2014 Seafair Airshow experience

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Biigs

One of the most impressive sounds ever was standing at the point where the nose gear of a group of B-1s lifted off when they launched thirty seconds apart. The first was lifting the nose as the next one was rolling.

Mine was being on the signal deck of an LPD (USS Duluth, LPD-6 now retired and probably scrapped) whilst a Harrier landed and then took off again. I'll never forget how that sound ripped through every part of my body. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen up close and personal.

Okay...I have to ask, I was at Whidbey Island doing my annual training in 1998 I think it was.. Anyway, Seafair fell during our time there and I remember people bitching about the Blues disrupting their weekend and the people saying that they loved having the Sailors and Marines there, but really wished they would have left our "depressingly gray weapons of war" at home......... Does that still go on?

a reply to: cardinalfan0596

I don't know about people whining so much but they have what's called fleet week, where the Navy, Coast Guard and Canadians come and moor some of their ships in Seattle for the public to tour. I like it. Fun to get to go on the destroyers, frigates, landing craft's, ect.
I think people whine sometimes that the Blue Angel practices/demonstrations close down the I-90 floating bridge across Lake Washington. That can cause some traffic head aches but well worth it in my opinion.

When I was in grand forks we used to fly to Minot to practice MITO takeoffs with the buffs there. Imagine 10 tankers and 10 B-52s all taking off at once with 12-15 seconds in between each takeoff. It was definitely quite the sight.

Here's a pic of the kc-135 elephant walk and a video of the B-52 alert force getting the klaxton and having to launch within 30 min. Pretty impressive.