F-4 Phantom Flight Demonstration Book and the Blue Angels

[PhantomFan]

For fans of the F-4 Phantom, air shows, and the US Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron check out the exciting new book, "Phantoms and Angels"

http://www.phantomsandangels.com

[F-111 C/C]

I have an old VHS tape of a documentary the Blue Angels did back when they were flying the F-4s (looks like early 70s I'd say) and it's fantastic. The formation flying without fly-by-wire in a big 'clunky' jet is amazing. After one show they point out a Blue paint scuff on the canopy of one jet made by the wingtip of the other jet! After reading this I think I'll pull it out and watch it again. I should really convert it to DVD before it's too late.

[shawn a]

The Phantom demo I liked best was at Miramar many years back when the announcer told the crowd to notice a contrail many miles away and then pointed out the F-4 at the end of the runway which then took off in 'burner and rose to intercept the "intruder" until it, too, became just a contrail, and the RIO said "missile away".

[HaveBlue]

(looks like early 70s I'd say)

The Blues and the Thunderbirds both used the F-4 from 69 to 73 iirc. I've got several pics d/l'ed on the computer of both teams together with their Phantoms. Nice.

[PhantomFan]

The movie mentioned earlier is the movie "Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience" which is now available on DVD.  It is the best Blue Angels movie ever made, way ahead of its time!
My book covers the interaction between the Thunderbird and Blue Angels teams during the Phantom years, and has several pics of the two teams together.
In 1970 and 1971, the Blues performed joint air shows with the Thunderbirds at Nellis AFB.