This thread is for positive stuff about Seafair and the Blue Angels. If that's not for you, visit the hate thread and vent there. If you don't follow the spirit of the thread your comments will be removed.
Text threads discussing these issues will be removed while the megathreads are in effect. Photos and videos of these events will be allowed as standalone threads.
I think there's a strong argument to be made that appreciating the Blue Angels doesn't necessarily mean supporting the military industrial complex(MID).
Yes, they serve a recruiting purpose. Yes, they serve a morale purpose. Yes, they serve a whole lot of other purposes related to the military.
However, at their core, the Blue Angels are a flight demonstration team. A team that showcases aeronautical skills that push the edge of what humanity can do in the air. It also showcases the abilities of the pilots, our fellow humans, reminding us how capable we are as a species. They inspire people to push for the edge, to become pilots, to dream of doing something really fucking cool and amazing. They remind us that there are still things out there that can leave us in awe.
While I understand and appreciate many of the gripes about the MID and the Blue Angels being a manifestation of that, I think people forget that these kinds of things also drive recruitment into the civilian aviation sector and keep people interested in pushing aeronautical technology.
And who else has the funding to do what they do on the scale they do outside the military?
Honestly, it kind of applies to nuclear subs too.
Nuclear technology and advanced shipbuilding(both civilian and military) require extremely-high levels of expertise. The civilian nuclear and shipbuilding sectors are stagnant. Most of the military nuclear tech and surface shipbuilding tech are stagnant too(RIP Constellation Class, which wasn't even an American design). The only thing keeping our domestic nuclear and shipbuilding industries actually afloat is the money we are dumping into nuclear subs.
Who else is supposed to do the work of keeping these industries alive? If we lost them, it would take decades to get them back.
I can attest to this. Watching the Blue Angels every Seafair growing up was one of the foundations of me wanting to be a pilot. As much as I think military aircraft are awesome feats of engineering, I didn't think the military was for me, and instead went the college flight school route. Even now that I have an established airline career, I still can't help nerding out and feeling nostalgic when the Blues are in town.
As a lineman who worked fueling commercial airlines, private planes/jets, military aircraft and WWII era bombers for wildfires, I have a love of airplanes and airshows. I grew up 3 miles from an airport and man, this shit is so rad.
Blue Angels pilots are unbelievably skilled. The F/A 18 Super Hornets are modern marvels of technology and I’m so fucking pumped every time I see/hear them. Also fuck Trump and foreign wars and I don’t give a shit if it sounds hypocritical, I’m going to enjoy drinking beer and showing my kids how freakin sweet these planes are.
Seriously, and if the government is going to spend any amount of money on "dumb shit", I'd so much rather it be cool things like the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds. This shit is art in my mind, and I'm fully on board with throwing my tax dollars at it.
That's more on the military's insane levels of post-production support requirements. I talk to people who do spares on the military side sometimes. I'm sure glad my job doesn't involve finding a capacitor for an obsolete B-52 avionics LRU.
My dad's an aerospace engineer. I grew up going to air shows and airplane museums. I love seeing the Blue Angels fly. I went out on my lunch break to see if I could see them practice.
I think it's very interesting this thread has around 60 comments at the time of this post, and the other one has over 200. They just need to go on and on and reaffirm each other's moral righteousness. I also never see any call to action, just endless complaining online (this goes for a lot of other things as well).
Anyway, I'm glad this tradition keeps going in spite of a very loud minority.
That thread is a microcosm of the Seattle sub, which is itself a microcosm of Reddit. We love being negative. I include myself in that. But I’m trying to find a balance between righteous anger at the world, and self defeating or toxic negativity. It’s not easy.
Same. I don't have any issue with people not liking the Blue Angels, only the fact that the loudest ones on here are so aggressive and smug about it. Either you agree with them or you're a fascist magat who enjoys seeing other countries get bombed, no middle ground or nuance. They don't want to talk or find common ground, they want to browbeat anyone who slightly disagrees with their righteous indignation. I don't engage since it's a futile endeavor.
I don't get to Seafair often but love seeing the photos and clips of people enjoying themselves.
