Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingFor most of us the closest we'll get to those aerobatic planes is the view from the ground. But our Doctor Kim Mulvihill was lucky enough to hitch a ride with the Blue Angels and tells her story here.
This was without a doubt the most strenuous thing I've ever done. I have a new appreciation for how physically fit these pilots have to be.
You hear them from miles away and rush to catch a glimpse of the precision maneuvers. It’s the blue angels performing death-defying feats merely inches apart from one another.
After filling up with fuel and double-checking all the equipment it's time to climb aboard. Lieutenant Craig Olson, also known as Merlin or Number Seven, assures me a memorable ride.
More protocol, more checks and we're good to go. Fast down the runway, then whoa, a sharp 45-degree climb to 15-thousand feet.
At this point it's quite relaxed, like merging fast onto the freeway. Then we start maneuvers, and we start easy.
First a diamond inron roll. Doing a loop like a ferris wheel high in the sky we hit 4.5 G’s. That's four and a half times my weight pushing against my chest. Rhythmic straining keeps the blood flowing to my brain.
We head to the Faralon Islands and get a close look, upside down. Picking up speed we go super sonic – mach one. That's over seven hundred miles an hour.
Flying above the coastal fog the view was spectacular, but close to home I found the last turn a real doozy. First I lost peripheral vision, then color, then things went black.
Lieutenant Craig Olson, Blue Angels, "We were coming here to the break to land, about a 7G maneuver, and as I just kinda watching you I could see that your head dropped down and that's when I knew that you might have taken a little nap on me. It wasn't long and you were right back with me for the landing. So it happens all the time."
I didn't get sick until we touched down. I like to think I had the full experience, the ride of a lifetime. A ride that never gets routine for Lieutenant Craig Olson.
Lieutenant Craig Olson, Blue Angels: "I'm one of those guys that literally is just living his dream. You know I love the flying everyday. I love going to work every day and I've wanted to do this job since I was a young boy. And I'm just lucky enough to be doing it, so I count my blessings every day."
The blue angels make it look easy, but it's physically the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I was just along for the ride.
The ride was incredible and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I sure was sore afterwards. It felt like I'd run a marathon in 45 minutes. So how does it compare to childbirth? I'd say it's harder.
