ID4 2019

Details available here SOON!

 
Since 2016 the Blue Angels have had the unique privilege of demonstrating to the Second Life public the precision techniques of Naval Aviation, hoping to inspire a culture of excellence and service to country. We are honored to return to Cinsal Airport for the fourth consecutive year and fly the third consecutive Independence Day Air Show at Agrippa (ID4 2019).
For this year's edition we will be joined by two air demonstration teams: the Patrouille de France en SL (PAFsl) and Team Phoenix! Below you will find the squadron composition for each team and the Air Show program.

INDEPENDENCE DAY AIR SHOW ( ID4 )
Cinsal Airport
Agrippa - Nautilus
July 4, 2019

The Air Show will start at 08:30 hours SLT on Thursday, July 4th.

Audience sites:
Agrippa - CinSal Airport - USE THIS SLUR!
MacDuff - USS Defiant - USE THIS SLUR!
Tamora - USS Dauntless - USE THIS SLUR!

Air Parade Departure Site:
Boing - Angels International Airport and Harbor (SLAN) - USE THIS SLUR!

Air Show regions:
Team Phoenix - Regan
Blue Angels - Hortensio / Regan
Patrouille de France - Regan 
 

Audience areas are on the Southeast corner of Agrippa, CinSal Airport (20 seats) and on MacDuff sim on a USN Third Fleet frigate, the USS Defiant (36 seats). Please stay out of the circuit sims described in the show layout below. If you choose to watch the show from a private vessel at sea, proceed to one of the neighboring sims. Local airport personnel and Liberty Fire Department personnel will be on hand to help you find the best seat from where to watch the show. They will have landmarks and other information available on site.

The ID4 2017 Air Show celebrates the Independence Day in the United States and the SL United States Navy Flight Demonstration Team Blue Angels take to the skies for the fourth year for this momentous occasion. We are honored this year once again by the presence of the French Armée de l'Air aerobatic squadron Patrouille de France (PAF), present the last two editions of the ID4 Air Show, and Team Phoenix, flying at home at CinSal Airport where they are based. Team Phoenix flies the McDonnel Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk dual seat. The PAFsl flies Dassault-Dornier Alphajet E and this year they sport the 2017 American Tour color scheme. The Blue Angels fly the Boeing F/A- 18C single seat, the Boeing F/A- 18D dual seat (number 7) and the Lockheed C-130J "Fat Albert".
For this occasion, Team Phoenix and PAFsl are bringing four aircraft each and the Blue Angels five jet aircraft and the support aircraft. Here are the selected pilots from both squadrons:

DEMONSTRATION TEAMS

Team Phoenix
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Armée de l'Air Patrouille de France en SL

Aircraft, Pilots and Crew

TEAM PHOENIX
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
Phoenix 1 - Mr Pilot (aviator747)
Phoenix 2 - Destiny Bellarosa (destiny0000)
Phoenix 3 - Diana266
Phoenix 4 - Bambi Baxter (biffbottom)

BLUE ANGEL #7 - U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Aircraft: Boeing F/A-18D Hornet
Angel 7 - CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron

BLUE ANGELS jet team - U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Aircraft: Boeing F/A-18C Hornet
Angel 1 - CAPT. Vickster "Speed" Kühn
Flight Leader
Angel 2 - LCDR. Chardy "Hinch" Oaks
Right Wing
Angel 3 - CDR. Dominique "Alba" van Dongen 
Left Wing
Angel 4 - CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
Slot / Opposing Solo / Narrator
Angel 5 - CDR. Jenny "QB" Kaz 
Lead Solo
 
BLUE ANGELS Fat Albert Airlines - U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Aircraft: Lockheed C-130T Hercules "Fat Albert"
Angel 8 - CDR. Dominique "Alba" van Dongen
Fat Albert Airlines pilot / Alternate Narrator

PAF - Armée de l'Air Patrouille de France en SL
Aircraft: Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet E
Athos 1 - LCL Mara Klaber (Leader)
Athos 2 - CNL Rhea Thor (Intérieur Droit) (Pafsl Group Leader)
Athos 3 - CDT Gwenblonde (Intérieur Gauche)
Athos 4 - CPT Tidus10 (Charognard)
Athos 9 - LCL Paterne Lefavre (stand by pilot)


ID4 2019 PROGRAM - JULY 4, 2019
All times are SLT (US Pacific Time)

08:00 am - Gates open
For the early birds, a chance to get the best seats and wander around the demo squadron area where the demonstration teams have their aircraft on static display.

08:30 am - Opening parade
An air parade with aircraft from all corners of Second Life whose pilots wish to mark the occasion, closed by the historic USN Sea King "Old 66" flying a large Stars and Stripes! The "Old 66" will land by the USN Blue Angels team area and will remain in static display.

09:00 am - Team areas close to the public
All visitors must make way to the audience locations. 

