:51:52,600
a young 26-year-old lieutenant commander
named Butch Voris.
868
00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:58,020
And so, Butch grabbed
about four of his best friends, they...
869
00:51:58,020 --> 00:52:02,020
created a team, created a few maneuvers
870
00:52:02,020 --> 00:52:04,640
and took it right to the American public.
871
00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:06,930
[engine chugging]
872
00:52:09,930 --> 00:52:11,930
[excited chatter]
873
00:52:11,930 --> 00:52:14,680
[upbeat music playing]
874
00:52:20,270 --> 00:52:22,140
[announcer] The Blue Angels fly
875
00:52:22,140 --> 00:52:26,640
the McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II,
a single-seat light attack jet,
876
00:52:26,640 --> 00:52:30,890
versions of which have been operational
in the fleet since 1956.
877
00:52:37,970 --> 00:52:39,720
[engines roaring]
878
00:52:41,350 --> 00:52:43,720
[crowd whooping]
879
00:52:45,520 --> 00:52:49,390
[Wooldridge] Over the years, the team has
gone through many different airplanes--
880
00:52:49,390 --> 00:52:53,680
propeller-driven airplanes,
and then into the jet era.
881
00:52:56,430 --> 00:52:57,470
[pilot] Ready?
882
00:52:57,470 --> 00:52:59,430
Hit it.
883
00:52:59,430 --> 00:53:00,770
[pilot 2] Take it in!
884
00:53:00,770 --> 00:53:02,390
[Wooldridge] We didn't see it as a risk.
885
00:53:02,390 --> 00:53:05,720
We saw taking this job
as a Blue Angel as a privilege.
886
00:53:07,470 --> 00:53:09,470
[straining]
887
00:53:10,720 --> 00:53:13,180
[engines roaring]
888
00:53:13,180 --> 00:53:15,270
[majestic music playing]
889
00:53:31,930 --> 00:53:33,930
[indistinct radio chatter]
890
00:53:37,720 --> 00:53:41,680
[Wooldridge] It's so highly sought-after
to be part of the Blue Angels.
891
00:53:42,770 --> 00:53:47,470
And it's a...
it's a very distinct privilege
892
00:53:47,470 --> 00:53:49,640
to be selected to the Blues.
893
00:53:51,270 --> 00:53:53,720
And we got to pick our own.
How about that?
894
00:53:53,720 --> 00:53:56,810
Nobody from above was saying,
"You're gonna take this person,
895
00:53:56,810 --> 00:54:00,100
teach him how to fly,
teach him how to be a Blue Angel."
896
00:54:00,100 --> 00:54:03,390
Which was really unusual in the military.
897
00:54:03,390 --> 00:54:05,470
[quiet chatter]
898
00:54:11,020 --> 00:54:12,220
[man] All right.
899
00:54:12,220 --> 00:54:15,390
[Whiskers] This day is gonna be
very busy, very tight on timelines.
900
00:54:15,390 --> 00:54:18,060
If you're next, be on deck
outside the room.
901
00:54:18,060 --> 00:54:20,560
Everybody else can relax in here,
do your thing.
902
00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:21,720
[woman] Thanks.
903
00:54:21,720 --> 00:54:23,890
[Boss] There's the robust
interview process.
904
00:54:23,890 --> 00:54:27,560
We get medical. We take a look
at the backgrounds and all that.
905
00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,020
But really, what it comes down to
is three things:
906
00:54:30,020 --> 00:54:31,850
talent, passion and personality.
907
00:54:31,850 --> 00:54:34,100
Questions for me? Awesome.
908
00:54:34,100 --> 00:54:36,680
- You stand right here.
- Oh.
909
00:54:36,680 --> 00:54:40,930
[Whiskers] My first introduction
to aviation was when my dad took
910
00:54:40,930 --> 00:54:42,850
my family to Tuskegee,
911
00:54:42,850 --> 00:54:47,890
where we got to ride in a small,
single-engine aircraft.
912
00:54:47,890 --> 00:54:51,930
Up until that point, I wanted to be
a train conductor and a police officer.
913
00:54:51,930 --> 00:54:54,140
But after that flight,
I wanted to be a pilot.
914
00:54:57,890 --> 00:54:59,770
The interview matters.
915
00:54:59,770 --> 00:55:03,310
We are picking the best-fit person
for this job.
916
00:55:03,310 --> 00:55:05,100
And by "best-fit," I mean,
917
00:55:05,100 --> 00:55:06,270
that's hugely important.
918
00:55:06,270 --> 00:55:08,180
We're spending a lot of time
with each other.
919
00:55:08,180 --> 00:55:12,270
We know each other so well.
920
00:55:12,270 --> 00:55:14,470
[Boss] They're certainly
a bit on the nervous side.
921
00:55:14,470 --> 00:55:15,680
Got the nerves going.
922
00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:18,310
You see their excitement.
You see the desire.
923
00:55:18,310 --> 00:55:20,640
They're so close
they can darn near taste it.
924
00:55:20,640 --> 00:55:23,640
[intriguing music playing]
925
00:55:30,020 --> 00:55:32,020
[Chomps] We try to learn
everything about that individual
926
00:55:32,020 --> 00:55:34,100
before they get here
so that when they do get here
927
00:55:34,100 --> 00:55:36,100
we know exactly what
their personality is going to be
928
00:55:36,100 --> 00:55:38,720
and where they're going to fit in
in their part of this team.
929
00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:45,390
[Whiskers] We'll start
during the interview process,
930
00:55:45,390 --> 00:55:49,930
you know, dig a little deeper,
but it literally is
931
00:55:49,930 --> 00:55:52,520
a unanimous decision
amongst 17 people in the room
932
00:55:52,520 --> 00:55:57,350
that requires hours of deliberation
and discussion to reach that consensus.
933
00:55:58,810 --> 00:56:00,470
[Chewy] Obviously,
you're gonna pick the people
934
00:56:00,470 --> 00:56:02,350
you think will be the absolute best.
935
00:56:02,350 --> 00:56:04,310
Sometimes that takes five minutes.
936
00:56:04,310 --> 00:56:06,810
Sometimes that takes four hours.
You never know.
937
00:56:08,430 --> 00:56:10,430
[Chomps] These are all
very personal conversations
938
00:56:10,430 --> 00:56:13,350
with personal details
about this individual's life
939
00:56:13,350 --> 00:56:16,100
that the general public
doesn't need to ever know.
940
00:56:16,100 --> 00:56:18,220
And it's certain things
that we'll talk about in there,
941
00:56:18,220 --> 00:56:21,390
and at the end of the night,
we all slap the table and say,
942
00:56:21,390 --> 00:56:23,600
"What happened here stays here."
943
00:56:23,600 --> 00:56:25,850
And then it's never
to be talked about again.
944
00:56:26,850 --> 00:56:29,520
'Cause at the end of the day, guess what--
those are your new people.
945
00:56:33,890 --> 00:56:35,810
There has to be a unanimous decision.
946
00:56:35,810 --> 00:56:38,520
But if we don't pick the right people
to carry on that legacy,
947
00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:40,220
then what we've done is just a failure.
948
00:56:42,180 --> 00:56:44,930
[Cheese] If you're a finalist, you're
kind of waiting on pins and needles.
949
00:56:44,930 --> 00:56:46,020
[camera shutter clicks]
950
00:56:46,020 --> 00:56:48,100
Saturday after
the Pensacola Beach Air Show,
951
00:56:48,100 --> 00:56:49,770
you call in, they tell you whether or not,
952
00:56:49,770 --> 00:56:52,140
you know, either "Welcome to the team,"
or, you know,
953
00:56:52,140 --> 00:56:53,640
"Hey, sorry. Try again next year."
