The last flight of the Blue Angles - sounds a bit like click bait - but it is by no means the end of the legendary US NAVY/USMC acrobatic team, but the end of an era in the history of the team founded in 1946. The Blue Angels of the US NAVY and the USMC initially flew three planes, then four, and now six planes and their numbers include select pilots from the US Navy and the US Marine Corps.
The flight in question took place on November 4 in the coastal area of Pensacola, and was the last time the airmen piloted the F/A-18 Hornet C/D jets, ending a 34-year long period of using these machines (including A/B variants). From the 2021 season, the Blue Angels team will use the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet planes, the first of which was delivered to the team in July this year.
The team is to receive 18 Super Hornets in single-seat (E) and two-seat (F) versions. The next year's debut of the new machines will coincide with the team's 75th anniversary of existence. The upcoming Super Hornets' debut will take place in April 2021 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
Below is a list of machines used by Blue Angels since the beginning of their
Aerobatic planes:
F6F Hellcat 1946
F8F Bearcat 1946 - 1949
F9F-2 Panther 1949 - 1950
F9F-5 Panther 1951 - 1955
F9F-8 Cougar 1955 - 1957
F11F-1 Tiger 1957 - 1968
F-4J Phantom II 1969 - 1974
A-4F Skyhawk II 1974 - 1986
F/A-18 Hornet A/B 1986 - 2010
F/A-18 Hornet C/D 2010-2020
Support planes:
R4D Sky Train 1949 TO 1955
R5C Commando 1953
R5D Skymaster 1956 - 1968
C-121 Super Constellation 1969 - 1970
C-130 Hercules 1970 – still in use ("Fat Albert")
Other:
SNJ Texan 1946
T-33 Shooting Star 1952 - 1954
F7U Cutlass 1952 - 1953
Sources: overtdefense.com, blueangels.navy.mil
