The Salinas Air Show is an ALL Volunteer Air Show. All Money raised goes right back into the community! Over $7 million raised over the past 28 years. Become a part of it!
The Blue Angels’ mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and to represent the military service to the People of the United States, its elected leadership and other nations. The Blue Angels serve as positive role models and ambassadors for the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps.
A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits skills possessed by all naval aviators. It includes the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. Finally, the team illustrates precision flying, performing maneuvers as the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation. The 6 Blue Angel Pilots will perform more than 30 maneuvers in their F/A-18 Hornets during their performance.
Since the team's inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 450 million fans! Salinas is proud to be home of Blue Angel #1 Boss Butch Voris!
Fat Albert
The squadron's Transport C-130 hercules aircraft, affectionately known as Fat Albert, is the only Marine Corps aircraft permanently assigned to support a Navy squadron. It is flown by an all-Marine Corps crew of three pilots and five enlisted personnel. Fat Albert flies more than 140,000 miles during the course of a show season.
The C-130 carries 25,000 pounds of cargo, 45,000 pounds of fuel, and transports the squadron's support and maintenance crew to each show site.
Fat Albert cruises at 320 knots (approximately 350 miles per hour) at 27,000 feet. Four Allison turboprop-engines producing more than 16,000-shaft horsepower provide the C-130 with the power to land and depart on runways as short as 2,500 feet.