954
00:56:56,430 --> 00:56:58,720
For me, took me three tries.
955
00:56:58,720 --> 00:57:00,930
I got... you know,
I got lucky along the way.
956
00:57:00,930 --> 00:57:04,390
Did a couple deployments,
and then I ended up here on the team.
957
00:57:07,220 --> 00:57:10,810
That was... that was a huge,
huge success... [chuckles]
958
00:57:10,810 --> 00:57:11,890
...in my book.
959
00:57:12,970 --> 00:57:14,390
[Boss] Let's go.
960
00:57:17,140 --> 00:57:19,140
You know, we owe it to all those folks,
961
00:57:19,140 --> 00:57:23,810
the majority of folks who have rushed
the team that didn't make it.
962
00:57:23,810 --> 00:57:26,100
Some miss out by just one vote.
963
00:57:27,520 --> 00:57:32,810
We are four months, 16 shows away
from the end of the season,
964
00:57:32,810 --> 00:57:34,970
so make sure you appreciate it
while you're here.
965
00:57:37,060 --> 00:57:39,680
- [engine buzzing]
- [crowd cheering]
966
00:57:48,600 --> 00:57:51,430
[triumphant music playing]
967
00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:04,930
[Jamammy] This city definitely has
a special place for us.
968
00:58:06,720 --> 00:58:12,270
These people who have been coming
to these shows, you know, since the '60s,
969
00:58:12,270 --> 00:58:15,810
they still welcome us as if we're family.
970
00:58:27,470 --> 00:58:29,520
We're moments in time on this team.
971
00:58:30,810 --> 00:58:33,350
I've been watching
the Blue Angels since 1982.
972
00:58:33,350 --> 00:58:34,930
It's my 40th summer.
973
00:58:34,930 --> 00:58:36,810
I've been around them my entire life.
974
00:58:36,810 --> 00:58:38,350
Twenty-plus.
975
00:58:38,350 --> 00:58:42,220
The adrenaline, the rush,
and honestly, like, seeing it in person
976
00:58:42,220 --> 00:58:44,270
just makes it that much more real.
977
00:58:48,310 --> 00:58:51,140
Okay, winds are two-zero-zero-eight.
We own the airspace.
978
00:58:51,140 --> 00:58:53,680
- Have a good one.
- [engines whooshing]
979
00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:55,220
[Boss] We're cleared for takeoff.
980
00:59:06,850 --> 00:59:08,350
[indistinct radio chatter]
981
00:59:11,430 --> 00:59:13,220
[majestic music playing]
982
00:59:13,220 --> 00:59:14,890
[indistinct radio chatter]
983
00:59:17,770 --> 00:59:20,890
[engines whooshing]
984
00:59:27,600 --> 00:59:30,220
[Push Pop over speakers] In relatively
slow speed flight, they will give you
985
00:59:30,220 --> 00:59:33,100
an opportunity to get a close look
at the precision flying
986
00:59:33,100 --> 00:59:36,100
that produces the 18-inch
wingtip-to-canopy separation
987
00:59:36,100 --> 00:59:38,140
between these four aircraft.
988
00:59:38,140 --> 00:59:41,180
From the right, the Blue Angel Diamond.
989
00:59:45,600 --> 00:59:47,970
[Cheese] Looking at it,
the start of the season,
990
00:59:47,970 --> 00:59:51,060
you know, I'd think, "Man, there's no way
I'm gonna get this close to a jet."
991
00:59:53,140 --> 00:59:55,520
Especially for the Diamond 360,
which is what we consider
992
00:59:55,520 --> 00:59:57,430
one of our hardest maneuvers.
993
00:59:57,430 --> 00:59:59,560
[man over radio] They're at 360.
994
01:00:04,970 --> 01:00:07,680
[Cheese] We just bumped it
into Blue Gold set.
995
01:00:08,770 --> 01:00:12,770
Scott-- Jamammy-- he's currently
up under, you know, Boss's wing.
996
01:00:13,770 --> 01:00:16,430
Now, me on the other side,
because of parallax,
997
01:00:16,430 --> 01:00:18,140
I'm not actually sliding myself
up underneath.
998
01:00:18,140 --> 01:00:21,600
What I'm actually doing is I'm sliding
outboard and forward.
999
01:00:24,220 --> 01:00:25,970
You have Frank underneath my wing
1000
01:00:25,970 --> 01:00:28,470
doing almost the exact same thing
that Scott is doing,
1001
01:00:28,470 --> 01:00:30,680
just a little bit more aft.
1002
01:00:31,680 --> 01:00:33,310
It's kind of getting
not so much comfortable,
1003
01:00:33,310 --> 01:00:35,680
but it's getting familiar, uh,
to the point where it's like,
1004
01:00:35,680 --> 01:00:37,220
"Man, we're actually really doing this."
1005
01:00:37,220 --> 01:00:39,770
You know, this is...
this is the aspect of the Blue Angels
1006
01:00:39,770 --> 01:00:43,180
that no other demonstration team
really reaches.
1007
01:00:43,180 --> 01:00:45,270
[dramatic music playing]
1008
01:00:50,850 --> 01:00:53,220
But the Yankee set
at the start of the season
1009
01:00:53,220 --> 01:00:55,640
is something you really want to get
1010
01:00:55,640 --> 01:00:59,520
and you don't completely know
if maybe you'll actually get there, but...
1011
01:00:59,520 --> 01:01:01,350
There's teams that have done this
in the past,
1012
01:01:01,350 --> 01:01:02,930
and then there's teams that haven't.
1013
01:01:04,640 --> 01:01:08,060
Now that we're starting to get
in that regime of flight,
1014
01:01:08,060 --> 01:01:10,140
will we get there?
1015
01:01:10,140 --> 01:01:11,600
Hopefully, yes.
1016
01:01:11,600 --> 01:01:13,680
[majestic music playing]
1017
01:01:39,890 --> 01:01:42,020
[explosive whooshing]
1018
01:01:42,020 --> 01:01:45,100
[energetic music playing]
1019
01:02:04,810 --> 01:02:07,640
Of course, the crowd favorite
is the Sneak.
1020
01:02:15,720 --> 01:02:17,560
[Jamammy] The Diamond
will execute their maneuver,
1021
01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:20,100
showcasing the precision flying,
uh, that is required
1022
01:02:20,100 --> 01:02:22,140
of all Navy and Marine Corps pilots.
1023
01:02:22,140 --> 01:02:26,100
And then as we're setting up for our
next maneuver, we get the solos in there,
1024
01:02:26,100 --> 01:02:28,970
who just pull on the stick a lot
and provide the filler.
1025
01:02:28,970 --> 01:02:31,060
[explosive whooshing]
1026
01:02:44,640 --> 01:02:45,930
[Chewy] The Diamond's
favorite maneuvers are when
1027
01:02:45,930 --> 01:02:47,270
they get to break apart from Boss,
1028
01:02:47,270 --> 01:02:49,770
act like a solo,
and then once that's over,
1029
01:02:49,770 --> 01:02:51,850
they're back to being the Diamond.
1030
01:02:51,850 --> 01:02:54,060
I mean, the Diamond, everybody knows
they're-they're the better pilots here.
1031
01:02:54,060 --> 01:02:55,270
Every... Literally everybody knows.
1032
01:02:55,270 --> 01:02:58,350
You know that you actually have to think
about those around you,
1033
01:02:58,350 --> 01:02:59,810
like, be a team player.
