One of the highlights at any NASCAR or Indy race is the fly-over by our military aircraft.

I have seen helicoptors, C-130s, jets of all types and the Stelth Bomber.

However, at the Richmond NASCAR race on Saturday, May 3, we had the Blue Angels perform a fly-over that not only was out of this world but it made you proud to be an American.

The five jets came in low over the racetrack from the north in perfect position with the white smoke eminating from their wing tips and they did a beautiful manuever over the racetrack by separating perfectly in a "flower" pattern.

Simply breathtaking.  Magnificent.  

I congratulate the Blue Angels for a spectacular fly-over.

And the race was fun, too, with Hamlin going down with a cut tire and then staying out to let Kurt Bush catch up with Junior and then having Bush wreck Junior to have Clint Boyer scoot around the accident to win the race.

When I worked for Northrup/Grumman the Blue Angles & Thunderbirds would do practice flights the week before an air show and we had first hand seats.

I live less than one mile from Selfrigde Air Base. Every year we have an air show, I spend the week before out on my deck or out on the lake watching the teams practice. I've watched the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly since I was a child, and I'm still amazed at what they do.

Falcon

Sam,

My parents took me to a Air show down in the Newport News area by one of the bases down there when I was a kid. I remember them being all exicted about these "Blue Angels" and them telling us how lucky we were to be seeing the show (some of my parents military friends brought us).

So we went and saw them. Man I do remember that show though. Even though I was young the dare devil stunts these guys pulled and the length of time they did them for was unreal. The bomb dives, the flying straight at each other and then turning last possible second in opposite directions, the formations, etc. It was incredible. Definately a sight to see. Anyone who hasn't seen them at a show needs to go one day.

Sam, what place did Busch finish? Haven't been focusing on NASCAR much lately, but he's my driver.  Been too focused on the NFL draft and such.

WOW!!!

I'm in security on Andrews AFB just outside of D.C.  Our air show is next weekend and is open to the public.  If anyone is interested shoot me a P.M. and I'll hook you up with the details.  The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds will be there.

Joe

I happened to be in Kitty Hawk one year when the BA's were having a show at NAS Oceana.  We got a free show every morning for a week.

I don't remember where Kurt ended in the Richmond race.

But it was a fun race.

I first saw the Blue Angles back in about 1960 - some of you may remember that they even had a weekly television show where the BA's would win out over some bad guy each week.

After I joing my local bass club, I was fishing with a couple of guys and found out that both of them had been mechanics for the BA's previously - pretty cool to me.

I live about 1.5 miles from Offutt Air Force Base and during the precision shows they tend to use the filed behind my house as a turnaround point.  I can watch them both during practice and also during the show.  BTW, the one picture shown above is of the Thunderbirds, this the Air Force version of the BA's and both put on an excellent show.

When I worked in the aerospace industry it was at Chennault International Airport Authority in Lake Charles, La. Chennault's runway is 10,701 x 200 feet which is capable of landing anything that flies including the space shuttle. I've seen every thing from Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 to the Russian built Antonov An-225 "Mriya" is the world's largest aircraft.

Anyway I love aircraft of all types; here one that I worked on it's Northrop/Grumman's Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS)