Flying Fat Albert

Pia Bergqvist

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 01:59 AM ET

Verified

Jon Whittle

Key Takeaways:

The author recounts a "bizarre" and exhilarating flight experience aboard Fat Albert, the Blue Angels' highly modified C-130, which is known for performing impressive aerobatic maneuvers despite its massive size.
During the flight, the C-130 executed a powerful 45-degree pitch-up takeoff, zero-G maneuvers that caused crewmembers to float, and steep 60-degree banks over the air show grounds.
A notable highlight was the landing, where the heavy aircraft slowed to near-stall speed before pitching down 25 degrees for an exceptionally short stop of approximately 1,000 feet.
The experience showcased Fat Albert's surprising agility and the crew's skill, leaving the author thrilled despite receiving an airsickness bag pre-flight.

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My flight in Fat Albert at the recent Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In ranks up there as one of the most bizarre flying experiences I’ve had in my more than decade long aviation career. Strapped to a couch in the cockpit of a highly modified C-130 next to another aviation journalist, I watched crewmembers become airborne in the cockpit as the pilots maneuvered the heavy airplane in steep banks and mind-blowing pitch attitudes.

Since 1970, Fat Albert has been a part of the Blue Angels air show team, flying more than 140,000 miles each season. Powered by four Allison turboprop engines, producing more than 16,000 shaft-horsepower, Fat Albert cruises at more than 320 knots at 27,000 feet.