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Old 20th Aug 2018, 03:36
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Commando Cody
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: USA
Posts: 238
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Blue Angels F-4 film

There was a documentary filmed in the 1971 season called Threshold: The Blue Angels experience. It w3as released in 1974, ironically the year when the Blues transitioned to the A-4F. Leslie Nielsen was the narrator, and it's a very '70s kind of film (the closing song is terrible), but about the best film you'll find of the F-4J serving with the Blues.

It was originally on VHS and later released on DVD. The DVD, though, is just a direct transfer from VHS to DVD, not remastered. I suppose they didn't have the money to do that. It's still for sale; I have both versions of it. There's a version that appears to be from a foreign source on YouTube.

One interesting thing: A signature maneuver of the Blues with almost all their jets (including the Phantom), was all six making the final landing simultaneously in the triangle/wedge formation (runway width permitting). although this was one a few times with the Hornets, it was dropped early on. I've heard that it has something to do with the Hornet's stability on touchdown that precludes doing that. Since this maneuver is something unique to the Blues and has no operational significance, it really wasn't worth figuring out modifications to address that since the aircraft is perfectly safe for all normal touchdowns.
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