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Pensacola Beach Goes Full Throttle for Red, White & Blues Week July 9–12
It’s that time of year again–time to get revved up for the 2008 Red, White & Blues Week, the largest annual event on Pensacola Beach. Visitors and residents from throughout the region flock to Pensacola Beach for food, fireworks, free concerts and two air shows featuring civilian and military aircraft and of course, Pensacola’s own Blue Angels.
The week kicks off with the Blues flying Circle & Arrival maneuvers at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9 and continues with a practice session at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 10.
The full dress rehearsal begins at noon on Friday, July 11 and includes AeroShell Aerobatic Team, Vortex Aerobatics, Gary Ward, Julian MacQueen, a Search-and-Rescue (SAR) demonstration by the U.S. Coast Guard in coordination with the Air Force Parachute Water Survival School, and of course the Blue Angels flying Fat Albert (C-130) and F/A-18 Hornets. The main event, the Pensacola Beach Air Show, starts at noon on Saturday, July 12.
Following are details about aircraft and teams participating in the Pensacola Beach Air Show:
- The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team will perform a series of precision formation aerobatic maneuvers, including their bomb burst, vertical rejoin, avalanche, the breath-taking "Switch Blade", along with graceful loops and rolls in the World War II North American Advanced Trainer (AT-6).
- Vortex Aerobatics’ Pilot Ken “K9” Appezzato will perform breath-taking stunts over the skies of Pensacola Beach. Ken’s performance pushes the Vortex Eagle to the outer edges of its flight envelope in a balanced sequence of graceful barnstormer aerobatics, precise competition figures and powerful gyroscopic tumbles.
- Gary Ward Aerobatics electrifies the crowd from the get-go with a spectacular take-off maneuver. The entire sequence is jam-packed with breathtaking gyrations that range from zero speed hovers to dives in excess of 250 mph. Gary makes full use of the power and agility of the MX2 to perform many maneuvers that an "airplane just isn't supposed to do."
- Julian MacQueen gets things rolling with his Grumman Widgeon G-44. This fast, amphibious airplane takes to the sky for thrilling performance packed with dives, turns and so much more.
- The U.S. Coast Guard, in coordination with the Air Force Parachute Water Survival School, will perform a Search-and-Rescue (SAR) demonstration for spectators in their HH-65 Dolphin, a twin-engined, single main rotor, MEDEVAC-capable helicopter. Air Force personnel will parasail above Gulf waters and drop more than 500 feet, and Coast Guard pilots and rescue swimmers will demonstrate the rescue techniques used to save the lives of people in peril on the water.
- Fat Albert, a C-130 Hercules, has tricks of its own to impress the audience, such as the rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO) at a steep 45-degree angle. This maneuver allows passengers and the support crew to float weightlessly for seconds as the plane levels off.
- The Blue Angels never fail to impress crowds with thrilling passes, maneuver and rolls in F/A-18 Hornets. The Blue Angel’s highest maneuver, the vertical rolls, are performed by the Opposing Solo (up to 15,000 feet) and the lowest is the Sneak Pass (50 feet) performed by the Lead Solo. The fastest speed during the show is about 700 mph (just under Mach 1; Sneak Pass) and the slowest speed is about 120 mph (indicated speed; Section High Alpha), both flown by the solo pilots. At the end of the routine, all six aircraft join in the Delta formation. After a series of flat passes, turns, loops and rolls performed in this formation, they execute the team’s signature “fleur-de-lis” closing maneuver.
Please check back frequently as more information for the 2008 Pensacola Beach Air Show becomes available or contact the Pensacola Beach Visitors Information Center at (850) 932-1500, toll free at (800) 635-4803.