1034
01:02:59,810 --> 01:03:01,100
They just don't get that yet.
1035
01:03:01,100 --> 01:03:03,140
So, maybe one day,
they'll understand that, but...
1036
01:03:03,140 --> 01:03:04,310
[Whiskers] Fun and excitement.
1037
01:03:04,310 --> 01:03:06,890
Definitely, the solos use a lot more
than Diamond.
1038
01:03:06,890 --> 01:03:08,850
They're all flying off of Boss, so...
1039
01:03:08,850 --> 01:03:11,560
Healthy competition--
that's exactly what it is.
1040
01:03:11,560 --> 01:03:13,640
[engine roaring]
1041
01:03:28,060 --> 01:03:31,020
[Amanda "Stalin" Lee] After I left
Pensacola for finalist week,
1042
01:03:31,020 --> 01:03:32,890
it was just me and my husband
at the house.
1043
01:03:32,890 --> 01:03:35,060
We were kind of waiting
and anticipating this phone call.
1044
01:03:36,220 --> 01:03:39,140
I was the very first person
to call in, uh, so I called in
1045
01:03:39,140 --> 01:03:41,770
and, uh, they kind of joked around
with me and they said,
1046
01:03:41,770 --> 01:03:44,430
"Hey, you have the wrong number.
Try calling this number back."
1047
01:03:44,430 --> 01:03:47,350
So I am in panic mode immediately.
[laughs]
1048
01:03:47,350 --> 01:03:49,600
We tend to mess with them a little bit...
[clears throat]
1049
01:03:49,600 --> 01:03:51,430
when they, uh...
when they call in for the selectees, so...
1050
01:03:51,430 --> 01:03:52,600
[laughs]
1051
01:03:52,600 --> 01:03:54,930
We have a five-minute window to call in,
1052
01:03:54,930 --> 01:03:56,520
so I'm-I'm going through my messages,
1053
01:03:56,520 --> 01:03:59,060
making sure I have the right...
the right number.
1054
01:03:59,060 --> 01:04:01,140
I call back. They're like,
"Still the wrong number."
1055
01:04:01,140 --> 01:04:05,180
We're listening in as Cody has got some
rock music playing in the background.
1056
01:04:05,180 --> 01:04:06,930
I get a call from Boss.
1057
01:04:06,930 --> 01:04:10,060
- He's like...
- Amanda, weren't you supposed
to call in a couple minutes ago?
1058
01:04:10,060 --> 01:04:12,520
I-I was like, "I have done
something terribly wrong.
1059
01:04:12,520 --> 01:04:14,310
[laughing] I'm in trouble."
1060
01:04:14,310 --> 01:04:16,600
He's like, "Hey, next year, when you...
when you're on the team,
1061
01:04:16,600 --> 01:04:18,470
maybe we'll get your timeline
a little bit better."
1062
01:04:18,470 --> 01:04:20,600
And then everybody said,
"Welcome to the team."
1063
01:04:20,600 --> 01:04:22,970
But they had me super frazzled.
1064
01:04:22,970 --> 01:04:25,520
[reporter] A history-making day
for the legendary Blue Angels.
1065
01:04:25,520 --> 01:04:28,470
The Navy's elite flight squadron
has selected its first
1066
01:04:28,470 --> 01:04:31,310
female fighter jet demonstration pilot,
1067
01:04:31,310 --> 01:04:34,270
Lieutenant Amanda Lee from Minnesota.
1068
01:04:34,270 --> 01:04:37,640
She is soon going to be flying high
with the Blue Angels.
1069
01:04:37,640 --> 01:04:41,430
She will need to complete an intensive
five-month training program
1070
01:04:41,430 --> 01:04:44,520
with other new members of the team
beginning in September.
1071
01:04:46,850 --> 01:04:49,720
[Amanda] I enlisted in the Navy in 2007.
1072
01:04:49,720 --> 01:04:52,680
I ended up enlisting as
an aviation electronics technician,
1073
01:04:52,680 --> 01:04:54,600
and I started working on the F-18.
1074
01:04:55,680 --> 01:04:58,640
I get to my first squadron,
and my division chief said,
1075
01:04:58,640 --> 01:05:01,810
"You don't belong here. I don't feel like
you're challenged enough."
1076
01:05:01,810 --> 01:05:03,720
And the only thing I knew in the Navy
1077
01:05:03,720 --> 01:05:05,890
was aviation, so I was like,
"Let's try to fly."
1078
01:05:05,890 --> 01:05:09,020
Once you wear this crest,
it's a life-changing journey
1079
01:05:09,020 --> 01:05:12,720
and you have an opportunity to represent
those over 800,000 active duty reserve
1080
01:05:12,720 --> 01:05:15,060
and civilian support personnel
by wearing it.
1081
01:05:15,060 --> 01:05:19,060
[Amanda] Having the whole team there
greeting you, really excited for you,
1082
01:05:19,060 --> 01:05:20,970
it was absolutely an unforgettable day.
1083
01:05:20,970 --> 01:05:24,350
So remember today is the day
that you became a Blue Angel.
1084
01:05:24,350 --> 01:05:26,220
Look around at your teammates.
1085
01:05:26,220 --> 01:05:28,770
Commit this special bond to memory.
1086
01:05:28,770 --> 01:05:31,470
Once a Blue Angel, always a Blue Angel.
1087
01:05:35,220 --> 01:05:37,020
Welcome to the team.
1088
01:05:37,020 --> 01:05:39,720
- [applause]
- [triumphant music playing]
1089
01:05:42,220 --> 01:05:45,770
I think the media likes
to make a big deal out of firsts,
1090
01:05:45,770 --> 01:05:49,180
but, you know, I always feel
we give short shrift
1091
01:05:49,180 --> 01:05:51,970
to why they actually made it, right?
1092
01:05:53,810 --> 01:05:57,930
We have a fantastic officer
and a fantastic pilot.
1093
01:05:59,020 --> 01:06:01,220
The end of the day,
when you're flying 12 inches apart,
1094
01:06:01,220 --> 01:06:02,720
what really matters
1095
01:06:02,720 --> 01:06:03,970
is that you can trust 'em.
1096
01:06:03,970 --> 01:06:06,060
[atmospheric music playing]
1097
01:06:27,560 --> 01:06:29,850
[Cheese] I think the progression
with the team is going really well,
1098
01:06:29,850 --> 01:06:32,890
and I'm really, really excited to see
when we can bring this in
1099
01:06:32,890 --> 01:06:34,890
and how tight we can actually
get that formation.
1100
01:06:36,140 --> 01:06:38,140
[dramatic music playing]
1101
01:06:46,930 --> 01:06:50,100
[Boss] In terms of being a newbie
on the Blue Angels,
1102
01:06:50,100 --> 01:06:52,100
it feels like an eternity.
1103
01:06:52,100 --> 01:06:56,060
We are entering a phase of the season
where a new team is selected
1104
01:06:56,060 --> 01:06:58,810
and it's the official "you are no longer
a newbie on the team."
1105
01:06:58,810 --> 01:07:02,020
[cheering]
1106
01:07:02,020 --> 01:07:04,680
You finally kind of know
what you're doing.
1107
01:07:07,390 --> 01:07:09,100
[engines whooshing]
1108
01:07:09,100 --> 01:07:11,770
[energetic music playing]
1109
01:07:26,850 --> 01:07:28,850
[engines roaring]
1110
01:07:35,600 --> 01:07:37,470
Rip it.
1111
01:07:39,930 --> 01:07:42,890
It's kind of fun watching
the folks who just learned.
