With the Brunswick Naval Air Station
hosting the Great State of Maine Air Show this weekend, the Blue
Angels have descended upon Brunswick from the team's home at Forrest
Sherman Field, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, and will grace
the skies with their breathtaking maneuvers through Sunday. I was
fortunate to take flight this week, and get an inside look at just
what it's like to be in the cockpit of one of the Boeing F/A-18
Hornet, high-performance aircraft.
What an amazing experience! Lot's of folks have asked if I was nervous before taking flight, and the truth is, with the exception of about 20 seconds, I wasn't!
We started with a briefing and overview from Staff Sergeant Deo Harrypersaud, Crew Chief and Supervisor who keeps the planes in tip-top shape, and got the low-down on what the flight would be like. Of course, I knew I'd be in the most competent, safest hands I could possibly be in, with one of the best pilots in the country, which is a huge reason I was able to relax completely in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the flight. The few seconds of nervousness came only once I was strapped into Blue Angel #7 and waiting for my pilot to arrive, and had just a few seconds to sit in the cockpit and process what was going on. 
As soon as Lieutenant Frank "Walleye" Weisser walked up to the plane, though, I was reassured and ready to go. Lt. Weisser was great! He coached me throughout the flight, and showed me one great time in the skies! Lt. Weisser was absolutely the best representative the U.S. Navy and Blue Angels could ask for - keeping me at ease and having a blast as we executed loops, rolls, inverted flying, supersonic flight, 6.7G's and more! 
The Blue Angels – recognized
nationwide and seen by 15 million people annually – represent some
of the United States' best pilots, dazzling onlookers with power,
finesse and mastery of the forces of nature...and of course, the need
for speed. With the video and editing skills of Sean Colahan (seen in this picture, taking shots of the Blue Angels planes), 
I invite you to take a ride with me and Lt. Weisser aboard the F/A-18 Hornet...hang on and enjoy the ride in the video below...and be sure to check out "Walleye" and the rest of the team at the Great State of Maine Air Show in Brunswick, ME, before they leave town! Want to see more about the Blue Angels? Associated Press reporter Glenn Adams was covering the team the same day I was, and you can link to his article here. Wayne Harvey, reporter for WABI-TV in Bangor, ME, was also on-hand and in the air, and you can see his report by clicking here.
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