Update: Blue Angels just landed in Seattle

Just before landing: Here’s our video of the traditional Museum of Flight flyby:

Please forgive us this non-West Seattle digression; it’s an annual thing. We’re at the Museum of Flight side of Boeing Field, where the Blue Angels have just landed for their Seafair appearances. You can see the planes through the fence on the south side of the Museum of Flight (right up against Boeing property) any time during their stay here; they’ll go up twice on Thursday to practice maneuvers, then do a practice version of their full airshow on Friday, and “the real thing” over Lake Washington Saturday and Sunday. As we’ve written here before, there’s a lot to see if you come to the MoF and watch the takeoff and landing (such as the “walkdown”) – and since the airshow site is just over the ridge east of the MoF, you get to see some flybys too. They land one by one (which is why the photo above shows just one), but then they taxi in a group – here’s how that looked, peering through the chain-link fence between the MoF parking lot and the west side of the runway:

Click To Play

Later this week – the Seafair fleet arrives (sailing in Wednesday, tours start Thursday). Two of the ships that are coming are identified on this Navy page.

wbn July 28, 2008 (2:07 pm)

My son is at camp there this week, and they get to meet some of the pilots and ground crew. It is a wonderful opportunity, and of course lots of fun.

wsblover July 28, 2008 (3:19 pm)

Nice video of the arrival. Thanks.

Meghan July 28, 2008 (3:53 pm)

Oh, boy, 200 million dollar war planes used for (risky, noise-and-fuel polluting) entertainment! Ugh.

villagegreen July 28, 2008 (3:56 pm)

Noise pollution.

Barbara July 28, 2008 (4:10 pm)

Good job on the video. What time did they get in? I was down in that area and did not even hear them. It is exciting to see the Blue Angels again.

Westwood Resident July 28, 2008 (4:11 pm)

THE SOUND OF FREEDOM RINGS ONCE MORE IN THE SKIES OF SEATTLE!!!!!!

Todd in Westwood July 28, 2008 (4:58 pm)

a classic line:

Cut to prison bus entering “U. S. Air Force Base” which is “Not
Affiliated With U. S. Air”. The prisoners are raking trash from the
grounds.

Bob: There. That’s the last condom wrapper.
[a jet flies by, blowing all the neatly piled trash away]
Oh, I renew my objection to this pointless endeavor! Informally
now and by affidavit later. Time permitting.
Wiggum: Shut your word hole! We’ve got to get this place clean for the
air show.
Bob: Air show? Buzz-cut Alabamians spewing colored smoke from their
whiz jets to the strains of “Rock You Like A Hurricane?” What
kind of countrified rube is still impressed by that?

Danno July 28, 2008 (5:19 pm)

Meghan-

Go inside and ignore them, then. They represent freedom, including your freedom to remain uninformed and ignorant. BTW the F/A-18 unit cost is about $30 million, not $200 million.

Mike July 28, 2008 (6:05 pm)

I used to enjoy them but now all I can think of when I see a fighter jet Is our brave commander in chief in his pretend pilot suit and codpiece saying ‘bring em on’. Oh how I wish that dreadful image would go away.

barb July 28, 2008 (6:20 pm)

Meghan lighten up

Danno July 28, 2008 (6:35 pm)

Mike- you need to get out more, the world is an awesome place.

Danno July 28, 2008 (6:40 pm)

And Mike, POTUS was a real fighter pilot in a jet they used to call the widowmaker, no pretend there. You need to get over BDS.

Bob Loblaw July 28, 2008 (8:31 pm)

Blue Angels are the best part of summer. The Loblaws make a big weekend out of it.

WesCAddle July 28, 2008 (8:39 pm)

$200 Million??? She must be thinking of the new 787…I’m sure it will be equally risky, noisy, and fuel polluting (whatever that means).

Mike July 28, 2008 (8:49 pm)

That’s another disturbing image – Ruprecht the idiot child flying around in something called a widowmaker. Thank god he went awol and lost his license. Certainly lived up the term widowmaker though, unfortunately.

OP July 28, 2008 (10:00 pm)

I’m always impressed by the lack of knowledge, sheer ignorance, cultural arrogance and the raw unhinged hatred for any and all things military put on display by some posters. Really, it must take a lot of work. Kudos.

WSB July 28, 2008 (11:48 pm)

Barbara – the media advisory we mentioned Sunday night had said around 11:30 am – but it was more like 12:40 pm when they finally touched down – I had the mobile office so I could keep busy while waiting by the fence, but it was a tough wait for some folks – noontime sun beating down, one dad trying to keep a strollerbound toddler happy, he finally had to give up and leave!

WSB July 28, 2008 (11:52 pm)

And thanks for the kudos. I spent years supervising guys and gals who had to go out and get just the right shots with the mega-expensive pro cameras; it’s a thrill to get a decent follow shot like that with the little handheld Sony!!!!

old timer July 29, 2008 (7:37 am)

Well, at least we will get the carbon offset for the jets’ expended fuel through the 20 cent ‘bag tax’.

Won’t we?

wsblover July 29, 2008 (8:02 am)

Barbara, it’s hard to say what time they will be in from year to year. Seems like every year they come in either an hour + earlier or an hour later. And this year they came in a day early. Usually Number 7 is the one that comes in early to fly the press around and this year it was trailing the delta formation. Thanks to WSB for the heads up as I haven’t really ever heard of an arrival time that is published very widely.

Lori July 29, 2008 (9:00 am)

I am brand new in town and my daughter would LOVE this…how do you see the airshow…and where? do I buy tickets?

WSB July 29, 2008 (9:06 am)

Hi, Lori. This is a Seafair event and you can get all the info on the Seafair site:
http://www.seafair.com

You can watch the airshow and hydro time trials at Lake Washington FREE on Friday – then Saturday and Sunday, admission is charged. This all happens on the south side of the lake – I believe the Seafair site will also point you to where to go – I’ll be writing about it here at WSB later in the week.

Lori July 29, 2008 (9:13 am)

THANKS!! I’m so looking forward to it!! I haven’t seen the Blue Angels in years.

Todd in Westwood July 29, 2008 (11:38 am)

For those interested in old motorcycles. European, Japanese and some American, there usually is a motorcycle show at Planet Georgetown (uncle moe’s) just underneath the north end of boeing Field, this saturday.
The jets come right over Georgetown during the practice, plus you get to see some choice vintage two wheeled machines.

Barbara July 29, 2008 (2:23 pm)

Lori,

There are lots of places to go see the Blue Angels. You can drive over that way park where you can and follow the crowds. You can also go over to Mercer island and go under the bridge is a fun place to watch. Just allow plenty of time.
Enjoy

booger July 29, 2008 (9:02 pm)

I love the noise and sights of the jets. I’ll take them any day. I used to live by El Toro many years ago, and loved watching the choppers go by. Some time last year, there were a few choppers doing fly by’s a few times across West Seattle, my kids were in the yard cheering them on each time. Oh, so was I. The Military can fly in my back yard any time.