1112
01:07:43,970 --> 01:07:49,350
It's cool seeing Cheese go from
not knowing anything but fleet flying
1113
01:07:49,350 --> 01:07:54,640
to feeling 110% confident.
1114
01:07:54,640 --> 01:07:57,470
But he has another enormous role
that he's got to learn.
1115
01:07:58,560 --> 01:08:00,220
[Jamammy] Cheese next year in the two jet
1116
01:08:00,220 --> 01:08:02,060
is gonna have
the incredible responsibility
1117
01:08:02,060 --> 01:08:04,020
of training a new boss.
1118
01:08:14,560 --> 01:08:16,680
[Doc] Good morning, Mike. How are you?
1119
01:08:16,680 --> 01:08:18,060
- [Mike] Thanks. Good. And yourself?
- Hi.
1120
01:08:18,060 --> 01:08:19,640
- Doc, nice to see you again.
- Good to be back.
1121
01:08:19,640 --> 01:08:20,970
- Hi. Mike.
- Alex Armatas.
1122
01:08:20,970 --> 01:08:26,640
[Doc] We are in San Antonio, Texas,
at the Wyle KBR centrifuge center.
1123
01:08:26,640 --> 01:08:28,220
[Mike] You guys ready for this?
1124
01:08:29,390 --> 01:08:32,890
[Doc] This is the first day
for the incoming pilots
1125
01:08:32,890 --> 01:08:35,720
to be on the job as Blue Angels.
1126
01:08:37,180 --> 01:08:41,140
This is a g tolerance
improvement training program,
1127
01:08:41,140 --> 01:08:44,270
and it is a very demanding
and rigorous program.
1128
01:08:44,270 --> 01:08:48,390
[Boss] People who've been flying F-18s
for 20 years go to the centrifuge
1129
01:08:48,390 --> 01:08:50,020
if they get selected.
1130
01:08:50,020 --> 01:08:54,140
And it can be challenging at times and
sometimes have to learn new techniques
1131
01:08:54,140 --> 01:08:56,140
to make sure they can perform
at the highest levels
1132
01:08:56,140 --> 01:08:58,310
before they can be on the team.
1133
01:08:59,810 --> 01:09:01,520
[Doc] When you increase g-forces,
1134
01:09:01,520 --> 01:09:05,520
gravity is gonna pull
the blood in your head down to your feet,
1135
01:09:05,520 --> 01:09:07,470
so you're gonna pass out.
1136
01:09:07,470 --> 01:09:09,140
Go ahead and put your g-suits on.
1137
01:09:09,140 --> 01:09:11,270
I want to check them just to make sure.
1138
01:09:11,270 --> 01:09:14,890
[Doc] The first day,
incoming aviators wear their g-suits,
1139
01:09:14,890 --> 01:09:16,430
which they're used to wearing
out in the fleet.
1140
01:09:16,430 --> 01:09:19,180
[Mike] Go ahead and climb on in
and sit down as best
1141
01:09:19,180 --> 01:09:21,270
or as easy as possible.
1142
01:09:21,270 --> 01:09:25,100
[Doc] A g-suit is something
that we strap on, and they will inflate
1143
01:09:25,100 --> 01:09:27,640
and deflate, depending on
the amount of g's you're pulling,
1144
01:09:27,640 --> 01:09:30,470
to help you sustain g's
so you don't have to strain as hard.
1145
01:09:30,470 --> 01:09:32,220
[man] Harness.
1146
01:09:32,220 --> 01:09:34,180
[Mike over radio] Harness locked.
Zippers are up.
1147
01:09:34,180 --> 01:09:37,930
[man over radio] G-suit pressure
one-five-five.
1148
01:09:37,930 --> 01:09:39,390
[Mike] There it is.
1149
01:09:43,600 --> 01:09:46,270
[buzzer blares]
1150
01:09:48,270 --> 01:09:50,270
Okay, we're just gonna
get you up to idle speed.
1151
01:09:50,270 --> 01:09:52,810
In three, two, one. Engage.
1152
01:09:52,810 --> 01:09:55,850
[tense music playing]
1153
01:09:58,350 --> 01:10:01,430
[Mike] All right, should feel like you're
going straight up in a rocket right now.
1154
01:10:01,430 --> 01:10:02,810
Yeah.
1155
01:10:02,810 --> 01:10:04,430
[Mike] Pull back.
1156
01:10:05,970 --> 01:10:07,970
[man] Up top. Breathe.
1157
01:10:07,970 --> 01:10:09,720
Bring those knees in.
Dig with those heels.
1158
01:10:09,720 --> 01:10:11,680
Breathe. Drop the shoulders.
1159
01:10:11,680 --> 01:10:13,560
Plank the abs. Down to five and a half.
1160
01:10:13,560 --> 01:10:14,970
Keep it going.
1161
01:10:14,970 --> 01:10:17,180
[Mike] Squeeze that butt.
Get those abs tight.
1162
01:10:17,180 --> 01:10:18,310
Keep them tight.
1163
01:10:18,310 --> 01:10:19,930
You're letting these g's control you.
1164
01:10:19,930 --> 01:10:21,930
Come on. I want you to control them.
1165
01:10:21,930 --> 01:10:24,060
[buzzer blares]
1166
01:10:25,140 --> 01:10:26,470
You're on top. Breathe.
1167
01:10:26,470 --> 01:10:28,390
Squeeze the knees. Squeeze that butt.
1168
01:10:28,390 --> 01:10:30,850
Breathe. Keep those abs tight.
Keep them tight.
1169
01:10:30,850 --> 01:10:33,100
[man] Work. Bring those knees in.
Squeeze that butt!
1170
01:10:33,100 --> 01:10:34,560
Come on, breathe.
1171
01:10:34,560 --> 01:10:36,310
[Mike] Come on, dig the heels.
You got this.
1172
01:10:36,310 --> 01:10:38,720
Keep squeezing. Come on.
1173
01:10:38,720 --> 01:10:41,350
Squeeze the knees. Nicely done.
1174
01:10:41,350 --> 01:10:43,060
[man] I got to tell you, Alex, that may be
1175
01:10:43,060 --> 01:10:46,520
the best I've ever seen
anybody do on their first ride.
1176
01:10:46,520 --> 01:10:48,850
I'm sure. I'm not just blowing smoke, man.
1177
01:10:48,850 --> 01:10:51,220
I don't say that to people.
That was awesome.
1178
01:10:54,310 --> 01:10:56,770
[Doc] Today, there are no g-suits.
1179
01:10:57,930 --> 01:11:00,270
And the reason we require that is because
1180
01:11:00,270 --> 01:11:03,470
we do not fly with g-suits
in the Blue Angels.
1181
01:11:03,470 --> 01:11:05,390
[rumbling]
1182
01:11:05,390 --> 01:11:07,470
- [Mike] Welcome back.
- Yeah.
1183
01:11:07,470 --> 01:11:09,060
[Cheese] The g-suit fills up with air,
1184
01:11:09,060 --> 01:11:12,270
so the way we fulcrum
with our-our arm on our leg,
1185
01:11:12,270 --> 01:11:15,270
if that were to inflate,
it would move our arm
1186
01:11:15,270 --> 01:11:17,770
and inherently just move the aircraft,
so we don't do that.
1187
01:11:17,770 --> 01:11:21,270
[man] Okay, we're gonna
start the profile now.
1188
01:11:21,270 --> 01:11:24,520
We have five profiles
that every Blue Angel aviator
1189
01:11:24,520 --> 01:11:27,810
will go through in the centrifuge
which represent
1190
01:11:27,810 --> 01:11:29,770
what they experience
when flying in the jet.
