GEICO Skytypers Finish Their 2015 Season With Joint Performances With the US Navy Blue Angels
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The GEICO Skytypers will complete their 2015 air show season with joint performances at three upcoming airshows with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. Spectators will get the chance to see six of the Navy's earliest training aircraft perform at the same shows as the Navy's more modern F/A-18 jets.
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Fans can see this living century of Navy warbird technology in flight at the NAS Oceana Airshow in Virginia Beach, VA September 19th and 20th, then at the Jacksonville, FL Sea and Sky Spectacular on October 24th and 25th and finally at the Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow at NAS Pensacola, FL on November 6th and 7th.
"We enjoy performing at airshows and sharing the skies with so many talented civilian performers, including the GEICO Skytypers," said U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer LT Amber Lynn Daniel. "It's an absolute honor to do what we do and showcase the pride and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps."
The two tactical demonstration squadrons recently joined up in flight in advance of the Atlantic City Air Show for a rare, wingtip-to-wingtip photo opportunity.
"Most of our team earned their wings in the Navy and we always pay tribute to the brave pilots of the 'Greatest Generation,' " said Larry Arken, commanding officer and GEICO Skytypers Flight Lead. "These three remaining shows are a great chance to show audiences the full spectrum of Navy aviation history and its future."
The world-famous GEICO Skytypers fly six vintage SNJ training aircraft to perform their 18-minute, close-formation flying demonstration, roaring over air show crowds with the unmistakable engine sound made famous by Hollywood war movies.
The Blue Angels squadron flies the F/A-18 Hornet specially modified for airshows. The modifications include removing the nose cannon to install a smoke-fluid system, inverting a fuel pump, installing a stopwatch and adjustable constant-tension stick spring, as well as the highly recognizable blue and gold paint scheme.
The GEICO Skytypers' SNJs have also been modified in order to type giant messages in the sky. Flying in a line abreast pattern, a computer in the lead plane commands the smoke systems in the other aircraft via radio signals as they fly in a line-abreast formation to release puffs of smoke and generate dot-matrix style letters. These giant messages are taller than the Empire State Building and span several miles.
"Our messages can be seen for 15 miles in any direction, depending on wind conditions," said Steve Kapur, GEICO Skytypers pilot and team marketing officer. "Think tweets or text messages, but on a monumental scale and produced 17 times faster than traditional skywriting."
"Although our performances are vastly different, the mission of both the Blue Angels and the GEICO Skytypers is the same," said Daniel. "We want to show the public how truly wonderful the aviation community is, and demonstrate the vast spectrum of opportunity available to aviators both young and old."
About the GEICO Skytypers
The GEICO Skytypers are the only flying unit in the world that performs at air shows typing messages in the sky. For more information on the GEICO Skytypers, visit geicoskytypers.com. The team can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Contact:
Brenda Little
(813) 391-4542
SOURCE GEICO Skytypers
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