Barnstorming The Flying Circus |
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This brought in the age of commercial aviation. The Army Air Service had their first air tournament in which it attracted over 10,000 spectators. In contrast, USAF aerial demonstration teams from the beginning have consistently avoided any reference to their skilled formation maneuvers as daredevil "stunt flying." The first such Army Air Corps team, the "Three Musketeers," represented the 1st Pursuit Group at the 1928 National Air Races and in 1932, a pursuit aviation instructor at Maxwell Field, Alabama, Capt. Claire L. Chennault of later Flying Tiger fame, organized the "Men on the Flying Trapeze." Other Pre-WWII Army teams included the "Three Mugs of Beer" and the "Skylarks." However, it was not until the jet era when advances in aircraft and engine design produced fast, highly responsive planes that team demonstrations of precise formation maneuvers reached their height of popularity. |
Rather than merely serving as ambassadors of good will before millions of spectators in this country and abroad, the various USAF and ANG aerial teams have demonstrated the performance capabilities and reliability of typical USAF operational aircraft and the skill of military trained pilots. Their precision moves, based on combat maneuvers taught to all USAF fighter pilots, also have provided increased confidence to men learning to fly high performance jet aircraft. Just after the World War II the United States Navy took a real interest in such flying demonstrations and form a demonstration team of their own and in June 1946, the Blue Angles performed their first flight demonstration at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, Flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat. Since that time the Blue Angels have transitioned through eight other aircraft: The Grumman F8F Bearcat, (1946), Grumman F9F-2 Panther, (1949), Grumman F9F-5 Panther, (1951), Grumman F9F-8 Cougar, (1955), Grumman F11A Tiger, (1957), McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II, (1968), McDonnell Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II. (1974) and The Boeing F/A-18 Hornet (1986) During ceremonies on November 8, 1986, celebrating their 40th anniversary year, the Blue Angels unveiled their present aircraft, the sleek McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, the first dual role fighter/attack aircraft now serving on the nation's front lines of defense. |
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