Camp Springs, Maryland, USA, May 1990 US Navy "Blue Angels" fly formation during the annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base. The Blue Angels Air Shows demonstrate choreographed flight skills of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron. The air shows include graceful fast-paced aerobatic maneuvers of two, four and six planes flying in formation. During their aerobatic demonstration, the Blues fly six F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, split into the Diamond Formation (Blue Angels 1 through 4) and the Lead and Opposing Solos (Blue Angels 5 and 6). Credit: Mark Reinstein
Camp Springs, Maryland. May 1990 US Navy "Blue Angels" fly formation during the annual air show at Andrews Air Force Base. The Blue Angels Air Shows demonstrate choreographed flight skills of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron. The air shows include graceful fast-paced aerobatic maneuvers of two, four and six planes flying in formation. During their aerobatic demonstration, the Blues fly six F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, split into the Diamond Formation (Blue Angels 1 through 4) and the Lead and Opposing Solos (Blue Angels 5 and 6). Most of the show alternates between maneuvers performed by the Diamond Formation and those performed by the Solos. The Diamond, in tight formation and usually at lower speeds (400Êmph), performs maneuvers such as formation loops, barrel rolls, and transitions from one formation to another. The Solos showcase the high performance capabilities of their individual aircraft through the execution of high-speed passes, slow passes, fast rolls, slow rolls, and very tight turns. The fastest speed flown during an air show is 700Êmph (just under Mach 1) and the slowest speed is 120Êmph. Some of the maneuvers include both solo aircraft performing at once, such as opposing passes (toward each other in what appears to be a collision course) and mirror formations (back-to-back. belly-to-belly, or wingtip-to-wingtip, with one jet flying inverted). The Solos join the Diamond Formation near the end of the show for a number of maneuvers in the Delta Formation. Credit: Mark Reinstein
Size: 3751px × 2458px
Location: Andrews Air Force Base, Camp Springs, Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA,
Photo credit: © mark reinstein / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -18, .., aerobatic, air, america, angels, barrel, blue, delta, demonstration, diamond, fighters, flight, formation, hornets, jet, jets, loops, mach, maryland, military, naval, navy, north, pilots, planes, rolls, show, speed, squadron, states, united, usa, wingtip
