Flight in Blue Angels' "Fat Albert," experiencing weightlessness
Ride aboard Blue Angels' "Fat Albert" - the C-130
FOX6's Aaron Maybin got the opportunity to ride aboard the Blue Angels' Fat Albert -- a C-130 aircraft -- and experience weightlessness.
MILWAUKEE - FOX6 News got the opportunity on Friday, July 18, to fly with the Blue Angels on the team's airplane nicknamed "Fat Albert."
Flight on Fat Albert
What we know:
Fans love the C-130 that follows the Blue Angels across the country as the elite team performs air shows during these season.
"Fat Albert" is a nickname given to the plane by Marine Corps Blue Angel pilots in the 1970s because of its size and shape. It is a reference to the popular children's cartoon of the same era.
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Flight aboard "Fat Albert" and the Blue Angels
The C-130 known affectionately as "Fat Albert" plays a key role with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
Friday's flight was about 30 minutes. FOX6's Aaron Maybin experienced high speeds, turns, and low flying above Lake Michigan. But the highlight of the flight was the group experiencing weightlessness – zero gravity.
What they're saying:
"It was an amazing experience to be a passenger. What was it like for you to be the pilot?" asked FOX6's Aaron Maybin.
"Well, we practiced 1,000 hours, it feels like, in this plane doing our flight demonstration. So for me, it feels like I'm doing the same thing over again. But each show site changes, so it's a challenge, but I’m also in a very comfortable seat," said Major Sam Petko.
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"There was a moment when we went with zero gravity, my legs went up in the air. How did you make that happen?" Maybin asked.
"Yeah, so the negative G comes from us putting some energy on the plane and then reversing that energy. So it'd be like if the plane was in a climb, and then I pushed the yoke forward, and we basically lost a few pounds on that one," Major Petko said.
2025 Milwaukee Air & Water Show; US Navy Blue Angels featured
There were rumbles in the sky around Milwaukee on Thursday, July 17, but it was not thunder. The Milwaukee Air & Water Show is set for this weekend.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.