Blue Angels Teases its New Fat Albert Aircraft
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team teased their new C-130J Fat Albert aircraft in a new video released on Twitter.
Fat Albert is almost back! While we’d love to give you an exact date of return, there are still a few more steps before that can happen.
We’ll keep you posted on her progress!#FatAlbert #BlueAngels@USMC @USNavy @MarshallADG pic.twitter.com/nAwOpSP6ZQ
— Blue Angels (@BlueAngels) March 10, 2020
The video showed the aircraft with a new livery compared to the previous C-130T Fat Albert aircraft, which was retired in May last year. The Ex-Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft is currently undergoing modifications at a facility of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group under a contract awarded last year.
Fat Albert serves as the Blue Angels’ Flight Demonstration Squadron (NFDS) logistical support aircraft. It takes part in the display team’s flying performances, as well as being a crucial support aircraft, carrying the Blue Angels’ tools, spare parts and engineers.
Beginning in 1975, “Bert” was also used for Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) and short aerial demonstrations just prior to the main event at selected venues, but the JATO demonstration ended in 2009 due to dwindling supplies of rockets.
“Fat Albert Airlines” was flown with an all-Marine crew of three officers and five enlisted personnel.