Blue Angels Return to Their Roots: F8F Bearcat
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- Опубліковано 26 бер 2015
- In 2009, the Horsemen Flight Team traded in their typical steeds of P-51 Mustangs for the round engines of the F8F Bearcat to honor the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
The pilots, Jim Beasley, Ed Shipley and Dan Friedkin met with the last surviving Blue Angel Al Taddeo before they joined up with the current Blue Angel Solos at the NAS Corpus Christi air show. It was a historic moment for everyone...then and now.
Enjoy and share this masterfully crafted story by Ed Shipley and AirShowBuzz.
The shot of that old aviator sitting in the Bearcat, probably for the first time in forever...watching him run his fingers over the switches and knobs...you could just about see the memories flooding forth.
It was those old guys who helped make Naval Aviation what it is today. If I were to see him at the local VA hospital tomorrow, I would still salute him.
you know he said in his mind" hello old girl, good to see you again "
@@stevenshewfelt888 with out a doubt he was thinking that.
steven shewfelt p
steven shewfelt p
I so much agree...you could see it all going through his mind as he sat in that cockpit. Priceless.
The 90 year old man was who got in the cockpit, but it was the twenty something pilot that was looking through the eyes.
Your body may age, but you can keep the spirit alive
@@connormclernon26 @roaklin Both great comments that get right to the heart of the matter!
Yes thank God for his health to fly again ❤️
His face there at the end when he was looking down at the instrument panel said it all. No words required.
This is an utterly awesome video and I thank you for sharing it.
Yeah, you could see 70 years back just looking at his eyes
"You know...... that was a long time ago."
Every dogfight he fought was replayed in his mind during his time in that cockpit.
The words of a man remembering his love from long ago....
You could see the sadness in his eyes when he realised he could never fly again. Time caught up to him.
@@adamhampshire9149 no, he wasn't sad he was happy. The sadness flickered briefly from other memories. That moment when he was looking down at that panel was a pretty big freaking deal for him and anyone can understand that if they think about it. It was a lot to process. It brought a tear to my eye. I know what it's like.
@@ut000bs Not to mention, that cockpit was made even better than when he flew, it got modern tech, yeah she's still analogue and steam-powered, but she's got modern radio, transponders, even a GPS in there now! I used to talk with a lot of the flyboys from that time, and they love all the new kit people have included in their restorations of warbirds.
The F8F bearcat never saw combat with US troops
Forget the thumbs up button, where is the heart button?
SpektOne ...next to the war sucks button
Bearcats never saw combat neither did the blue angels but other than that, yeah war sucks.......
SpektOne I AGREE WITH YOU 100%❤❤❤❤
SpektOne just shove it in the comment section because it is an emoji.
RIGHT ON!!! that was my first thought, why are there 37 thumbs down? Because these same people hate CHRIST and GOOD and the TRUTH.
Man, that ending made me tear up. You could tell the memories were rushing through him.
90?! He's 90 years-old? Holy cow! He looks and SOUNDS a helluva lot younger than that! Kudos, sir!
I love the mutual respect and admiration these guys all have for one another, the sense of history that they all share. I get goose bumps just listening to them talk.
the 90 yr old vet at the end climbing back into the cockpit running his hands over the controls, and thinking back to his flying with the blue angels team, brought tears to my eyes.
how can this not bring tears to your eyes? for the older guys nearing the end reminicing about their times as the premier pilots of the day and seeing the newbies flying next to the 0ld workhorses. this is what airshows are about bringing generations of aircraft AND pilots together to share with us earthbound creatures the joys of it all. this is why i attend every airshow i can and bring my grandchildren also. i get choked up many times watching as our heroes of today along with the ones of times past celebrate flight. i hope i somehow instill this pride and appreciation to my grandchildren and to theirs as well.
I never realized just how small the Bearcats were & how large the F-18’s are! Those are some really sweet planes. This is a glimpse into the past & future. Thank you. ❤️🇺🇸❤️
Modern jets are just huge, way bigger than older fighters. The F22 has an empty weight of about 20 tonnes, and a max takeoff weight of about 40 tonnes. The F22s MTOW is slightly higher than the max legal weight of a truck.
