Customer Reviews

Blue Angels: A Year In The Life

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is REAL. It accurately shows the unique blend of hard work, attention to detail, and dare devil spirit embodied in every Navy pilot. This DVD goes behind and into the scenes and experiences that have caused Navy Aircraft Carrier pilots to be ranked as the absolute BEST in the World. The BLUE ANGLES are the very BEST of the BEST.

Where is the recruiter? I am ready to start a new career as a Navy Pilot with a goal of becoming a Blue Angel.

More Stars are needed to rate this DVD. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd give it 100.

Reality just set in. It is too late for me to start a new career as a Navy pilot. I'll just have to watch this again and again. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I am enjoying it.

Wilton C, Bobo Jr.
Capt. USN, Ret.

For pure Airshow Junkies, there is too much filler, way too much. However there is a lot of Airshow too. Starting with the air show the DVD is of high quality and is filmed very professionally giving the airshow enthusiast a real feal for the being "in the cockpit" experience and the stunning visual show. The colors and the contrasts of the filming with the ground,sea and the sky are both breathtaking and awesome. The Blue Angels Aerobatic display team are the creme de la creme, they are without a doubt the premier fliers for our times to enjoy. They are truly deserving of praise and respect for their devotion and giving for their nation and its people. Their devotion shows in their flying and their personalities. This is an airshow DVD with an airshow so Airshow Junkies, you get your wish. "Blue Angels - A year in the life" is also a documentary. The producers provide an in-depth study and visual showing of the lives of the Blue Angels team with a behind the scenes look at all the facets of the airshow life. The DVD is a must for the documentary experience and a great show for the whole family. Young and old alike, the whole family will enjoy this very,very well done contribution to the aviation documentaries. All in all there is something for everyone that is for sure. You can't go wrong with adding this DVD to your collection, it's a must have.

This is an excellent DVD - the resolution and audio are superb and showed up brilliantly on my 72" television. If you've just bought a big plasma or rear projector, you'll love this 2 disc set.
But it's not about production values. The story is also compelling and gives you a real insight into the way these guys think, how they train, are selected, what can go wrong, the enormous amount of preparation and maintenance that goes into keeping a team such as the Blue Angels at the top of their game.
The pilots come across as real people - they may be talented and presentable, but they are also human and make errors and find their roles stressful and demanding.
The video of the routines, both from the ground and in the air, is amazing - it goes right inside the diamond formation, and you realize just how close these planes actually fly - a hair's breadth from disaster at times.

I bought the original Rolling Thunder in the 80s and on a scale of 1 to 100, Rolling Thunder is about 5 and Blue Angels: A Year in the Life is about 250.

Would recommend it to flying enthusiasts and lovers of military life in particular, but also to anybody who has a casual interest in what makes special people such as fighter pilots tick. If you want just airshow porn, it's probably going to bore you at times. But if you want some more insight, it's hard to go past this 2-disc set.

This DVD is amazing! Perfectly puts the Blues on display through the high-points and the low points of the season. The best thing about this dvd, besides the flying, is the respect they show the crew. Yeah, the pilots get the glory and do the high flying cool stuff, but, they are FAAAAR from the stars of the show! The maintainers and support people behind the flying is where the stars hide. This dvd also shines the light on the pilots and what they do. They truly go through the mill, but, they don't do a single thing with those Blue jets if the crew does not do their job perfectly. This is FINALLY a dvd that shines the light on the pilots, BUT, makes it clear that nothing happens without the crew in support of the pilots. Great Job!!!
Unlike the retired one who reviewed also (great review by the way!!!!), I would not like to be a pilot after seeing this! I would rather get FAAAR more reward working in my support role and knowing that the pilot gets his glory only because my ability to do the work allows it.

I am biased in opinion as my wife's cousin is one of the 'Newbies' pilots, but this is a spectacular DVD. The flying is awesome and inspires a desire to fly in everyone. The Blue Angel pilots are unbelieveable! Terrific photography, great action!

For anyone who likes to know what goes on 'behind the scenes' this is a fascinating video. Everyone knows what the Blue Angels air shows look like, but this video shows you how they pick the pilots, how they train, and what it takes to put on such marvelous shows. It is too bad that the rating system only has 5 stars. This video scores MUCH higher then just 5.

I recommend this 2 series DVD to anyone who is a Blue Angels fan. I recieved autographs from several pilots, including one viewed in "A Year in a Life," and it really made him come to life. This documentary views the Blue Angels in a totally diffrent light as if you were sharing thier experience. It is definetly a must see.

The documentary has a slick, fast action packed look about it. The behind the scenes about the training, display sequence and selecting new pilots is second to none. There is even a look at the hard working and often over looked maintenance team.

I did not know what to expect from this video. It was great! The most heart-wrenching was Major Dan Shipley having to leave for medical reasons. The flying sequences were amazing, although I noted some editing missteps. Also, Blue Angel #6, Craig Olson, was a Lt. (Part 1, Becoming Blue) not a Lcdr. He was not promoted to Lcdr until the 2005 Season. ( He is currently back on the team as #6. )

I enjoyed seeing the friendships develop and really got a kick out of the way the Blues welcome new team members.

I highly recommend this video.

This collection is a must have for anyone interested in the Blue Angels or really, any precision demonstration flying team. The team is sharp and well trained and the video shows a lot about how they get that way.