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The dramatic jet-assisted take-offs (JATO) of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels “Fat Albert” C-130 Hercules will end at the conclusion of the 2009 air show season, according to team officials. A popular element of the Blue Angels performances since 1975, the JATO take-offs will end due to a lack of JATO bottles, which have not been produced for the military in more than 30 years.

In fact, there are so few JATO bottles left for the team to use that there will be only a handful of JATO take-offs during the remainder of the season: the Sunday demonstration on September 19 at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada; the Friday night show on October 2 and the Saturday demonstration on October 3 at the MCAS Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California; the Saturday demonstration on October 17 at the NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia; the Saturday show on October 24 at the Ft. Worth Alliance Air Show in Ft. Worth, Texas; the Saturday performance on October 31 at the Wings over Houston Air Show in Houston, Texas; and during the Friday night show on November 13 and the Saturday afternoon performance on November 14 during the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola in Florida.

Although the JATO launches will become a part of air show history, Fat Albert will remain an essential part of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, celebrating its 40th anniversary with the team during the 2010 air show season.

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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Dang! Guess I will have to figure out how to get up to PCola for the last show, as I have never seen a JATO Show! That has got to be a kick in the pants.

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i was planning to go to the Alliance Air Show in Ft. Worth now i'm really going to try to get there.

For God's sake, no contractor can put propellant into empty JATO cannisters in the USA?

Doesn't the 109th in Schenectady still use the bottles? Do they have a big supply, or do they "ration" them too?

Rich

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Rich Kolasa
www.crystalgraphix.com

I was told by someone in the 109th several years ago that they were running out of them also. He said most the the bottles they had were made in the late 50's or early 60's (I don't know if that is true but while I was in the Navy we were dropping bombs made in 1969, almost 30 before they fulfilled their propose)

Tim

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Yeah you would think that ATK (Thiokol) could build something...or is it too "old tech" to do anymore?

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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It's a shame that we can't acquire any more JATO bottles but I just hope I can get a ride on Bert before we run out.

Group,

When I graduated from C-130 Flight Engineer Course at Little Rock AFB, and returned home to CA, I had a tenant who was an Ex-Blue Angle crew chief. He made an arangement with the Blues, and we went to the Air Show at Miramar. I got a ride on Fat Albert (Sta 245, flight deck, bunk seat). Oh, what a ride.

One month later, I was flying combat missions in Iraq/Afganistan. Flying in Fat Albert was about like flying in combat. low alt, Steep bank angles and high speed.

Fortunaltly I still have the video I shot from the flight deck on my flight.

Sorry to see it end, and it is unfortunate others will not get to enjoy the ride.

Laterrrrr
Avn-Tech

Get a hold of "Mythbusters", I think they have a bunch they strap to cars in the desert from time to time...

I agree that you'd think the support systems would at least keep up with the aircraft still in use. Right?

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

IIRC, the Mythbusters came up with some homemade solid-fuel boosters with about the same thrust/burn duration as a JATO bottle when they debunked the flying rocket-car myth.

It was probably sometime back in the '90s when I last saw Fat Albert do the JATO routine..sad to hear it's ending.

SN

If I remember right, Fat Albert has been the last active duty use of JATO for a lot of years. The test program for "Credible Sport" is probably the only other usage in the same time period.

One of my old neighbors was on the USS New Jersey in the 80s and he said the 16 inch shells had tags on them dating to 1940.

Why all the "HOO-HA" about Fat Albert and JATO. OK...so there ain't no more. And why would any business want tool up for such a limited market?

Mudge the logical

Yeah...yeah...I know...INCOMING

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A couple of years ago I rode in Fat Albert for the Chicago Lakefront show. At the time they were already saying there was a shortage of JATO bottles. Since it was a remote takeoff From Gary IN. with limited audience, we did a simulated JATO takeoff. It was exciting, but having seen the real deal, I'm sure it wasn't even close.
Perhaps the simulated will become a regular takeoff. After all it is better than nothing. I'll look for and try to post some photos from that ride.
Steve

richkolasa wrote:



Mudge wrote:



Let's kill 2 birds with one stone. We're talking about the Navy. They have more internal bureaucracy than I don't know what. If let's say Nancy Pelosi made 1000 Jato Bottles out of recycled soda cans and gave them to the Navy in exchange for a 5 mile long aircraft carrier, the Navy would scrap 250 them of because improper requisition forms were filled out.

(We need enough to go around) Then the EPA would confiscatelet's say 250 of them, due to improper emmissions,

Next, the ATF would take 250 more, due to "improper handling" of explosives.

Then the Forest Service would take the remaining 250 due to forest fire risk.

That's probably about what happened, and why they're no longer made, and no longer available.

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"No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!" R.R.

Welcome to the USSA! One Nanny State Under the Messiah, Indivisible with Tyranny, Higher Taxes, Socialism, Radical Environmentalism and a Loss of Income for all. Boy I'm proud to be a part of the USSA, what can I do to raise taxes, oh boy oh boy!