Hanif Shakiba Jesus fuck I thought F-22 were small
Tan143 An F22 is almost as long as a B17. It’s truly difficult to comprehend just how large they are unless you see them in person. I was really lucky in that I was on a university organised trip to the US, and while we were there there was an air show and saw the F22 for myself, both in the air and up close on the ground. It was amazing. There was a P51 nearby, and it looked so small in comparison.
"Its a long time ago" But seeing him in the cockpit and watching how he looked at things, it was like last week. You never lose those memories and sadly you can never go back. It was very emotional watching the end of this video, glad he could at least sit in the cockpit again after all those years.
There's a reason those guys are collectively called "The Greatest Generation". Another 10-15 years, and every one of them will be gone. May God bless them all!
I've got a news flash for you, this was filmed in 2006. Most if not all of the WW2 vets are gone now.
This guy is in damn good shape to be 90 years old! I bet he COULD still fly the airplane!
I lived pretty much on base in Pensacola, and the Blue Angels were the first demonstration team I ever got to see in person...... This is, my absolute favorite demo team. The ladies and gentlemen both in the air and on the ground, have my utmost in respect. Thank you all for your service and dedication :)
Those are by far the best looking Bearcats I've ever seen. The guy wasn't kidding when he said they look like museum pieces.
Fantastic video. Although the old chap was 90, he didn't look it and i have a strong feeling that could fly that old aeroplane!
+Julian Neale Yeah, he looked like he was going to go "Let's fire up this sucker, I want to take her for a spin!"
I bet that old tymer could school those young kids in turbo prop flying. That old tymer earned his strips In actual combat not a flight simulator. The blue angels of today stand on the shoulders of giants. Those giants are those old tymers.
I don't doubt it one bit.
I have long felt that if a WW II B-17 pilot could be put in the left seat and hear the same radio chatter that he heard in England that he would mentally transport back to that time and the same actions he required then would suddenly become second nature once again and off the plane would go.
At that age i will still be flying.
Can you believe Al was 90 years old when this was shot? If age is a state of mind, that was a young, vibrant, and very happy man.
You got that right!
Even though I'm no American, I respect heritage,legends and patriotism where I see it.
Godspeed Gents.
Man, I hope I look half that good if I ever get to be 90 years old.
I agree. Guy looked closer to 70 then 90.
Stay fit, stay strong and stay active.
Well he started out that way... :)
All of you, thank you for Serving our Country. I am very Proud of all of you. Thank you Gentlemen.
A navy vet from VF33, '79-'83. This makes me want run out and get a hair cut,
Watching the smile's on the faces of the "original gangstas" (lol) brought a smile and a tear...
Man, clicked on a UA-cam recommend and now I have tears running down my cheeks. Man...wow.
epic, any girls wanna see their guys tear up make them watch stuff like this
I was raised in Ridgecrest, California, winter home of the Blue Angels, China Lake Naval Weapons Center. This is where the Sidewinder air to air missile was developed and made operational. Right across the highway. Never did find out which place came first, them or the city. Great memories.
I wont lie, that look on his face at the end had me a bit choked up! God bless all of these guys!
That was touching. Those old guys looked so happy.
Never forget. This is the America the world owes its due respect. Mind bogglingly tear jerkingly beautifully restored aircraft. Just so good and so rare but the veteran and his story - a national treasure. I salute you sir and all who follow your example from far away in the long time peace of the Pacific NZ. Thank you all for being so awesome. With liberty comes responsibility. May we not squander that gift obtained in blood and always remember.
Powerplants in fighter planes were everything in World War 2. The Pratt'n'Whitney R2800 rivaled the Merlin in every way. I love them both.
Two finest engines of the war...
@@sethkimmel7312 The modern jets are of course amazing, but NOTHING beats the sound of either those engines screaming by in flight.
The look of pure joy ... 6:30 .... God Bless him ...
To much pride for words but a few tears says it all!
One of those videos that make you proud to be an American.
Thank you....
Absolutely incredible. Never forget your roots and Honor those that got us here. Like Chuck Yeager once said ,todays planes practically fly themselves , but you became one in the older planes. No hydraulics there.
Why is it when ever I watch a video honoring "The Greatest Generation" somebody starts cutting onions. This was truly outstanding.
