Blue Angels Fat Albert and JATO

[Matt Ottosen]

Something I saw on APSoCal....

From ICAS Fast Facts 9/3/09:

The dramatic jet-assisted take-offs (JATO) of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels "Fat Albert" C-130 Hercules will end at the conclusion of the 2009 air show season, according to team officials. A popular element of the Blue Angels performances since 1975, the JATO take-offs will end due to a lack of JATO bottles, which have not been produced for the military in more than 30 years.

In fact, there are so few JATO bottles left for the team to use that there will be only a handful of JATO take-offs during the remainder of the season: the Sunday demonstration on September 19 at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada; the Friday night show on October 2 and the Saturday demonstration on October 3 at the MCAS Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California; the Saturday demonstration on October 17 at the NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia; the Saturday show on October 24 at the Ft. Worth Alliance Air Show in Ft. Worth, Texas; the Saturday performance on October 31 at the Wings over Houston Air Show in Houston, Texas; and during the Friday night show on November 13 and the Saturday afternoon performance on November 14 during the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola in Florida.

Although the JATO launches will become a part of air show history, Fat Albert will remain an essential part of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, celebrating its 40th anniversary with the team during the 2010 air show season.

[Matt Ottosen]

Goodyear Balloon & Air Spectacular
October 21, 2006

Here's a couple of shots from the first, and only, time I saw "Fat Albert" fly.

[jslugman]

Wow, how sad. Those things make a hell of a noise and really get your attention (like a Herc nose-up at 30-40 degrees doesn't).