Supervisor seeks to ban Blue Angels from San Francisco

[Squatch]

San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly Tuesday introduced a resolution in favor of banning the annual aerial show above San Francisco performed by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.

Daly cited a history of air show fatalities including the April 21 death of a Blue Angels pilot performing an air show in Beaufort, S.C.

"The potential for an accident in San Francisco is significant," Daly told the Board of Supervisors. The resolution would call upon federal representatives to attempt to halt the annual flights.

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I'm not a big fan of these demonstrations for another reason. For about 75% of the time when the Blue Angels or T-birds are performing their routines, you don't see anything.

You'll see a couple jets with their asses on fire zip by, then disappear over the horizon as they set up their next pass. Sometimes, you can see the jets in the FAR distance in formation, but they're literally miles away. ZOOOOOOM....quiet....quiet....quiet....ooh, here they come....ZOOOOOOOM....quiet....quiet....quiet...

Now, I'll watch an aerial performer like Patty Wagstaff any day. Her routine is RIGHT THERE in front of you and absolutely spellbinding how she literally *throws* her plane through the sky.

[RebelOne]

1. I have seen the Blue Angels perform at Dobbins Air Reserve base

here in Marietta, GA. And they are not miles away. In fact, they are right above you.

[Squatch]

6. I disagree.

I've seen the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds at:

- Oceana, NAS (the last airshow that featured active duty F-14s)
- Seattle, WA (I've seen this one a few time)
- Tacoma, WA
- Andrews, AFB
- Jacksonville, FL
- A couple more I can't remember

In each of those shows, I was bored to tears. A couple of the maneuvers are right above you, but the bulk of the show takes place far off in the distance.

[EnviroBat]

2. Patty is frikkin amazing!

I didn't think that a plane could do things like that...

[Squatch]

7. And, um...she looks great in a flight suit.

Or, should I say 1/2-way in a flight suit.

[EnviroBat]

13. Indeed!

:thumbsup:

[JohnyCanuck]

3. On the plus side,

At least they won't be dropping depleted uranium on your heads, a side benefit included for the benefit of the Iraqi USAF/USN air show viewers.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

4. Chris Daly is an idiot.

God he used to fucking annoy me when I lived in SF.

[Solo_in_MD]

14. He is clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer

[Ian David]

5. It's still more exciting than watching a bunch of cars going around a straight track for hours. n/t

[cobalt1999]

8. Actually, if the cars were going around a STRAIGHT track...

that would be pretty entertaining. :)

Problem is they go around a round track, that's kind of boring.

*edit for spelling*

[Ian David]

9. Just fold the end of the track through the 4th dimension. n/t

[Clark2008]

12. Do you really think people watch it for the cars zooming by?

No. They watch in anticipation of a wreck. When Dale Sr. died, the outpouring of grief was compounded by those who knew they had only watched racing for years in hopes something like that would happen.

[VP505]

10. I like the Thunderbirds and Blue Angles

IMO, the biggest reason for them to perform is National Pride, unfortunately since 2001 I am not sure military demos are still something to be proud of. BTW, I am NOT suggesting that those skilled pilots and or the Military deserves to be disparaged for that, it all on the squatters in the White House for abusing them as well as "we the people".

[MikeNearMcChord]

11. Well Chris Daly has just given Bill O'Reilly

a new topic, so he can avoid talking about real issues.