For all Blue Angel fans out there, you may find this interesting! This is straight from the transcript of their show callouts used in practice. This is what the calls would be over the radio for the Diamond Aileron Roll into the setup for the Diamond Dirty Loop:


"We're in a left turn for the Diamond Aileron Roll. 4: Take it in.
Easing the pull, rolling out, the Diamond Aileron Roll (Pilots check in). Easing a little power (150 AGL, 85%, 385-400), smoke on pull. 4: let's ease it out to half clear. A little pull (1.2nm, 1.2g, 3 deg climb). Ready, hit it! 4: Take it in. Smoke off push.
Coming right, a little pull. Easing a little power (84%, close to 340-350). 4: let's ease it out. Coming further right, a little pull. We're behind the crowd setting up for the Diamond Dirty Loop, taxi light on. Easing the pull, rolling out (hdg CL, 2.0 BTC, 700 AGL)

We're BTC setting up the Diamond Dirty Loop, taxi light on.
Easing the pull, rolling out (2nm BTC, hdg CL, 84%, 340-350, 700 AGL) (directly behind CP). Stand by boards, boards, one potato, two. Stand by the boards, boards, all the way out. Coming right, a little pull. We're in a right turn for the Diamond Dirty Loop. Stand by gear, gear. Drop the hooks. Boards up, push. Adding a little power, flaps AUTO on. 4: Take it in to the aft set.

A little more pull, rolling out, the Diamond Dirty Loop, a little drive (200...) Burners ready now, pop, pop (@ 1nm CL accel 250). Up we go, a little more pull..."

Abbreviations
BTC = behind the crowd
CL = crowd left
CP = center point
AGL = above ground level

Note: The Diamond Aileron Roll is the same maneuver the Thunderbirds call the Bon-Ton Roulle. The Thunderbirds do not perform a dory loop however.

Thanks LD - nice find

Hello there!

I love airshows, and like listening to radiocomms, but unfortunately not that good at English.

Could someone decript a few expressions for me please?

What is:

1 "Take it in" -- something like "let's go"?

2 "let's ease it out to half clear"

3 "Stand by boards, boards, one potato, two" -- probably nav lights?

4 "to the aft set"

5 "a little drive"

6 "Burners ready now, pop, pop" -- "burners" are apparently "afterburners" but what is "pop, pop"?

Flipper wrote:1 "Take it in" -- something like "let's go"?

2 "let's ease it out to half clear"

3 "Stand by boards, boards, one potato, two" -- probably nav lights?

4 "to the aft set"

5 "a little drive"

6 "Burners ready now, pop, pop" -- "burners" are apparently "afterburners" but what is "pop, pop"?

1) Close formation (tightening up from 12ft to as little as 18 inches depending on maneuver).

2) Opposite of close formation, loosen the formation (go from a tight 18 inches in some cases to 12ft). A certain distance is called "clear", for example more than 12ft. So, "half clear" in that case would be 6ft separation.

3) Speedbrakes (and a one second, two seconds count before extending them fully).

4) Every formation has a "set". In some diamond passes they fly with a tight formation and the aircraft more fore on lead, in other formations they fly with a "set" placing the aircraft further aft on lead's jet.

5) "A little drive" refers to "holding it steady" and accelerating for instance for a short period of time.

6) "Pop, pop" is when they move the throttle over the afterburner detents on the throttle arm.

Lawndart

sorry to bring this post back up but is approx 18 inches as close as the Blue Angels get? and isn't that the same for the Thunderbirds? just curious

Scooter

Just watched the Blues on the Discovery Channel and their Pass in Review or Diamond 360 they say they get within a foot between #2/3.

Tbirds have gotten so close on a few occasions they have actually bumped wingtips with other aircraft (bumped meaning just very lightly hit).

Thanks for the answers Lawndart.

I've got another one Why do they do some kind of check-in's occasionally during a demo?

The BA-way is for each pilot to key in with his callsign after the Boss calls the next maneuver so everyone is on the same page. The Thunderbirds do a similar thing, with only #2 (left wing) verifying the maneuver, unless they setup for a transitional maneuver like a Trail to Diamond roll, then all pilots check in since they will be changing formation during the maneuver. Basically #2's job is to always backup the Boss and make sure he flies the profile. The BA on the other hand always have every pilot check-in.

Lawndart

I passed by a video The Blue Angels 50th Year hosted by John Travolta at Boeing Field and they said in the thing they get as close as 12 inches (not in wingtip distance) but canopy distance! A great video for anybody interested in the Blues.

that depends on what they're doing

Hey heres a pic of how close the thunderbirds get ( #3 and #4 aircraft )
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/905387/L/

Great picture of the incident in Chicago. But even then they were not as close as usual in a Pass In Review. In a tight PIR the missle rails of #2 and #3 are almost touching directly above the canopy of #4. #2 and #3's canopy is almost dirctly under the missle rail of #1. Now that is tight. It is a pretty sweet picture when it is done that tight and nicely.

Convertible

As with all formation teams conditions that play a factor in how close they get are:

1: Terrain (Land or Sea. Heat currents are different).
2: Weather (Visibility, Wind, Ceilings).
3: Texture (Turbulence)
4: Training (Early in the year vs. late in the season).
5: Previous grading (Every show, every maneuver is critiqued hard and only with consistent high scores are they allowed to close in the formations or fly lower).
6: Type of maneuver (PIR is a flat pass, a Looping maneuver would never be flown as tight for example).
7: Stack (When #2 and #3 close it in with rail-to-rail separation, #4 has to fly a deeper stack, i.e. further down in the formation).

Just to name a few things that factor in how tight they fly. The Thunderbirds in general fly less stack than the Blues and that combination along with the smaller F-16 makes them appear further apart, but in the same "plane" whereas the Blues are more known for tight stacks, but asymmetrical planforms to wow the crowd. It does look cool when they fly that close together, especially in a darker tone, bigger F/A-18 as well. If you're looking for a foot separation for any of these teams though, you'd probably have to shoot for an airshow late in the year when the team is in sync and going strong on all cylinders. Early season shows tend to be a little rough at times, but for the average viewer, they'd more than likely never notice errors. Then just hope for good weather as well and calm winds! With less shear possible, the tighter they may elect to fly and over water shows lends themselves better to a tight pass given the even heat current from a body of water (less texture).

LD