1191
01:11:30,850 --> 01:11:32,850
[engines whooshing]
1192
01:11:38,020 --> 01:11:41,180
And those are the high-g profiles,
and one of which is
1193
01:11:41,180 --> 01:11:44,180
the PUB, the Pitch-Up Break,
which is our very last maneuver,
1194
01:11:44,180 --> 01:11:47,180
where the pilots will pull
seven and a half g's
1195
01:11:47,180 --> 01:11:49,430
to break around the airfield
before landing.
1196
01:11:51,060 --> 01:11:54,810
[chuckling] But it's critical that
they stay awake during that maneuver.
1197
01:11:56,720 --> 01:11:59,220
So we've taken that demonstration profile
1198
01:11:59,220 --> 01:12:01,640
and simulated it in the centrifuge
1199
01:12:01,640 --> 01:12:04,100
so that we can train to it
before getting into the jet.
1200
01:12:04,100 --> 01:12:05,430
All right, I have controls.
1201
01:12:05,430 --> 01:12:07,140
[man] Going to seven g's, five seconds.
1202
01:12:07,140 --> 01:12:09,220
[tense music playing]
1203
01:12:11,270 --> 01:12:13,390
[man] Okay, legs tight. Breath.
1204
01:12:14,430 --> 01:12:15,600
On top. Breathe.
1205
01:12:15,600 --> 01:12:17,770
Dig with the heels. Plank the abs.
1206
01:12:17,770 --> 01:12:20,270
Breathe. We're-we're down
to five and a half. Keep it going.
1207
01:12:20,270 --> 01:12:23,100
Stay with the strain. Come on.
1208
01:12:23,100 --> 01:12:25,640
-Stay with it. Stay with it. Stay with it.
- [Scribe groaning]
1209
01:12:29,600 --> 01:12:32,470
[man] It gets people
when it drops off like that.
1210
01:12:33,560 --> 01:12:36,470
[Wooldridge] It's the weirdest thing
to have a g-induced loss of consciousness.
1211
01:12:36,470 --> 01:12:39,270
You don't even know
where you are or what you are.
1212
01:12:39,270 --> 01:12:44,220
I mean, it's just like
your whole conscious self is gone.
1213
01:12:44,220 --> 01:12:46,560
[man] Alex, you okay?
1214
01:12:46,560 --> 01:12:48,560
- Yeah.
- All right.
1215
01:12:48,560 --> 01:12:53,020
[Doc] I called Boss about this and said,
"Hey, Boss, the new boss just passed out."
1216
01:12:53,020 --> 01:12:54,470
And he said, "Good.
1217
01:12:54,470 --> 01:12:57,600
Good, because that's a wake-up call
that he needs."
1218
01:12:57,600 --> 01:13:00,970
You know, "Let's get to work.
This is not gonna be easy."
1219
01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:07,220
[Mike] You're on top. Breathe.
1220
01:13:07,220 --> 01:13:09,890
Come on, dig the heels.
You got this. Keep squeezing.
1221
01:13:09,890 --> 01:13:11,720
Breathe. Squeeze those knees.
Get that butt tight.
1222
01:13:11,720 --> 01:13:13,270
Yes. Abs tight. Hold them tight.
1223
01:13:13,270 --> 01:13:14,560
Come on, legs.
1224
01:13:14,560 --> 01:13:17,270
One, two. Breathe. You got this.
And you're coming down.
1225
01:13:17,270 --> 01:13:18,600
You're coming all the way home.
1226
01:13:18,600 --> 01:13:20,390
Keep the strain. Legs, butt, heels.
1227
01:13:20,390 --> 01:13:22,100
Oh, you're coming down.
1228
01:13:24,890 --> 01:13:26,640
Yep, there we go.
1229
01:13:29,810 --> 01:13:31,220
I got you, Amanda.
1230
01:13:31,220 --> 01:13:33,720
Go ahead and put your head back. Amanda?
1231
01:13:33,720 --> 01:13:36,680
[Amanda] I had never g-LOC'd before.
1232
01:13:36,680 --> 01:13:39,720
And whatever your mind goes through
at that point, you know,
1233
01:13:39,720 --> 01:13:41,680
who knows, but I was in outer space.
1234
01:13:41,680 --> 01:13:44,640
[Mike] Take a breath. [clears throat]
1235
01:13:44,640 --> 01:13:50,060
It's, like, a... an eye-opener
for how inherently dangerous this job is.
1236
01:13:50,060 --> 01:13:52,350
We're just getting everything
back to normal.
1237
01:13:52,350 --> 01:13:53,970
- [Amanda] Okay.
- Head back in the headrest.
1238
01:13:53,970 --> 01:13:55,060
There you go.
1239
01:13:55,060 --> 01:13:56,680
[Scribe] There was certainly
a point today where I was...
1240
01:13:56,680 --> 01:13:59,140
I was frustrated, and it was a...
it was a difficult profile,
1241
01:13:59,140 --> 01:14:02,640
and I just kind of sat down and...
and just-just wanted to...
1242
01:14:02,640 --> 01:14:04,970
just wanted to relax
and do nothing for a few minutes.
1243
01:14:04,970 --> 01:14:06,600
But like most things in this business,
1244
01:14:06,600 --> 01:14:08,640
you-you get over it and you...
and you move on.
1245
01:14:08,640 --> 01:14:11,270
Breath up.
1246
01:14:11,270 --> 01:14:13,350
On top. Breathe. Drop those shoulders.
1247
01:14:13,350 --> 01:14:15,430
Bring the knees in.
Squeeze the butt. Breathe.
1248
01:14:15,430 --> 01:14:19,020
[Doc] A lot of today
is building confidence,
1249
01:14:19,020 --> 01:14:23,180
knowing that you can physically do this.
1250
01:14:23,180 --> 01:14:26,140
[Mike] Breathe. Good.
Terminate, terminate, terminate.
1251
01:14:27,430 --> 01:14:29,600
[Doc] Got to get your mind right,
your body right.
1252
01:14:29,600 --> 01:14:33,390
But without that mind being 100% invested
that you can do this,
1253
01:14:33,390 --> 01:14:34,770
you're not gonna be able to do it.
1254
01:14:34,770 --> 01:14:37,100
[Mike] You're on top. Breathe here.
Squeeze those knees together.
1255
01:14:37,100 --> 01:14:39,850
Squeeze that butt. Keep it tight.
Breathe. Good.
1256
01:14:39,850 --> 01:14:42,720
Breathe. Squeeze those knees.
Get that butt tight. Breathe. Good.
1257
01:14:42,720 --> 01:14:45,060
Come on, now. There you go.
Looking good. You got it.
1258
01:14:45,060 --> 01:14:48,270
One, two, and you're coming down
all the way home.
1259
01:14:48,270 --> 01:14:49,970
- [applause]
- [exhales]
1260
01:14:51,600 --> 01:14:53,560
Nicely done.
1261
01:14:57,470 --> 01:14:59,100
- [Doc] All right.
- [Mike] Hey!
1262
01:14:59,100 --> 01:15:00,350
- [man] Nice job.
- [applause]
1263
01:15:00,350 --> 01:15:04,520
[Doc] That's what this whole training
is about-- to let them know
1264
01:15:04,520 --> 01:15:07,470
we are in the big leagues now
and it's time to step it up.
1265
01:15:07,470 --> 01:15:09,180
Nice job, man.
1266
01:15:09,180 --> 01:15:10,850
[Scribe] We've got a lot to learn.