Who cut the onions???man that was really emotional!💙💛
In 74 I lived in Pensacola FLA . My dad was an AE-3 in the navy. we saw the angles fly the a4 and f4. There was an air show on my Birthday, I thought they put it on just for me ...I was 7 go fig I loved it seeing those jets and meeting the pilots was one best memory's I have as a child
Let that old man take that Bearcat up again one last time!
As a high school kid back in the mid-60's, I worked at a dirt strip about a mile from the house - got flying lessons in exchange for washing aircraft. There was a beautiful F-8F Bearcat kept there - it was white with the number "80" on the tail and the name "Ms. Smirnoff" written on the side. Also, the name "Myra Slovak" on the canopy. Never met the owner.......was told by the owner of the air field that the plane was used to race in Reno. Only saw if fly once and that was when the owner of the field , Evan Mosley, fired it up to fly it over to Luke AFB for static display during an air show featuring the Thunderbirds. That aircraft was awesome. The Mosley family owned & ran an aviation crop dusting company.
Nice. Just as a nitpick, it's just plain old F8F, no dash 'til you get to the submodels (F8F-2, for instance.) The F-8 was the Last of the Gunfighters, the Crusader. Also a very worthy aircraft, but no Bearcat :) If you're wondering, it's from how the Navy was designating things, Role-(Series)-Manufacturer. Thus having the F4F (Fighter, 4th, F=Grumman) Wildcat and F4U Corsair, as opposed to F-4F (McD. Phantom II.) Or SBD Dauntless (Scout Bomber, 1st (so no number,) Douglas. And ... yeah, it makes following some of them a little confusing compared to the modern designations! Though they did try to keep things as lined up as possible when the unified designations came around. A4D (Attack #4 Douglas - Skyhawk) became the A-4, for instance.)
Nice memory, in any case. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the information.......education is always a good thing and I think I've learned something from your response. I just remember that bird being very awesome and I seem to recall that there was a "start" cart with it, in the same colors and red lettering, so you knew good and well that the two of them went together. I'm trying to remember accurately exactly what engine was in that cart........it was an automobile engine and I think it was used to power the generator, also in the cart, that supplied the electricity to the Bearcat to start that huge engine. My guess is that any "on board" battery wouldn't have had enough power to allow the Bearcat engine to crank, at least not long enough to get it to start.
And on the eighth day G-D created....Grumman and Republic....I SO miss the Long Island of my youth....GO NAVY!!!!
My brain just melted from the awesome. Although there seems to be something in my eye....
Great team-building!
scottkellyfa711 yeah!!! my wife was chopping onions when I watched this.
scottkellyfa711 Me too.
When Al Taddeo was sitting in the cockpit, he was probably thinking, "Chewie, we're home." I wish Air Show Buzz was still on the internet.
God Bless you Al! What a guy,I'll bet he had some cool stories! I can't imagine how he felt sitting in the cockpit of that Bearcat again!!
THAT ... is what you call *EPIC* ... never mind historic and truly brilliant.
Bearcat and the Thunderbolt my two favorite fighters of WW2.
Now this was special, that old guy was young again, he was remembering every twist and turn, God Bless him!
I remember seeing the Blue Angels flying F-4s at Dobbins AFB when I was a kid. Amazing show.
There is nothing that compares to the sight, sound and feel of a Blue Angels show. Seeing them flying the Bearcats just adds to the experience.
damn!! thats emotional
pussy white boi
Lol boomer
That is really cool. I wish that gentleman could have flown it, even if he is 90. He looked great. Bearcats and F18's doesn't get any better. Gorgeous birds.
You men of old left a tradition for the young pilots of today to equal and bring out the best in character and courage,and above all,dedication to an ideal born the day the first aircraft flew. Blue Angels,the sky is the Limit, and the sky is yours!
I remember watching the Blue Angles in 1948 fly at Hammer Field, Fresno CA. What stands out in my memory was a Bearcat flying inverted at 400 MPH the length of the runway. We were just kids who loved airplanes and we used to walk four miles to Hammer field just to see what kind of planes might be there. One time an Air Guard Bearcat came in and parked on the tarmac. We rushed over and asked the pilot as he was walking away if we could photograph his plane. He said, "Sure, you can sit in the cockpit if you like." Whoa! Sit in the cockpit! We were in airplane heaven.
I just love that dark navy blue, all shiny. Really beautiful
Time passes so quick, in the blink of an eye. God bless these brave men. They were soldiers once.... and young
Awesome seeing vintage F8F-2 Bearcats flying with the Blue Angels.
