“There will be closures to the I-90 bridge next week so the Blue Angels can terrorize Lake Washington,” says lower Wallingford worker bee Stephen Parris. I couldn’t say it better myself, so I didn’t.
Road closures really shouldn’t affect Wallingford much but if you’re headed east, or if you’re passing through town Thursday-Sunday, be sure to check out the traffic details here.
If you’re a fan of the Blue Angels, your best bets for catching glimpses of them from right here in Wallingford are listed below. At the very least, we may have some sonic noise to contend with during these times. Keep your pets safe!
- Thursday, Aug. 5: 9:45 a.m. – noon & 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. (Practice)
- Friday, Aug. 6: 12:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m., (Practice)
- Saturday, Aug. 7: 12:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m., (Full show)
- Sunday, Aug. 8: 12:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m., (Full show)
Thanks for the warning.
IMO, this annual event is a huge waste of money, and a noisy nuisance to the neighborhoods.
I’d like to know the total cost, then ask the voters whether we’d rather do something else with it… feed, clothe, house people? Fix potholes? Keep some of the libraries open longer? etc.
Then again, there are people who feel that way about the Family Fourth, which I absolutely love.
I love the Blue Angels. And city festivals are not a waste of money. What should we do? Sit at home in the cold and dark to save money? So many people forget that these events are opportunities to get out in the city and interact with other people you would not normally meet. I for one will be standing on the I-90 bridge cheering the Blue Angels with thousands of other happy Seattlites!
Some of us really don’t care about the Blue Angles and I for one wish they would go far, far away. I agree with Chris! How about using that money to keep our crime prevention reps and keep Seattle Night Out for next year?
I was wondering what the emissions level of the Blue Angels were like. Reprinting from a note in 2007: http://people.tribe.net/dr-e/blog/80318b1f-7389-42c7-9f1c-870f216da394
Those Dirty Blue Angels
Mon, October 8, 2007 – 11:26 AM
October 5, 2007
Dear San Francisco Chronicle Editors:
At a time when climate change is front and center as a global concern, in a state that is
the front runner in addressing the US?s global warming mitigation strategies, in a city
which has created a Climate Action Plan with the goals of reducing overall greenhouse gas
emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2012, what are the Blue Angels doing performing in
San Francisco, CA?
According to the Blue Angels? and US Navy?s own websites, one F/A-18 uses approximately
8,000 pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel? during a show and ?over the course of a
year, including transportation, training, etc., the squadron, including Fat Albert, burns
approximately 3.1 million gallons of fuel.?
Using jet fuel carbon emissions estimates provided by Earthlab to be 23.88 pounds of CO2
per gallon*, each Blue Angel flight produces 31,044 lbs of CO2, with a total yearly
emissions of 740 million lbs of CO2 over the United States. With four scheduled shows
with six planes each per show during Fleet week, that would be 745,056 lbs of CO2 emitted
over San Francisco in a two-day period, not including practice flights.
I hope that when San Francisco became the first city in the US to certify it?s greenhouse
gas emissions, it didn?t forget to include it?s yearly guests, the Blue Angels.
In a state of shock and awe,
Elizabeth Dougherty
Source Information:
http://www.navy.com/about/navylife/onduty/blueangels/faq/
http://www.navy.com/about/navylife/onduty/blueangels/faq/%3E
http://www.blueangels.com/faq.shtml
http://www.earthlab.com/carboncalculations.html
http://www.earthlab.com/carboncalculations.html%3E
I vote to skip ’em. I feel as one with the pets on this one. Terrified by the noise. And as a human disgusted by the waste.
I love watching the Blue Angels!
How come this blog has started attracting so many whiners? Any chance we can hope for a little more balance?
I have enjoyed watching the Blue Angels from my lower Wallingford house yesterday and today. I can’t wait to see them next year.
I would be disappointed if they didn’t come back.
I was sad to be away and miss them this year thanks to a pesky oil spill in the Gulf. I lived in Pensacola (where they’re home-based) for five years as a kid and loved whenever they would practice over our home.
I’m ashamed that out of all the places I’ve called home, Seattle is only place that gripes about the Blue Angels. They’re an awesome attraction from San Diego to Florida. Even the Spaniards loved ’em at the ’92 Expo in Sevilla when we lived in Naval Station Rota.