1267
01:15:10,850 --> 01:15:14,600
Starting next month, we'll start traveling
with the team, and pretty much
1268
01:15:14,600 --> 01:15:17,890
from the moment we start traveling
until the change of command in November,
1269
01:15:17,890 --> 01:15:21,470
we are joined at the hip
with whoever we're replacing.
1270
01:15:21,470 --> 01:15:23,850
We'll all be doing that
all the way through the fall.
1271
01:15:23,850 --> 01:15:25,100
- Hey, Boss.
- New boss!
1272
01:15:25,100 --> 01:15:26,810
- Hey.
- All right, cheers.
1273
01:15:26,810 --> 01:15:28,890
[cheering]
1274
01:15:28,890 --> 01:15:30,970
[majestic music playing]
1275
01:15:39,020 --> 01:15:41,390
[Scribe] Right now, it's the
khaki newbie phase, as we refer to it.
1276
01:15:41,390 --> 01:15:43,470
It's a good chance for all of us
to kind of feel
1277
01:15:43,470 --> 01:15:45,930
what it's like to be on the road.
1278
01:15:45,930 --> 01:15:49,100
The best way to describe it is "surreal."
1279
01:15:52,140 --> 01:15:53,770
[dramatic music playing]
1280
01:15:53,770 --> 01:15:55,720
[woman over radio] First jumper.
1281
01:15:55,720 --> 01:15:58,020
First jumper. Two jumps away.
1282
01:15:59,100 --> 01:16:01,390
[Thomas "Franz" Zimmerman] Not until
you live it, boy, do you understand
1283
01:16:01,390 --> 01:16:03,020
what it's like to be a Blue Angel.
1284
01:16:05,520 --> 01:16:08,350
[Boss] It's actually a bit comical
at the start because you have a bunch
1285
01:16:08,350 --> 01:16:10,600
of highly trained, skilled folks who...
1286
01:16:10,600 --> 01:16:12,390
don't really know what to do anymore.
1287
01:16:12,390 --> 01:16:15,850
You can... But you can stand just--
yeah, either way.
1288
01:16:15,850 --> 01:16:17,850
You can dance around. Thanks.
1289
01:16:17,850 --> 01:16:22,100
[Amanda] Being a newbie,
there's a very delicate balance.
1290
01:16:22,100 --> 01:16:24,600
You're basically there to be a sponge.
1291
01:16:24,600 --> 01:16:26,220
That's crowd right. Intro to crowd.
1292
01:16:26,220 --> 01:16:29,180
[Franz] We account for
every single minute of the day.
1293
01:16:29,180 --> 01:16:31,270
By the time you get back to the hotel,
1294
01:16:31,270 --> 01:16:34,390
boy, you can't even remember what you ate
for lunch or if you even ate lunch.
1295
01:16:34,390 --> 01:16:36,270
[laughter]
1296
01:16:36,270 --> 01:16:38,930
[Amanda] I wanted to start off
with the narrator spot,
1297
01:16:38,930 --> 01:16:41,020
and then when I found out
that I was gonna be
1298
01:16:41,020 --> 01:16:43,350
in the Diamond, it's just
one of those things where you're like,
1299
01:16:43,350 --> 01:16:44,770
"I'm just happy to be here."
1300
01:16:44,770 --> 01:16:46,810
Um, as we say, "I'm glad to be here."
1301
01:16:46,810 --> 01:16:48,970
[man over radio] Set your flaps.
1302
01:16:48,970 --> 01:16:51,100
[Wooldridge] "Glad to be here."
1303
01:16:51,100 --> 01:16:56,060
The perfect expression of the gratitude
we have from the top down, the bottom up.
1304
01:16:56,060 --> 01:16:58,140
[gentle music playing]
1305
01:16:59,890 --> 01:17:03,600
Whoever is around you, and-and you say,
"I'm just glad to be here."
1306
01:17:04,600 --> 01:17:06,720
It's a reset.
1307
01:17:06,720 --> 01:17:09,770
It lets people know that
no matter what kind of day you had,
1308
01:17:09,770 --> 01:17:12,470
you're glad you are with
the people you're with,
1309
01:17:12,470 --> 01:17:15,970
because they'll understand
and they'll trust you
1310
01:17:15,970 --> 01:17:18,390
because you won't hold anything back.
1311
01:17:18,390 --> 01:17:20,060
And when you have that kind of effort,
1312
01:17:20,060 --> 01:17:22,470
it raises the outcomes
for each and every person.
1313
01:17:24,470 --> 01:17:27,140
"Glad to be here."
1314
01:17:27,140 --> 01:17:28,720
That was foundational.
1315
01:17:28,720 --> 01:17:30,180
[all grunt, laugh]
1316
01:17:30,180 --> 01:17:31,270
All right!
1317
01:17:36,560 --> 01:17:40,060
[Boss] Th-There's a kind of a saying
from deploying sailors
1318
01:17:40,060 --> 01:17:43,350
where the days are long
but the weeks are short.
1319
01:17:44,890 --> 01:17:47,680
Kind of living in the moment.
You're tired a lot of times.
1320
01:17:48,890 --> 01:17:51,970
All of a sudden, you wake up
and it's, you know, September,
1321
01:17:51,970 --> 01:17:53,520
and then it's end of season week.
1322
01:17:53,520 --> 01:17:55,770
[engines roaring]
1323
01:17:55,770 --> 01:17:57,430
Rip it.
1324
01:17:57,430 --> 01:17:59,350
[triumphant music playing]
1325
01:18:17,520 --> 01:18:20,600
You spend the entire 365 previous days
1326
01:18:20,600 --> 01:18:23,270
with your team, getting better
and better and better, and then...
1327
01:18:23,270 --> 01:18:24,350
Let's get rolling.
1328
01:18:24,350 --> 01:18:25,850
Here it is.
1329
01:18:25,850 --> 01:18:28,020
I'll never do this again.
1330
01:18:28,020 --> 01:18:31,560
My replacement has been picked,
and this is our last ride.
1331
01:18:31,560 --> 01:18:33,680
[chuckling] It's definitely
an emotional moment, you know?
1332
01:18:33,680 --> 01:18:35,270
Yeah.
1333
01:18:46,720 --> 01:18:49,970
[Chomps] For the Diamond 360,
we've talked at length over the last...
1334
01:18:49,970 --> 01:18:53,180
I-I would say each one of us
has had hours conversations
1335
01:18:53,180 --> 01:18:57,640
with each other about the Diamond 360,
kind of preparing our fulcrum...
1336
01:18:57,640 --> 01:19:00,310
[Boss] Our goal at the beginning
of the season is
1337
01:19:00,310 --> 01:19:02,060
the tireless pursuit of perfection.
1338
01:19:02,060 --> 01:19:05,770
And I think a lot of it comes down
to just not being satisfied,
1339
01:19:05,770 --> 01:19:07,810
knowing that there's a next level.
1340
01:19:07,810 --> 01:19:09,890
[engines roaring]
1341
01:19:12,100 --> 01:19:14,100
[dramatic music playing]
1342
01:19:15,560 --> 01:19:17,310
There's tension in it. There's, one,
1343
01:19:17,310 --> 01:19:20,060
you got to be safe,
you got to be professional.
1344
01:19:22,060 --> 01:19:24,060
But there's another side to that:
1345
01:19:24,060 --> 01:19:28,020
"Gosh, man, I want to make sure
that we get to the tightest sets."
1346
01:19:31,020 --> 01:19:33,600
The Blue Angel hallmark of precision.
1347
01:19:35,060 --> 01:19:38,100
That tension, it's good,
but you got to keep it in check.
1348
01:19:38,100 --> 01:19:39,970
[Chomps] All right, for the Diamond Roll.