What a joy to watch. U.S. aviation at its finest. I think every baby-boomer dreamed of being a fighter pilot/Blue Angel at one time or another. I know I did and still do!! Thank you for the video.
sarajanesmith1 Amen!
All I ever really wanted to be. My father was duty officer for VF81 when it went to the Pacific on the Wasp, CV18’s first cruise there
F4U, F6F, P38L Planes I have long known for being a pilot's favorite. I'll have to ad the F8F to that list after hearing how heartfelt the men in this video spoke about the Bearcat. Ahhhh, the sound of that motor turning is a music to my ears.
In tears...Thank You Horsemen!
This is one of the BEST Blue Angels Videos hands downs! Just to see the faces of the Original Angels watching, smiling, making the Small gestures by head movements AND to see it in THEIR Eyes is fantastic! Get those guys into a cockpit and into the AIR ASAP!
You could see it in his eyes and the smile on his face, he was flying a Bearcat. Awesome!
The Blues formed in Jacksonville Florida at NAS JAX and my dad worked there on jet engines and every year when they came they always flew in on thursday did a test show on friday for the NAS Servicemen and Civilian Workers and we always got to meet them and hang out and see and sit in the planes, it was great! I first saw them flying the F111F Tiger before they transitioned into the F4F Phantom and then nearly every year after that until 1988 when my dad retired, I didn't see them again until right after the first gulf war when I took my nephews to see them and wow the memories that flooded back seeing them again, they are awesome, timeless, incredible, I always have been and always will be BLUE ANGELS FOREVER!
Those jets look sleek and sexy but those Bearcats sound like freaking beasts...
Stunning! When generations collide...
Wow that’s beautiful. Brings tears to my eyes
Wish I were one of the old pilots. Great respect from a non-pilot 60 year old who read every book he could get his hands on about WWII aircraft and fighters in particular. The F6F Hellcat had the highest kill ratio of ANY country’s fighter planes in WWII. The Bearcat was a big step up. Now fantasize about the Bearcat being available in 1941. Game, Set, Match.
Wow, I can't believe that guy was 90 when this was made. He looked in such damn good shape. And my dad was a machinist for Grumman, at Bethpage, in the 60s and early 70s, so I have always been a Grumman aircraft guy.
God Bless the Blue Angels, Old and New, For all they have done.
That is so beautiful, and brings up such wonderful memories of growing up as a Navy Brat! I'm watching this and cryin' like a baby. Our dad had served on the Hornet CV-8 from before Pearl Harbor until the day she sank. He was awarded a black widow Navy Cross and a wartime commission from that last day's action. He then crewed on a PBY2 Coronado as bombardier for a couple of years, and he went on to spend 29 years mostly on carriers before retiring. We lived on base a lot; I remember the sound of the propeller planes warming up, and the sound of the engines approaching, with the pilots fiddling with the synchronization. Jets have their merits and strengths but nothing matches the throaty roar of those Props.
Always heart warming to see these old boys with their battle wagons
No matter which generation a Blue Angel is from they will always have my utmost respect.
damn..i could feel the emotion in this video..and the 90 year old looks like he could go 10 rounds with any punk...great video..shame age takes so many away from Us....thanks for this great video..
Generations come and go, but damn sometimes you can meld the two. The Blue Angles can see where they came from, I believe it gives them a greater understanding of the history of Navel Aviation!!!!!!!
You. All of you made me weep.
Thank you for your Service.
Youre always be a legend. Honor and respect
Been there for a 4, f4 phantom, f18 love the blues. Thank you for your service.
A beautiful aircraft. A prime example of American ingenuity and the American heroes that flew them.
Wow! That formation looked like 2 hawks chasing some bees. Really brings into perspective the size difference a few decades makes Great video. Should be required viewing in all schools.
Yes but the Bearcat was small even for its day. Much smaller than the Hellcat or Corsair. It was the epitome of the "biggest possible engine stuffed into the smallest possible airframe"...made to get off the deck and get to altitude quickly, do its business, then get back.
