This wonderful late 1950’s U.S. Navy film about the Blue Angels is narrated by Robert Taylor, the Hollywood actor who also served in the Navy and as a pilot and instructor. The team is shown flying the Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger, with Commander Edward B. “EdHolley as leader in #1. 1957 team members shown also included #3 Sheldon O. “Lefty” Schwartz, LT, USN; #4 Nello Pierozzi, LT, USN;#5 Thomas K. Jefferson, LT, USMC; #2 Robert L. “Ras” Rasmussen, LT, USN; #6 Herbert P. Hunter, LT, USN; and #7 Wallace B. “Bags” Bagwell, LT, USN. Lt. Bruce Bagwell, of the indoctrination team is also shown, flying a 2-place Grumman Cougar for the press.
In addition to air shows, the film shows the Naval aviator training at sea in Pensacola (20 minute mark) and aboard USS Saratoga CV-60 (21 minutes).
The Blue Angels is the United States Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, with aviators from the Navy and Marines. The Blue Angels team was formed in 1946 making it the second oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. The Blue Angels’ six demonstration pilots fly the F/A-18 Hornet, typically in more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States each year, where they still employ many of the same practices and techniques used in their aerial displays in 1946. An estimated 11 million spectators view the squadron during air shows each full year. The Blue Angels also visit more than 50,000 people in a standard show season (March through November) in schools and hospital Since 1946, the Blue Angels have flown for more than 260 million spectators.
The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger was the first supersonic, single-seat carrier-based United States Navy fighter aircraft in operation during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally designated the F11F Tiger in April 1955 under the pre-1962 Navy designation system, it was redesignated as F-11 Tiger under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system.
The F11F/F-11 was used by the Blue Angels flight team from 1957–1969. Grumman Aircraft Corporation made 200 Tigers, with the last aircraft being delivered to the U.S. Navy on 23 January 1959.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