1349
01:19:39,970 --> 01:19:41,970
Hold to deep. Hold to deep...
1350
01:19:41,970 --> 01:19:45,770
[Boss] The way I chose to lead was
1351
01:19:45,770 --> 01:19:47,390
I wanted Chomps to be empowered.
1352
01:19:49,430 --> 01:19:52,350
'Cause I have that much trust in-in Frank.
1353
01:19:56,430 --> 01:19:59,140
During that final week,
Frank came into my office and said,
1354
01:19:59,140 --> 01:20:01,020
"We can do it."
1355
01:20:02,100 --> 01:20:04,520
The Diamond 360 and Yankee set.
1356
01:20:06,270 --> 01:20:09,600
[stirring music playing]
1357
01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:12,810
From the right, the Blue Angel Diamond.
1358
01:20:14,720 --> 01:20:16,140
[indistinct radio chatter]
1359
01:20:48,140 --> 01:20:51,100
To be able to do that safely...
1360
01:20:52,600 --> 01:20:57,810
...flying just inches apart,
that's-that's a grand slam.
1361
01:20:57,810 --> 01:20:59,890
That's the Blue Angel magic.
1362
01:21:11,350 --> 01:21:14,220
[woman] Departing team members,
last three ranks, anyone want to talk?
1363
01:21:14,220 --> 01:21:16,390
- Destiny, you crying yet?
- [Destiny] I'm not crying.
1364
01:21:16,390 --> 01:21:18,140
- You good?
- [man] Come on, Kev.
1365
01:21:18,140 --> 01:21:19,970
- [woman] Come on, Kev!
- [man 2] This is it.
1366
01:21:19,970 --> 01:21:23,060
- [encouraging chatter]
- Come on, Kev.
1367
01:21:23,060 --> 01:21:25,640
- Come on, Kev!
- [cheering]
1368
01:21:29,680 --> 01:21:31,680
[rapping indistinctly]
1369
01:21:31,680 --> 01:21:33,810
♪ Put your hands in the air
if you heard me ♪
1370
01:21:33,810 --> 01:21:35,680
- ♪ Wash your hands, wash your feet ♪
- [laughter, encouraging shouts]
1371
01:21:35,680 --> 01:21:37,140
♪ Brush your teeth, wash your back...
1372
01:21:37,140 --> 01:21:39,220
[rap continues indistinctly]
1373
01:21:40,640 --> 01:21:43,470
♪ Put your arms in the air
if you heard me ♪
1374
01:21:43,470 --> 01:21:46,140
♪ Wash your hands, wash your feet,
wash your back, wash your back...
1375
01:21:46,140 --> 01:21:47,850
[rap continues indistinctly]
1376
01:21:47,850 --> 01:21:49,930
[man over radio] Good afternoon, Bert.
1377
01:21:49,930 --> 01:21:52,020
[cheering]
1378
01:21:55,770 --> 01:21:58,020
I've never been in
a command like this before,
1379
01:21:58,020 --> 01:22:02,270
and, uh, you guys treat me like family,
and I really appreciate that.
1380
01:22:02,270 --> 01:22:04,220
Thank you so much. I will miss it.
1381
01:22:04,220 --> 01:22:06,890
- I will miss it.
- [encouraging chatter, applause]
1382
01:22:06,890 --> 01:22:09,220
[♪ The Killers:
"All These Things That I've Done"]
1383
01:22:09,220 --> 01:22:14,470
♪ When there's nowhere else to run ♪
1384
01:22:14,470 --> 01:22:19,060
♪ Is there room for one more son...
1385
01:22:19,060 --> 01:22:21,310
You know, to everyone leaving,
you will be missed.
1386
01:22:21,310 --> 01:22:22,970
We'll talk about it more tonight.
1387
01:22:22,970 --> 01:22:25,930
For the newbies in the back, soak it in.
1388
01:22:25,930 --> 01:22:27,770
Talk to these people
before they leave today.
1389
01:22:27,770 --> 01:22:29,180
[group] Whoo!
1390
01:22:29,180 --> 01:22:30,640
♪ Hold on ♪
1391
01:22:32,810 --> 01:22:34,640
♪ If you can, hold on ♪
1392
01:22:34,640 --> 01:22:36,520
- All right!
- [applause]
1393
01:22:36,520 --> 01:22:38,180
- ♪ Hold on ♪
- Hit it.
1394
01:22:38,180 --> 01:22:41,390
- One more time.
- Three, four, five.
1395
01:22:41,390 --> 01:22:44,060
[chatter continues indistinctly]
1396
01:22:55,850 --> 01:22:57,520
[Boss] Expo is clear to taxi.
1397
01:22:57,520 --> 01:22:59,560
Line up on runway two-five-right.
1398
01:23:01,560 --> 01:23:02,560
Now.
1399
01:23:02,560 --> 01:23:05,770
♪ I wanna stand up, I wanna let go ♪
1400
01:23:05,770 --> 01:23:08,020
- ♪ You know, you know ♪
- [indistinct radio chatter]
1401
01:23:08,020 --> 01:23:11,020
♪ No, you don't, you don't ♪
1402
01:23:11,020 --> 01:23:14,890
♪ I wanna shine on in the hearts of man ♪
1403
01:23:14,890 --> 01:23:18,220
♪ I want a meaning from the back
of my broken hand ♪
1404
01:23:18,220 --> 01:23:20,640
- [Boss speaking indistinctly
in chanting cadence]
- ♪ Another head aches ♪
1405
01:23:20,640 --> 01:23:23,430
♪ Another heart breaks ♪
1406
01:23:23,430 --> 01:23:26,100
♪ I'm so much older than I can take ♪
1407
01:23:26,100 --> 01:23:31,180
♪ And my affection,
well, it comes and goes ♪
1408
01:23:31,180 --> 01:23:34,680
♪ I need direction to perfection,
no, no, no, no ♪
1409
01:23:34,680 --> 01:23:37,100
♪ Help me out, yeah ♪
1410
01:23:37,100 --> 01:23:41,270
♪ You know you gotta help me out, yeah ♪
1411
01:23:41,270 --> 01:23:44,810
♪ Oh, don't you put me
on the back burner ♪
1412
01:23:44,810 --> 01:23:49,140
♪ You know you gotta help me out, yeah ♪
1413
01:23:49,140 --> 01:23:51,890
♪ You're gonna bring yourself down ♪
1414
01:23:51,890 --> 01:23:53,310
♪ Yeah ♪
1415
01:23:53,310 --> 01:23:57,430
♪ You're gonna bring yourself down, yeah ♪
1416
01:23:57,430 --> 01:24:00,560
♪ You're gonna bring yourself down ♪
1417
01:24:00,560 --> 01:24:03,060
[Chewy] I don't think
you remember shows or weekends.
1418
01:24:05,560 --> 01:24:09,560
The level of perfection that we seek,
I see it in moments.
1419
01:24:11,220 --> 01:24:14,350
Every once in a while,
you're in a roll or a rollout,
1420
01:24:14,350 --> 01:24:16,770
the jets just kind of freeze,
1421
01:24:16,770 --> 01:24:19,520
and the world around you
seems to kind of spin, so...
1422
01:24:19,520 --> 01:24:21,640
And those are kind of the moments
that I'll remember
1423
01:24:21,640 --> 01:24:23,560
that kind of stick with me.
1424
01:24:23,560 --> 01:24:26,680
[Push Pop] The four Diamond pilots
are rolling out in trail formation
1425
01:24:26,680 --> 01:24:29,220
for a dynamic separation maneuver.