This was the fucking best nine minutes I have ever spent on UA-cam. First off, the smile at 6:31 says it all. Absolutely priceless. The history in this video amazes me. Think about it. Those men who started the tradition have lived to see the unbelievable change of technology in the relatively short amount of time spanning their lives. I have worked airshows with special effects ( bomb hits, strafing runs etc) with both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. Nothing against the Air Force but the Navy impressed the crap out of me. I can tell you that you could eat off any part of those aircraft they are so clean. And I mean any part. Also the men associated with the Angels were really great to work with and very down to earth. (pun not intended) and as for the 91 year old pilot, I have no doubt he could still fly with the look in his eyes when he sat down in that bearcat. Big thumbs up!
Man that is a heart sweller!
2 things, one I'm so glad that these pilots of 1946-47 got the chance to come together with their Bearcats and see them fly once more. Two, I for one never realized how small the Bearcats were and how huge the F-18 really is!
You even made Solid Snake cry.
Seeing this history is absolutely incredible and I've had the privilege to see the Blues multiple times throughout my life, and when you hear those engines come roaring overhead yes its loud yes ear protection is needed but it is a sound so worth it, it is the sound of freedom! God Bless America!
"That's a pretty big thing spinning on the front of that" LOL, no kidding!
Man pilots are a special breed......that's no shit. Not only the comradery but also the love of flight. To see that 90 year old man's eyes light up when he sat down in that cockpit.....well that's awesome. I retired from the Marine Corps and have a deep appreciation for pilots you can believe that.
First, when he said, "You're wingmen were fighting but they were right there, and I was impressed", I thought that is very high praise, then when he was sitting in the cockpit and working the stick and he said, "It was a long time ago", I was like, "No, it was yesterday", because you could see it on his face.
Every year before my grandpa passed away he took us to see the Blue Angels. He was in the Navy and then when he retired he worked on canopies of the planes at Naval Air Station Kingsville
Saw them at NAS Lemoore when I was 10 yrs. old. They also flew Grummans but they were the beautuful F11F1's.
Seeing how happy that old vet is was pretty wholesome
Didn't know I could smile and cry over a ole Dude and some planes
I've seen the Horsemen in their normal P-51's. For them to give them up for an afternoon to do this is special.
It's rare when I complement a producion on UA-cam that isn't a professionally producted production but this was a nice job...
Have lived a couple of miles from the Navy's largest Master Jet Base, NAS Oceana, all of my life and gotten to see every Navy fighter and attack plane in the Navy's inventory from the early 60's, the earliest I can remember. Everything from A-1D's, A-3's, A-4's, F-4's's, A-5's, A-6's, F-8 Crusaders (my all time favorite), F-14's (a close second favorite), and the F/A-18's they fly now (not one of my favorites) and been lucky enough to have been able to sit in a lawn chair in my driveway or at work on Virginia Beach Blvd. without having to deal with the traffic going to and from the air show. Watching these guys perform will leave no doubt that they and Navy pilots in general are the best combat pilots in the world. Returning from a mission and having the skill to land on a pitching, moving 1000 foot long flight deck with a very large and heavy jet aircraft puts you in another league.
I just broke out in tears after seeing this.
As a Midshipman, I saw the Fornofs fly two Bearcats at an airshow at Corpus Christi in 1968. Wow!
The Blues then flew their beautiful F-11 Tigers. For me, that was the best air show I'd ever gone to.
I later would fly a T-28 in training at Pensacola. I'd sometimes imagine it was a Bearcat, though it didn't perform nearly as well. It sounded very similar.
I hope I'm in as good shape as that former Blue Angel at age 90.
Old School and Badass. Thanks for posting.
Really wonderful. Thanks!
I hate time.... I hate losing treasures like these men
What an awesome vid!!!! Just seeing this for the first time. Outstanding!!!
The best video I have seen to date. Very moving.
This video is amazing and so well produced. Al Taddeo was a true american treasure. Thanks for sharing!
I swear every time I meet anyone who fought in the Second World War, I just can’t help but tear up and salute...
They are the reason why war ended hopefully for ever, for there never has and hopefully never will be another true war (after WW2) again!
I don’t count the operations and skirmishes that followed the Second World War because they simply aren’t wars, they are policing actions.
I hold no disrespect for anyone who fought in them (my grandfather fought in Korea and Vietnam) and I honor you all the same... but you just can’t say that these old timers from WW2 don’t deserve special honors.
Well written and true Jose.