Some frequently asked questions about the Blue Angels:

Q: Where did the name “Blue Angels” originate?

A: During a trip to New York in 1946, one of the original team pilots picked up the name after seeing the city’s famous Blue Angel night club promoted in The New Yorker magazine.

Q: What’s the difference between the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds?

A: The main difference is that the Blue Angels fly blue and yellow F/A-18 Hornets and the Thunderbirds fly red, white and blue F-16 Falcons. Both fly many of the same maneuvers, have the same mission, even the same number of planes performing at one time. The Blue Angels are the better known of the two, probably because they have been around longer.

Q: Why don’t the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds fly together?

A: To maximize use of military aviation teams for recruiting, the U.S. Department of Defense has a policy of having the two teams perform separately in as many locations as possible per year.

Q: How does a person become a Blue Angels pilot?

A: First, one must be a qualified, career-oriented, active-duty Navy or Marine Corps tactical jet pilot with at least 1,500 flight hours. The pilots then submit an application. Two or three applications are approved by the Chief of Naval Air Training each year.

Q: How long does a pilot remain a Blue Angel?

A: Demonstration pilots serve for two years. Other support personnel stay with the team for three years.

Q: Why is the No. 2 pilot always a Marine?

A: For the sake of tradition and continuity, the right wing plane is usually a Marine, as the Marine Corps is an arm of the U.S. Navy. The other plane pilots have consistently been Navy pilots.

Q: Why don’t Blue Angel pilots wear G-suits?

A: Unlike combat flying, Blue Angel pilots know precisely when and how many G-forces they will experience during each maneuver. This allows them to combat G-forces with muscle contractions.

Q: What is the average age of a Blue Angels pilot?

A: About 32.

Q: How many women are assigned to the Blue Angels?

A: While there are no female demonstration pilots, the 1998 team has nine female members in support roles. Usually, 10 percent-15 percent of the team is female.

Q: What is the minimum weather visibilty required for the Blue Angels to perform?

A: Pilots must be able to see at least 3.4 miles ahead of their planes. The cloud ceiling must be at least 1,500 feet. With these minimums, the team performs a limited number of maneuvers. To perform its full repertoire, the cloud ceiling must be 8,000 feet.

Q: Are the Blue Angels’ F/A-18 Hornets combat ready?

A: No. But they can be made combat-ready within 72 hours by re-attaching a nose cannon. All of the planes are able to land on an aircraft carrier.

Q: How much fuel does an F/A-18 Hornet burn during a show?

A: About 1,300 gallons of jet fuel, costing about $1,400. Over the course of a year, all of the Blue Angel jets plus their support plane, a C-130, burn about 3.1 million gallons of fuel.

Q: What are the fastest and slowest speeds flown during a show?

A: The fastest: 700 mph. The slowest: 120 mph.

Q: Why don’t the Blue Angels fly the F-14 Tomcat?

A: The F-14 is too large and less fuel efficient than the F/A-18 Hornet. Also, the F-14 would be difficult to fly in close formations.

Q: How is the smoke produced by the Blue Angel jets during a show?

A: By pumping a biodegradable, paraffin-based oil directly into the jets’ exhaust nozzles. The oil is instantly vaporized into smoke, providing a traceable path for spectators to follow.

Q: How many total planes are there in the Blue Angels’ squadron?

A: The team has 11 jets: Numbers 1 through 6 perform in air shows; two two-seat jets for training and to give rides to media and officials; and three spare jets. The team’s support crew and equipment are carried in a C-130 military transport.

Q: How much does the Navy spend on the Blue Angels per year?

A: About $12 million, including fuel, training, transportation and other costs.

Q: How many people see the Blue Angels each year?

A: About 15 million. Since 1946, the team has flown before more than 291 million spectators.