Hey TOR - don't forget the Blues flying that mighty smokin' Rhino! I've this DVD - called "Threshold". Some of the pilots in this DVD later died in a mid-air
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzm45r2t10gFrom the website -
http://aerobaticteams.net/blue-angels-history.htmlDuring the Vietnam War the Blue Angels demonstration team was not disbanded, but two team ex-members died in the war. One of them was the former team commander - Commodore Harley Hall, who was brought down on January 27, 1973, during the flight with F-4J from aircraft-carrier Enterprise above the North Vietnam. Harley Hall and the other member of the plane's crew ejected successfully but their fate still remains unknown. Interesting was the fact that according to Commodore Hall's wife he had been captured by the Vietnamese authorities and shown as a spoil, i. e. as a Big Blue Angel, during the war parade in Hanoi. Vietnamese authorities knew him very well because he led the team during its Asian tour two years ago. Captain Hall was now officially known as KIA (Killed In Action).
Another ex-member of the Blue Angels who died in the war was Lieutenant Clarence Tolbert, who was brought down on November 6, 1972, above the Vietnamese coast. He flew on the A-7B Corsair from the Midway aircraft-carrier. Tolbert ejected successfully but his parachute did not open and he died.
On March 8, 1973 Capt. John Fogg #3, Lt. Marlin Wiita #2 and LCDR Don Bentley #1 collided in mid-air during practice over the Superstition Mountains in California. All three pilots landed successfully. The cause of the incident was the wrong maneuver from Flight Leader LCDR Don Bentley. After this he was replaced by the ex-Lead Solo #5 LT Skip Umstead from 1972 airshow season. In April 1973, Commander Umstead was called back to the Blues to perform the duties of the Officer-in-Charge and Flight Leader. For his misfortune this returning takes his life four months later.
On 8 July, 1973 Lt. Steve D. Lambert #5, ejected uninjured at very low altitude at Lake Charles, LA. Ejection sequence happened after the plane bounced off the runway.
On July 26, 1973 two pilots and a crew chief were killed in a mid-air collision between 2 Phantoms over Lakehurst, NJ during a pre-arrival air show. Team Leader #1 LCDR Skip Umstead, Slot #4 Capt. Mike Murphy and ground crew member ADJ1 Ron Thomas, who was riding in the back seat of a jet, were killed. A second ground crew member ADJ.1C Gerald Harvey ejected safely from the Leader's plane. The incident occurred in about 16'30 local time. The rest of the season was canceled after this fatal crash.
Shows just in this short period in the 70's how brutal can be naval aviation.
I highly recommend the movie "Threshold - The Blue Angels Experience". One of the best flying movies ever made.
