1:57 PM: Thanks for the tips. Took us a while to confirm, but yes, a Blue Angels jet (#7) is due in at Boeing Field any time now for the Seafair winter logistics meetings. The Museum of Flight is hosting as always. The full team is scheduled to perform during Seafair’s biggest weekend, August 5-7.
2:49 PM: From the Museum of Flight via Twitter:
They’re here! pic.twitter.com/mhJicVDnAU
— The Museum of Flight (@museumofflight) January 19, 2022
Think about how much of the military money could be spent on libraries and homeless shelters that are wasted on polluting stunt planes…
@Derek, I do agree with you, but this is such a Seattle response that it probably belongs over on Slog. Having said that, I am looking forward to seeing them (for a change) now that they’re flying Super Hornets – they’ve made due with their previous mounts since 1986.
Even if these Super Hornets are as quiet as real hornets, they are both still a nuisance.
The US military is a jobs program. We already spend money on libraries and the homeless, to varying success.
The annual budget these days for the Blue Angels is $35.75 million. The pilots are all current, active-duty Naval and USMC officers who would be flying other fighter jets (mostly F18s) all year, anyway. Their near-daily practice 100% overlaps with their combat flight practice training on or off the team. The F18s they fly are simply F18s with fancy paint jobs, a 40-pound control stick spring installed, and an attached paraffin wax smoke trail generator. Considering that several hundred thousand spectators in each metro area they perform get 4 amazing shows in a row each year, it’s possibly the most cost-effective entertainment in the entire Nation.
Derek, for once I agree with you. And it’s not just “military” money, it’s tax dollars – proving once again how bloated the military budget is.
WSB. Speaking of summer activities have you heard anything about our parade? Also, have you heard if Seattle will have a full cruise ship season?
Yes, we asked Rotary Club leaders about the parade today while covering a scholarship presentation we’ll be writing about before night’s end. They’re still waiting to hear if the city will grant permits for such things this year. As for cruising, not determined yet as far as I know.
https://www.portseattle.org/maritime/cruise
Fingers crossed that West Seattle will have our big outdoor all neighborhoods garage sale! Have missed it!!
I love the Blue Angels. Looking forward to seeing them back at Seafair.
Truly one of the most selfish entertainment acts people can do to terrify wildlife…
Military does a lot of destruction it seems. I am surprised how blindly we’re willing to give so much from our taxes to it.
The best flight team in the best corner of the best Nation 🇺🇸
Delridge neighbor. Don’t leave out those noisy commercial and private planes also!!! They do just as much damage to wildlife and environment!!! They’re JUST AS dangerous and terrifying to wildlife and environment!!!!
Woohoo! Hopefully the Blue Angels can be back this year! Can’t wait to watch them perform
I miss everything about Seafair… the Hydro’s, Blue Angels, Bon Odori, Torchlight Parade, NHRA @Pac Raceway and even the crowds and crowds of people but the one thing that will keep me away from any of these is the crowds. Call me silly but I just retired and didn’t think it would be like this when I did, to not feel comfortable in gatherings like these.
I think it was one of your natives, middling famous poet Richard Hugo, who wrote about spending an afternoon watching hydro’s at Lk Washington, and when he returned home, wondered what he had just wasted 3 hours doing. That’s how I feel about watching planes swoop around the sky.
Wonderful news. So happy to see them back. It’s SUCH a part of summer. Yes, we could stop spending on this an distribute ALL that money as an extra $0.001 per civic organization in the United States. Come on. That’s silly. Is it noisey? YES, that’s half the fun. It’s 30 minutes (two shows) once a year. If that’s “too much” for you, I don’t know what to say LOL. Perhaps we should shutdown the Puyallup Fair, all that noise and light bother the wild life that would OTHERWISE be able to live on that land if we plowed it under to natural habitat again. And why not just tear down Seattle (skyscrapers and everyone’s home) which is ALL sitting on native land stolen from the original tribes who lived here, and involved deforesting the entire Puget Sound basin to build a “city” (concrete, roads, apts, single family homes). LOL. NO ONE is volunteering to give up their house and give their land back to a native tribe or to turn their home/land into natural habitat. I get it if you hate the city, the Fair, or this very very very short once a year event, but that’s ok, you have the RIGHT to not like it. But I’m glad it’s back!
Each blue Angel uses around 8,000 pounds of avgas per hour. What makes things worse than that is aviation fuel has lead (Pb) in it. That should be enough of a warning to any parent wouldn’t want their children forced to be exposed to lead and 80,000 pounds of jet fumes for entertainment.https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp76.pdf
Delridge Neighbor, Jet engines do not burn gasoline, They use Kerosene (jet fuel). Which is lead free. Home Depot sells Kerosene heaters for indoor use.
Graciano, you probably want to fact check first. Most aviation in the US (over 190,000 to date) use avgas and it contains lead additives (Tetraethyllead)https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/avgas/env_airports
Fact-checking: No, the Blue Angels and other *jet* aircraft do NOT use leaded fuel.
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/leaded-aviation-fuel-and-environment
WSB do you have any sources that you could share with me where you got your answer? I must be missing something.
Yes, it was cited in my comment. From the linked FAA page: “Jet aircraft and turbine-powered, propeller aircraft do not use avgas, but instead use fuels very similar to kerosene, which does not contain a lead additive.”
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Thanks for the correction WSB. I thought the blue angles used a mixture of half avgas and half jp-4 or jp-5.
Droll, but not without a few valid jabs, to be honest. I’ll deal with it, planes, boats and all. I was a regular attendee of the Bon Odori in the SFV (link below) so will check out the Seattle version this summer, if it isn’t canceled. (No, that is not me that the camera is focusing on)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiU3lQ7mTlw
Our church puts on the Seattle Bon Odori every year. It’s wonderful. A Seafair staple. Our beef bowls are a can’t-miss!
Thanks, I will go with your recommendation and give the beef bowl a try :)
My family went to Bon Odori every year when I was younger, Aunt, Uncle and cousin would come up from Alameda and our Uncle, Aunt and Cuz’s living here we’d all set up an area and make it an all day thing, it was fun. Memories of childhood!
I hate the Blue Angels. Their performances are an intrusive, self-aggrandizing spectacle. They are costly, very costly, and they pollute. Military budget is way over bloated already. These are war planes, not toys to show off. Those days should be long behind us and any civilized nation. Russia, China and North Korea all enjoy having big military parades and shows of power, completely unnecessary for any true world leaders. The noise volume and disruption terrorizes animals, anyone who’s experienced war firsthand, and veterans with PTSD; as well as some of the rest of us too.
My husband is a former Navy SEAL and we are both combat veterans. I can assure you that we find the sound of U.S. fighter jets to be one of support, relief, and rescue. Like approaching fire engine sirens when your house is threatened by fire.
Rhonda, Thank you to you and your husband for your service to protect us people in the USA!
Sorry, comment time is over.
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