1426
01:24:29,220 --> 01:24:31,560
The Blue Angel Vertical Break.
1427
01:24:31,560 --> 01:24:32,890
Rip it.
1428
01:24:32,890 --> 01:24:35,770
♪ I got soul, but I'm not a soldier ♪
1429
01:24:35,770 --> 01:24:42,680
♪ I got soul,
but I'm not a soldier ♪
1430
01:24:48,560 --> 01:24:50,560
♪ Yeah ♪
1431
01:24:50,560 --> 01:24:54,470
♪ You know you gotta help me out, yeah ♪
1432
01:24:54,470 --> 01:24:58,470
♪ Oh, don't you put me
on the back burner ♪
1433
01:24:58,470 --> 01:25:02,640
♪ You know you gotta help me out, yeah ♪
1434
01:25:02,640 --> 01:25:04,720
♪ You're gonna bring yourself down ♪
1435
01:25:04,720 --> 01:25:08,890
♪ Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down ♪
1436
01:25:08,890 --> 01:25:10,600
♪ Yeah ♪
1437
01:25:10,600 --> 01:25:14,560
♪ Oh, don't you put me
on the back burner ♪
1438
01:25:14,560 --> 01:25:17,770
♪ You're gonna bring yourself down ♪
1439
01:25:17,770 --> 01:25:19,890
♪ Yeah, you're gonna
bring yourself down...
1440
01:25:19,890 --> 01:25:24,850
[Doc] I walked away thinking, "This is
exactly what we worked for all year,"
1441
01:25:24,850 --> 01:25:26,890
and it was incredible to see.
1442
01:25:26,890 --> 01:25:28,850
♪ Last call for sin ♪
1443
01:25:28,850 --> 01:25:30,770
- ♪ While everyone's lost ♪
- [indistinct radio chatter]
1444
01:25:30,770 --> 01:25:32,680
♪ The battle is won...
1445
01:25:32,680 --> 01:25:34,640
Great job. Great tour.
1446
01:25:34,640 --> 01:25:36,890
[Chomps] Ah, good deal, Boss.
Welcome back.
1447
01:25:36,890 --> 01:25:38,470
Great.
1448
01:25:38,470 --> 01:25:42,720
[Boss] No kidding-- during the show,
the parking spots are all changed over,
1449
01:25:42,720 --> 01:25:44,220
and that is how the Blue Angels do it.
1450
01:25:44,220 --> 01:25:45,560
♪ Things that I've done ♪
1451
01:25:45,560 --> 01:25:47,520
♪ Time, truth and hearts ♪
1452
01:25:49,270 --> 01:25:52,520
All the old guys' names
have been scraped off.
1453
01:25:52,520 --> 01:25:54,310
♪ If you can, hold on ♪
1454
01:25:54,310 --> 01:25:56,770
You know, when you walk out
of this hangar that final time, that's it.
1455
01:25:56,770 --> 01:25:58,720
- ♪ If you can, hold on ♪
- [indistinct chatter]
1456
01:25:58,720 --> 01:26:00,140
There's no coming back.
1457
01:26:10,350 --> 01:26:13,220
Just started prepping my cadence
for that final walk back,
1458
01:26:13,220 --> 01:26:15,140
when it's that final drop of salute.
1459
01:26:15,140 --> 01:26:17,430
That's right, and left.
1460
01:26:17,430 --> 01:26:19,520
Left, left.
1461
01:26:19,520 --> 01:26:21,810
How long I might wait
for that final drop of salute.
1462
01:26:21,810 --> 01:26:24,560
Left, left.
1463
01:26:24,560 --> 01:26:26,270
Left, right, left.
1464
01:26:26,270 --> 01:26:27,970
- Right, right.
- Hut!
1465
01:26:27,970 --> 01:26:31,350
[Boss] We drop salute,
and we know that the next day,
1466
01:26:31,350 --> 01:26:34,640
personnel are gonna go
all across the world
1467
01:26:34,640 --> 01:26:37,390
to the next tour of duty.
1468
01:26:38,810 --> 01:26:42,720
That's the last moment
that our family's gonna be together.
1469
01:26:42,720 --> 01:26:44,220
You know?
1470
01:26:44,220 --> 01:26:46,520
Uh... yeah.
1471
01:26:46,520 --> 01:26:48,100
[chuckles softly]
1472
01:26:49,180 --> 01:26:50,930
And salute.
1473
01:26:53,350 --> 01:26:54,850
Ready? Two.
1474
01:26:54,850 --> 01:26:57,560
- [wistful music playing]
- [crowd cheering]
1475
01:27:12,220 --> 01:27:14,470
[jovial chatter, laughter]
1476
01:27:19,970 --> 01:27:22,270
[cheering]
1477
01:27:22,270 --> 01:27:24,560
[Chomps] The flying is cool,
but it's not the same
1478
01:27:24,560 --> 01:27:28,220
as being around Jamammy or Cheese
or Chewy or Whiskers or Boss
1479
01:27:28,220 --> 01:27:31,270
or any of the supply officers
to maintainers downstairs.
1480
01:27:31,270 --> 01:27:33,810
It's that one-on-one connection
you have with your crew chiefs--
1481
01:27:33,810 --> 01:27:36,140
Joe and Alan for me--
so that's gonna truly,
1482
01:27:36,140 --> 01:27:38,270
truly be the thing
that I'm gonna miss the most.
1483
01:27:51,640 --> 01:27:53,520
[indistinct chatter]
1484
01:27:58,770 --> 01:28:01,060
[Boss] It's all the parts.
It's not just five people.
1485
01:28:01,060 --> 01:28:04,220
It's 141 personnel
that put this thing together.
1486
01:28:04,220 --> 01:28:06,470
[man] Ready? One, two and three.
1487
01:28:06,470 --> 01:28:08,560
- All right!
- [cheering]
1488
01:28:11,430 --> 01:28:13,890
[Jamammy] The people change.
The suits stay the same.
1489
01:28:13,890 --> 01:28:16,560
What this team means stays the same.
1490
01:28:16,560 --> 01:28:19,640
And what this team means to the country
has stayed the same
1491
01:28:19,640 --> 01:28:21,770
and has lasted the test of time.
1492
01:28:23,970 --> 01:28:27,430
And then-- poof, you know?-- it's gone.
1493
01:28:32,220 --> 01:28:35,180
I pinch myself
I get a chance to be part of it.
1494
01:28:35,180 --> 01:28:37,560
[engines whooshing]
1495
01:28:47,930 --> 01:28:50,600
[soft, atmospheric music playing]
1496
01:28:50,600 --> 01:28:53,390
- [insects trilling]
- [coyotes yelping]
1497
01:28:55,060 --> 01:28:58,350
[man] The Blue Angel Creed!
1498
01:28:58,350 --> 01:28:59,970
[group] As a Blue Angel,
1499
01:28:59,970 --> 01:29:05,020
I will dedicate all my efforts to pride,
professionalism and perfection.
1500
01:29:05,020 --> 01:29:07,970
I will strive to honor the crest I earned,
1501
01:29:07,970 --> 01:29:10,180
and I will never forget from where I came.
1502
01:29:10,180 --> 01:29:13,020
Once a Blue Angel, always a Blue Angel.
1503
01:29:14,020 --> 01:29:16,970
[energetic music playing]
1504
01:30:45,020 --> 01:30:47,020
[dramatic music playing]
1505
01:32:25,020 --> 01:32:27,020
- [music fades]
- [radio static droning]
1506
01:32:27,020 --> 01:32:29,100
[Boss over radio] Great job. Great tour.
125225
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