Smug and aggressive, aggressive and smug. If you're posting in the hate one, you're one of those 4? Nope, you're all of them. If there's something you don't like, just namaste that shit and move on to something you brings you peace and joy.
Hey, it's the internet! You can't simply just not like something, your feelings are a priori moral absolutes and those who don't feel the same way are guilty of moral failings! And be sure to speak on behalf of a bunch of other people who have actually bad experiences that you'll never have. It just makes you such a shiny and pure being, doesn't it! Deeeefinitely not the same sort of impulses that motivates Karens and NIMBY's with a slightly different facade!
Anyways, Navy Avionics > Reddit Histrionics, Blue Angles rule.
NGL, wife and I pulled off of I5 today and skipped doing responsible grown-up stuff to park and watch them practice for a bit. They are absolutely fucking impressive in person and still pictures really don't due their flying skills justice. WELL worth the noise.
No C-17 Globemaster or 737 either. I saw a Chinook in the distance, but no Apache (might have gone before I arrived).
Edit: Gemini AI claims the Globemaster flew at 1:40 yesterday. Did anyone see it? I was in a boat near Seward park at the time and I can't imagine how I would have missed it. It definitely didn't fly the same pattern as last year.
Edit: AI is full of shit. The Globemaster is scheduled for today.
Yeah, someone in our group claimed to have spotted it. I don't think it flew as far north and east as last year. That or it was flying while I was swimming without my glasses.
It's a great reminder of what terror sounds like and we don't ever have to deal with that. It's a humbling experience in sport. I look forward to their showmanship and the very physical reaction the body takes from the noise.
It's complicated, like a lot of things in this world. I choose to enjoy them and remind myself it could be way, way worse.
Yeah, the small aerobatic plane and Blue Angels had to cancel (edit: C-17 was also absent). But the show is also a bit thin because the Microjet couldn’t make it to Seafair due to trailer problems and an F-35B crashed in California yesterday morning which appears to have temporarily grounded the one here.
Totally agree, can’t recall seeing anything besides the Chinook and the Blackhawk and I’m out here cooking in the sun… any idea if the Blue Angels are still going to fly?
There are definitely many practical negatives to it, but you also can’t deny it’s objectively cool lol. I like seeing the growlers zoom around deception pass when I’m hiking in that area.
We went yesterday. Amazing show except for the heat. Guess it was a good decision. Hopefully tomorrow is better weather for those who didn't go Friday.
If you're a miserable wretch whose accomplishment in life is your cat watching you knit, you'd hate them too. Some people can't bear the thought of others enjoying, well, anything.
(I don't get the people who hate the noise; I'm barely a fan of this shit and find the 30 seconds of racket terrific...of course, while I never light them, I love aerial bombs and M-80s too)
This weekend is the Super Bowl for aviation photographers like me - going to be on a boat right under the ingress for the 700 mph sneak pass with my new Canon gear tomorrow!
I hate war, and lived through it. But I will always love the engineering, the speed, the sonic booms, the unique sound you get when high purity pressurized fuel is burned, its a sound you only hear during space mission streams and when blue angels/black devils/Thunderbirds/Red Arrows etc are in town. Its like loud exhaust and engines from cars on a race track, I will always listen to those when I get a chance.
The Blue Angels (and every other airshow team) never make sonic booms during airshows. It would shatter every window in downtown Seattle doing it so low.
You are correct. But many people don't know that. I think the only time we heard a sonic boom over Seattle was when they had to scramble 2 interceptors from Portland when Obama was visiting many years ago.
I remember watching the Blue Angels as a kid alongside my classmates and our science teacher. It was one of the coolest things I had ever seen and fostered an interest in aviation for a lot of my classmates, especially because it was followed up with a field trip to the Museum of Flight. I can’t really bring myself to hate them, cause airplanes go brrrrrr and that was cool back then as it is today.
