Low Quality Image of Something Really Kool.

The Blue Angles are here!!!

That is pretty cool.

Yes, it is.

I thought they were grounded because of the whole federal budget nonsense, but I guess they must have resolved that.

They'll be back at the Dayton Air Show this year. Coupla years ago we found a sneaky spot to watch where they flew right over our heads as they approached the approved viewing site. We could almost touch them, it felt like. We screamed and yelled, tears in our eyes. NOthing like it. So some of them spoke at the college and snuck away to watch. Small room, military guys everywhere, the beautiful Angels talking to us. Heaven. Could be my nephew someday.

Moar.

Aaaarrrgghh!!!! Damn shutterlag! That second one was an awesome pic, too.

Cool pics Fargon.

very cool pics!

This just bums out the whole thing, after closing a city park and the best beach for the weekend they put up this.

Yes, but it's for safety, it's not personal.

If it is that dangerous, then why do it in a populated area?

http://www.airfest.com/ These people are making too much money. This show should be free to the public. That is why they closed off street side parking, as far as a mile from the airport. The Town of Campbell (French Island) SUX.

Sounds like a good show, in the air and static displays on the ground. You don't have to buy the $4500 two day chalet, you can get a ticket for $10.
I see Deke Slayton's name as providing the suck to be chosen as one of the invitations the Navy/Pentagon decides to honor, but he's dead so who's running the show? And who's profiting?

After the expenses of insurance, portable toilets, trash pickup, fencing and other logistics, like invitation only black tie parties, where does the money go?
The website says, "The airshow benefits charities and organizations." Hmm, "charities", that should be cool, although which ones and for how much, can be abused. But "organizations", that reeks of politics.

OK, who benefits, politically, monetarily, and socially? :tinfoil:

fargon;900116 wrote:

This show should be free to the public.

I agree 100%, Fargon. We're paying for the planes, fuel, and pilot training, pilot and crew salaries, as well as the salaries of everyone else involved in putting on these shows. We shouldn't have to pay to see something we already own.

Unless, of course the $10 you paid to see them goes to some charity.;)

Just some FYI:

Jane's (page 9, under "Core Findings") lists the cost per flight hour (cpfh) for an F-18 as $11,000 to $24,400. Again, that's per hour.

As far as I know the Navy does not receive any compensation for the Blue Angles.

The Blue Angels aren't putting on the show, they are one of the acts, the feature act, but get no money from it. It's these other unknown people using a dead astronaut's name putting on the show.

I see Deke Slayton Airfest La Crosse, Deke Slayton Airfest Madison, Deke Slayton Airfest Tomah. Looks like they all are about the same show.

Whoever is running this thing is working hard to maximize the income. They're targeting high rollers, low rollers, companies, organizations, and "club" packages galore. It's so slick I suspect this has been going on for some time. Maybe since before Slayton died in 1993.

But we still don't know who has their hands in the till, the only thing we know is it ain't fargon.

fargon;900149 wrote:

As far as I know the Navy does not receive any compensation for the Blue Angles.

xoxoxoBruce;900151 wrote:

The Blue Angels aren't putting on the show, they are one of the acts, the feature act, but get no money from it.

Who said they did?

I fucked up and spoke to soon, and did not have all my facts. The Deke Slayton Airfest used to be free, and was supported by business sponsors. The Insurance company got greedy and now they have to charge admission. The parking situation is the city trying to recoup expenses from extra police and fire. The only business that got hurt is the American Legion. I imagine that the Post Commander is pissed, Airfest was one of their biggest weekends.

Gravdigr;900156 wrote:

Who said they did?

You said,

We're paying for the planes, fuel, and pilot training, pilot and crew salaries, as well as the salaries of everyone else involved in putting on these shows.

No we're not paying the salaries of everybody else involved in putting on these shows. We're only paying the Blue Angels(40 million) who are performing for free.

Perhaps I should have been clearer:

I was referring to "everyone involved in putting on these shows" in the sense of "everyone involved with the putting on of the Blue Angels portion of said shows".

Why would I think the American tax-payer was paying the salary of a fucking hotdog vendor, or paying the salary of the t-shirt hawker?

JFC.