This plane illustrates the love and passion this family has for our service men and women and the veterans who protected our freedom and country. As this silver bird quickly streaks across the sky, let us not forget those who served, sacrificed, and gave their all.
TERESA STOKES & GENE SOUCY From wing walking acts to world championships to formation flying, “Mr. Airshow” Gene Soucy has done it all. With more than thirty years of air show experience, three-time national champion Gene Soucy is a must-have at every show event. Innovation and versatility are Gene Soucy’s style. He began professional air show flying in 1968 and has appeared in 3,000+ air shows in North America and on four continents.
As America’s favorite wing walker and stunt woman, Teresa Stokes is a one-of-a-kind performer. She is also an acclaimed aviation artist and accomplished pilot. No air show is complete without Teresa Stokes and her wild ride on the wing.
Anything is possible with these two in the air ‒ if you’re lucky, you’ll even catch a glimpse of a headstand in the sky!
JULIE CLARK & TEAM JUICE PLUS+ T-34 A pilot for more than forty years and a retired Northwest Airlines captain, Julie Clark has logged more than 31,000 accident-free hours in the air; she is rated in 66+ types of aircraft. Marking her 31st year as a solo aerobatic air show pilot, Julie has earned the admiration of fans everywhere and garnered many awards and honors.
The T-34 Mentor is special to Julie because she logged many hours as a civilian T-34 instructor for the U.S. Navy at Lemoore Naval Air Station in 1974-75. She was Navy-trained in tactical maneuvers, formation flying, and aerobatics. Painting smoke-trailing loops, rolls, and hammerheads in patriotic red, white, and blue, her aerial ballet will thrill everyone fortunate enough to ever see her performance.
SHOCKWAVE JET TRUCK Jet engines are not just for lifting an aerodynamic object off the ground. Sometimes they are bundled together to make a land cruiser. To the delight of young and old, a roar from the far end of the runway signaled the upcoming dual between one of the aero toys vs Shockwave, a jet truck capable of speeds up to 375 mph.
Spewing giant puffs of smoke and flames while leaving a markedly ominous heat trail, Shockwave meandered in front of the crowds, heading to her starting point at the other end of the strip.
Mind you this “truck” has no engine in the front, and strictly powered by three turbines. Touted as the world’s only triple engine jet truck, Shockwave sports three Pratt & Whitney J34-48 jet torches that produce 36,000 horsepower.
And the race was on. Starting from a fully stopped position, Shockwave waited until Skip Stewart in his red and black bi-plane came screaming down the runway, mere feet above Shockwave. At full throttle, Skip took the lead off the line. But when Shockwave's driver lit the torches, Shockwave screamed past Skip, with flames emitting from her afterburners, at a blur to the crowd. With the pop of the parachute, Shockwave took the win in a display of thrust that you can trust.
THE BLUE ANGELS NAVY FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION SQUADRON The Blue Angels are the United States Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. Formed in 1946, they are the second oldest formation flying aerobatic team under the same name in the world. The Blue Angels’ demonstration pilots fly the F/A-18 Hornet; they still employ many of the same practices and techniques used in their original aerial displays. An estimated eleven million spectators view the squadron during air shows each year.
The Blue Angels have flown over 10 different aircraft in the team’s 65 year history. Originally, the team flew four aircraft in the signature “Diamond” formation and expanded to six aircraft to showcase both the diamond and solos high performance capability as well as the precision formation flying taught to all Naval Aviators.
When the squadron receives a F/A-18 Hornet from the fleet, which are at the end of their carrier functionality, modifications are made, including removing the nose cannon to install a smoke-fluid system, inverting a fuel pump, installing a stop watch and adjustable constant-tension stick spring, as well as the globally recognizable paint scheme.
The Vero Beach Air Show was honored to host the “Blues” in their first appearance on the Treasure Coast. Vero Beach is one of only 35 sites where the Blue Angels will perform in 2014 (The Vero Beach airport is a former Naval base).
A full maintenance and support crew follow the Blue Angels team onboard “Fat Albert,” the team’s C-130 Hercules aircraft.
One airplane in the Blue Angels fleet that gets its own billing is “Fat Albert,” a U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules airlifter. Fat Albert is the operational workhorse of the Blue Angels team. Not only does Fat Albert support the team, it also flies its own solo performance at air shows, demonstrating the surprising nimbleness of this legendary four-turboprop transport.
The first Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO) performance by the Blue Angels' C-130 took place at NAS Pensacola, FL in November of 1975. Eight solid fuel JATO rocket bottles, each producing 1,000 pounds of thrust, helped propel Fat Albert skyward and captivated millions of spectators each year. These JATO bottles were produced in the Vietnam era to help aircraft take off from short, unimproved runways at heavy weights. The last known stockpile of JATO bottles were expended during the Blue Angels' 2009 show season and ended with the last JATO performance for Fat Albert at the NAS Pensacola, FL Air Show in November of 2009.
The mission of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demos and community outreach.
