Has the US Navy outsourced the Blue Angels?

[unhappycamper]

Civilian jet team stars at air show
By Doug Pacey - The (Tacoma, Wash.) News Tribune
Posted : Friday Jul 16, 2010 13:26:33 EDT

TACOMA, Wash. — Never heard of the Patriots Jet Team? You will hear them soon.

The high-performance civilian jet team will introduce itself to the South Sound as the show-stopping final act at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Air Expo on Saturday and Sunday.

With an expected weekend turnout of at least 300,000, the expo is the biggest public event on the base all year, and one of the bigger events in the region — more heavily attended than the busiest weekend of last year’s Puyallup Fair.

The Patriots might not have the familiarity of the Thunderbirds, the elite Air Force flying team and air show mainstays. They might not have the cachet of the Navy’s Blue Angels. But they will thrill and dazzle just the same.

“Our entertainment value is pretty high,” lead pilot Dean “Wilbur” Wright said Thursday after the Patriots took a few media representatives and VIPs for the ride of their lives.



unhappycamper comment: Or is the Navy trying to save gas?

[branders seine]

1. The Blue Angels are the Navy (and Marines)

The Air Force is the Thunderbirds

[unhappycamper]

2. Thanks, corrected.

I was scratching my head with Air Force and Blue Angels in the same header.

[MineralMan]

3. I couldn't see in the article that the Navy and Air Force teams

are being disbanded. Just that a civilian team is now doing the shows, too. Am I missing something?

[hack89]

4. There are several corporate sponsored flight demonstration teams.

This is no big deal.

[PacerLJ35]

5. Kind of a disingenuous title...the USN didn't outsource anything

The Patriot Jet Team is a civilian-owned and operated stunt team that airshows can hire to perform. They aren't under contract by the military or anyone else...it's no different than also seeing the Red Bull aerobatic team or some other civilian team flying around...the only exception is this is supposedly the only civilian all-jet team.

They fly the L-39, which is a Czech-made aircraft used as a jet trainer around the world, and they are also owned by individuals since they can be bought for a relatively cheap price (for a jet).

The airshow organizers probably booked them as the final act because the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels were committed elsewhere. When military installations put on airshows (like Joint Base Lewis-McChord), they have a limited amount of money for the airshow...they will often seek local and corporate sponsors to pay for the hefty fees of the demonstration teams. Most of the funds the military spends is involved with lodging, etc for the crews that fly in static displays.

[MineralMan]

6. Seems like the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds schedules

are pretty darned full, to me:

http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/index.htm

http://thunderbirds.airforce.com/schedule.html

Maybe they just can't make every air show and other place they're wanted. That'd be my guess.