The author watches the Blue Angels air show from a small town airport on Long Island. A crowd gathers to watch the seven shiny blue jets as the pilots prepare for takeoff. The pilots inspect their planes and signal to the crowd before the jets power up with a vacuum-like sound. One by one, each jet taxis down the runway and takes off in tight formation, streaking into the sky. The impressive display is a reminder of the excellence and service of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps who support the country's freedom.

1. A patrioticandemotional feelinghitme onSaturdaymorningwhile watchingthe mightyBlue Angels,
the Navyand Marine Corps elite jetpilots, take off fromRepublicAirportinmy small townof
Farmingdale onLongIsland todo theirairshow performance atJonesBeachforthe Memorial Day
weekend.Ironically,accordingtotheirwebsite,the name “Blue Angels”came fromthe original team
planningtodo a showinNY in 1946 andone of the pilotscame across the name of the city’sfamous
Blue Angel nightclubinthe NewYorkerMagazine. The daywas overcast,withpatches of white andgray
cloudsinspots,yetbrightenoughto reflectsunlightoff the sevenshinybluejetssittingonlyafew
hundredyardsfromthe parkinglot fence;infact,one jetwas close enoughtoreadthe namesinscribed
inyellowscriptabove the wingandbelow the cockpit:Lieut.Michael ChengandLieut.Richard
Chamberlin,andspotthe Blue AngelsandUSNavydecalsunderthe wing.
By the time mywife andI had arrived,there wasa crowdof at leasta hundredpeople,manyveterans
withnavycaps and jacketson,and plentyof youngchildreneatinghotdogsandice creamfrom the two
truck vendorsinthe parkinglot.There wasspeculationonthe planes,and the time of takeoff.Iimagine
the feelingissimilartothe space launcheswe usedtohave at Cape Canaveral inFlorida,the growing
anticipationof seeingtechnical marvelslike the space shuttles,greathuge whitebeastsbreathing
smoke andfire,as the deeprumblingattake-off shookthe veryfoundationsastheyonce lifted off into
the skiesandbeyondintodeepestspace.
At about1:40, the Blue Angel pilotsappearedtoasmatteringof applause,finelyturnedoutintheirblue
flightuniformswithAmericanflagpatchesandinsignias,blackshoes,andtancaps. They walkedpastthe
6 jetswaitinginaline, wavedtothe crowdat the gate and shookhandswiththeirflightcrews,and
circledthe jetsina slowreconnoiteringpace.Theyreconvenedonthe tarmacat the firstjet,linedup in
a row, andproceededina steadymarchpast the jets,eachpilotpeelingoff athisplane ina smart right
handpivotto salute hisflightcrewandthenclimbup the ladderandintohiscockpit. Once the pilots
were seatedandthe cockpitssealedup, the expectationincreased,everyonewaitingandwatchingthe
planesforsignsof action.
Thencame the sound,to myears like anoversizedvacuumcleaner,asthe jetspoweredup.Idon’tknow
if I was expectingasonicboomor not,but the soundwasunderstatedinmymind,andI thoughtthat
maybe whenyou’re asimpressivelookingasaF-18 Hornetyoudon’tneedto soundlike astreetmuscle
car to provoke areaction.Suddenlythe firstjetinchedoutfromitsrestingplace,pivotedtothe rightlike
a car pullingoutof a parkingspace and begana slow crawl past the waitingjets.One byone,eachjet
followedinturn,andeach pilotwavedtothe assembledonlookersatthe fences,one evenraisingthe
thumbsup sign,tothe delightof some of the smallerchildren. Astheytaxiedawayanddownthe
runwayI couldsee the plethoraof camerasand phonesandcamcordersbeingreadiedtorecordthe
takeoff amid aswirlingmix of urgencyandimpatience andexcitement.
Thenamidthe rustlingatthe fencescame the suddenroar of engines,andall eyesturnedtowardthe far
endof the runway,where inaninstantfourblue angel jetplanes appeared,streakingdownthe runway,
wingtipssoclose asto appeartouching,andstreakedintothe sky,the twomiddle jetsheadingstraight
aheadwhile the twoat the endspeelingoff,one towardthe leftandthe othertowardthe right.Behind
themcame anotherroar,and two more angelsappearedandblastedoff intothe lighteningsky.It

2. seemedthatthe cloudswhich hadgreetedthe dayhadgivenwayto earlyafternoonsunlight,afitting
tribute tothe majestyandimpressive displayof Navymightandingenuityandhardware.
The Blue Angelslisttheirmissionparametersontheirwebsite as“toshowcase the pride and
professionalismof the UnitedStatesNavyandMarine Corpsby inspiringaculture of excellence and
service tothe country throughflightdemonstrationsandcommunityoutreach.”It’sasightthat can
bringtears to the eyesof those of us whosometimesneedareminderof the brave soulswhosupport
our freedominthisgreatcountrywe live in.
By Paul Viole
56 SpielmanAvenue
Farmingdale,NY11735
516-451572