Diptych #27 // Flight Simulator '89
we are now entering the danger zone
For this article, I’ve got a wonderful tape featuring the Blue Angels and two sets of photographs from different fly-ins at my local airport. The first time I ever got to see a WWII era plane up close and personal was in 2018. A B-17 “Flying Fortress” was being shown off just a few miles away from me on a cold November weekend, so I went to check it out.
I’m not sure how I knew about it. Where I live, some events like that just get talked about. I could have overheard it at a store or maybe my family told me. I thought it would just be sitting out on the runway where the airport staff would allow people to look at it from behind the fence, but when I first arrived, I realized just how cool an event like this is.
While, yes it would certainly be interesting to go up in one of these planes from such a time past, the cost is somewhat prohibitive for a 20 minute flight. I believe a seat on the bomber was going for something near $600, which is no doubt worth it (both fly-ins I’ve attended had dozens of people go up in groups of 8-10 at a time), but only to the right person. I was very content with watching from the ground.
In addition to getting to walk right up to the plane, getting to see it take off and make a pass or two is really the highlight, of course. Planes of this era definitely sound much different and “chuggier” than newer planes, just like an older car would.
Just under a month ago, I once again caught wind of a WWII era fly-in happening at my local airport, though this time a smaller B-25. It was the first pleasant afternoon after a long hot summer, so it was the perfect day to be out on the tarmac.
Something that didn’t look very interesting in photos was the winding of the prop. Both propellers had to be manually wound in the opposite direction by half a dozen guys in order to start the plane for the first time of the day. I don’t recall the operators having to do this on the larger B-17, however, it is possible that I missed the first flight of the day and the full startup and safety procedure.
Both fly-ins were wonderful experiences. If you have a small airport near you, and this seems at all interesting, I urge you to check it out. I’ve since discovered Facebook groups and pages that list all the fly-ins in my area as they get scheduled and they happen a lot more often that I could have imagined. Anyways, here’s some more photos from the two that I went to.
Blue Angels: A Backstage Pass
Recently, the AmVets in Knoxville has been a quality source for finding the kinds of tapes that I like to digitize. Over the last two months, I’ve stopped in only a handful of times when I’ve been in the area, and I’ve sourced a stack of nearly 15 tapes from this one store alone. From train rides to self help, some of the tapes I’ve already written about, while others sit on my shelf with dozens of other tapes making up my backlog.
I will get to all of them, in time, but this one I knew would be special, so I had to get it on the channel as soon as possible. Lately, I’ve had several small digitizing jobs for family home videos come in. Just a few tapes at a time, in fact, I think the most was 6, but just enough that my output for my Youtube channel and subsequently this blog has slowed down a little. Rest assured, though, it’s not for lack of tapes!
1989 | Runtime 30 Minutes
A backstage pass to the breathtaking U.S. Navy Blue Angels experience... It's the ultimate aviation adventure music video!
Pull the "G's", feel the rush of adrenalin, fight the blackout feeling as the Blue Angels' F-18 is hurled aloft on 32,000 pounds of thundering thrust. You are there, wingtip to wingtip, at the outer limits of precision flying, with the world's greatest flight demonstration team...the legendary Blue Angels.
Since 1946, the Blues have thrilled and inspired more than 200 million people at airshows worldwide with their peerless aerial artistry. Now, watch their proud saga unfold, through rare footage from the early days of piston engine F8F Bearcats to the jet era and the awesome F-18 Hornet, backstage closeups of the critical pre-performance preparation, and insightful interviews with Blue Angels squadron members. Then, experience the moment of truth that separates Naval aviators from all others; night carrier landings. Margin for error: zero.
Plus, stunning, up-close cockpit view footage blends flawlessly with hard-driving rock music, making "Blue Angels...A Backstage Pass" an unforgettable video flight.
The End
Before I go, did you know that most local airports (and huge airports, for that matter) have aircraft graveyards? Well, at both fly-ins, access to these areas just off the runway were accessible, and I had to take some photos. Sometimes at commercial airports, the aircraft graveyards are visible on the outskirts of the runway, but here I was able to walk around freely and get up close with some of the crafts that have seen better days. Maybe if you attend one of these fly-ins you’ll get to see something like this too!
That’s it for this one! Thanks so much for checking out this edition of Diptych Newsletter. I keep Youtube Playlists of the all the wonderful media I find. You can check out the Video Archive here, and the Audio Archive here. As always, if you have any questions or comments you can get at me here or here or leave a comment below this post
See you soon.
—Forrest
I haven't seen the Blue Angels since I was a child. Thank you for your video. I really enjoyed watching that.