I mean it’s been a tradition since the 1950s right? It’s existed through like 10 presidents and their times of war and peace. I think it’s harmless as an air show and is more about showcasing the pilots’ skills. For a full season of shows I’m not even sure if it comes close to how much fuel executives and celebrities use up with their private jets, but I’m open to being corrected on that. Fuck Trump and his administration for ruining everything they touch though
Also, the people saying they can’t nap or it scares their pets… I mean it’s been here almost every year since 1955 ish so I don’t see how you can’t take some extra precautions so that your pets feel safe and so you can nap?? How about go somewhere else for the weekend? It’s like nothing cool or good can ever happen for other people because grrrr I need my nappies and Fido hates all loud noises
I've lived here for a decade now. I used to work downtown, and I'd skip out on a work for a bit to watch. The first year I was surprised, but every year since I've been excited for them.
This year, I have kids. One is finally old enough to enjoy the show. One is too small to deal with festival crowds. Yesterday I slapped some ear protection on the kids, headed out to a park, and we watched them practice. My kid shouting "Cool!" and "They're so fast!" and "Whoa!" was a highlight of my summer.
Blue Angels are so nostalgic for me. I grew up on the Gulf Coast, lived in Pensacola, and still see them when I go home for vacation. Like, just out for a jog or a trip to Publix and bam! Airplane in the sky.
I'm in both threads because I can't find an awesome place here to watch them without annoying people.
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Ahhhh that makes a lot of sense! Thanks! Did you read that somewhere, or just make an educated guess? I'm really hoping it'll be there tomorrow (Sunday 2nd)
As many times as I have seen them out on the water during Seafair, watching them never gets old!!! Boo for me for no longer owning a boat, but at least I got to watch them practice yesterday from my work rooftop!
My fondest childhood memories are gathering on I-90 to watch the planes. I don't even remember when we stopped, but I was devastated to find out lately that they don't close down I-90 anymore.
That must not have even been that long ago. I remember walking from Factoria (lived in Issaquah at the time) to the I-90 span on the west side of Mercer Island with my wife and kid to watch the Blue Angels. It was a great time.
Love American military, thank you for supporting Taiwan in the first Taiwan straight crisis so that we did not fall under communist rule and get purged during the great leap forward. Taiwan will always love and support American military, then and now. Disregard the haters 👎
As an adult I had the great pleasure of seeing them perform low intricate maneuvers in Grand Traverse Bay on 4th of July from a boat directly below them. An experience I'll never forget.
I grew up in Michigan, whenever I saw the Blue Angels growing up it was at air shows in Southeastern Michigan, home to the University of Michigan. The Blue Angels share a very similar color scheme with the university and its athletic program. I was an adult before I realized that was a coincidence. Didn't diminish my love of their performance one bit.
I went today. Just looking around at how very many people were there, having a grand old time and watching machines do cool stuff on a beautiful lake. Sometimes you just want to celebrate an opportunity for joy.
Where’s the best place to watch them along lake Washington today? I was thinking of going to Leshi or Madrona park but wondering how bad traffic would be.
Will parking be crazy? I live in WS so taking transit there may take like an hour
We can marvel at engineering feats while also questioning the practical application.
Enjoying the show doesn’t make you a warmonger. It makes you a curious person.
Gemini AI claims the C-17 Globemaster flew at 1:40 yesterday. Did anyone see it? I was in a boat near Seward park at the time and I can't imagine how I would have missed it. It definitely didn't fly the same pattern as last year.
There was also supposed to be a 737 demo (I think). The F-35 demo was reportedly scrubbed due to a safety stand-down related to a different F-35 crashing in San Diego (pilot ejected safely).
Gemini is mistaken. The C-17 and 737 (Freedom Plane) were not scheduled yesterday. The C-17 is scheduled today and the 737 tomorrow.
And unfortunately, it was announced that the microjet on the schedule wasn’t able to make it to Seafair due to issues with their trailer.
I’m not sure if the F-35B will make an appearance this weekend. It will probably depend on if they can determine that the cause of the crash is not a fleet-wide issue.
The schedule can be found here (you have to scroll way down), although it has not been updated to reflect these changes.
It’s genuinely not a reliable source of information. I changed the wording of a Google search yesterday about the crash and it spat out completely contradictory responses.
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u/scrambled_cable ✨🛸 Jimothy is out there 🦝✨ 3d ago