09:10 am - U.S. Navy Blue Angels VIP Ride
One special guest will board Blue Angel number 7 for a ride, in which several maneuvers performed by the squadron are executed.

10:00 am - Team Phoenix aerial demonstration
A demo squadron with a long tradition in the skies of Second Life, the flamed TA-4J Skyhawks will take to the skies for another great display of skill and precision.

10:45 am - U.S. Navy Blue Angels Fat Albert Airlines
Although grounded at the moment in real life, in Second Life the Blue Angels are proud to present the aerial demonstration performed by their support aircraft, the C-130J Hercules affectionately known as "Fat Albert".

11:15 am - U.S. Navy Blue Angels Jet Team
The SL United States Navy Demonstration Team Blue Angels will take their F/A-18C's to the skies on their third consecutive Independence Day Air Show at Cinsal Airport.

01:00 pm - Patrouille de France en SL
Returning to Agrippa to once more participate in our Independence Day celebrations, the French pilots of the Patrouille de France will grace us with one of the most spectacular aerial demonstrations in Second Life!

After the end of the last aerial demonstration the airport will be accessible to the public at all locations outside the audience areas and the participating aircraft will remain on static display for a closer look!

Enjoy the air show and happy Independence Day!

CAPT. Asra Kron
U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team Blue Angels - Angel 7

 

 

Sous le Ciel de Paris...

Sous le ciel de Paris
S'envole une chanson
Elle est née d'aujourd'hui
Dans le cœur d'un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux ...

Auteur · Jean Dréjac · Compositeur · Hubert Giraud

Bastille Day! July 14th, 2017.
The Patrouille de France (PAFsl) will fly in the sky of Paris 1900 for the French Republic national holiday. The Air Show will start at 13:00 hours SLT (1 pm) and the organization provides first class seats on an elevated platform outside the demo sim, a breath away from the Eiffel Tower.

SLUR for the Audience platform: Go HERE!

The French squadron will take off from the Champs Élysées in an unprecedented and spectacular event that will place the pilots over the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and the Eiffel Tower, where the demonstration will take place. A unique Air Show by the oldest aerobatic team in SL, just as the real life squadron they so well represent is the world's oldest aerobatic squadron. Ten days after the 4th of July, here is the Quatorze Juillet! 

Update to be placed here after the Air Show! Stay tuned!
Update of July 14 below. As usual, click on the images to enlarge.

Above:
July 14, Champs-Elysées, Paris 1900, France in Second Life. The Patrouille de France makes a dream come true: fly over the most emblematic French city in Second Life, Paris 1900, on Bastille Day.
Photos (click to enlarge):
Large - The four Alphajets selected to fly over Paris align in Diamond formation for take off on one of the most amazing and exclusive runways in SL: the Champs-Elysées. For this mission, the chosen pilots were Lcl. Paterne Lefavre, Athos 1, Col. Rhea Thor, Athos 2, Cdt. Gwenblonde, Athos 3, and Lt. Sego Milo, Athos 4. Unlike real life Paris, these Champs-Elysées are condensed, as all Paris 1900 and 2000, and the take off run (and landing) were a STOL exercise.
Top right - Final verification on the ground. In reality, only the Leader starts on the Champs Elysées, the Interiors and the "Charognard" (Slot) are on the Place de l'Étoile, Athos 4 has its rear wheels against the plate of the Arc de Triomphe. Must make room!
Center and bottom right - Free warm up. Each pilot takes care of preflight individually to make up for the local conditions. Hot and static for take off. Brakes off! (bottom).

Above:
Paris 2000, bordering Paris 1900, had a platform created for Bastille Day, allowing for a great audience location. For security reasons (a.k.a. lag control!) the Paris 1900 regions were inaccessible to the general public during the air show. I did however chose the top of the Montparnasse Tower to best view the demo from Paris 2000 and try to get some photos from a vantage point. Alas, Paris 2000 was full and lag was a problem, but I did get a few shots and a great (up close and personal) view of the Alphas!
Photos (click to enlarge):
Large - C'est parti! The Diamond spear head comes to the top of a loop as Athos 4 recovers. The Panache Tricolor over Paris on July 14th. An amazing occasion. I am standing on the edge of the Montparnasse Tower, visible on the bottom right of the photo - a recurrent sight on these shots!
Top right - The Tour de Montparnasse, in a condensed Paris in SL overlooking the Place de l'Étoile and the Champs Elysées. The audience platform can be spotted to the right of the tower.
Center right - My vantage point! (Mes excuses, Damelessage Igaly! I know the audience was supposed to be on the platform, but the tower was just... standing there!)
Bottom left - The Diamond spear head zooms at very low altitude over the Arc de Triomphe. One of the many occasions I had to point the camera down!

Above:
Too bad I was struggling not to crash and to be honest I was focused on watching this unique event through my own eyes rather than through the camera lens but still managed a few decent shots. A wonderful air show and a day to remember, when the PAFsl took to the sky of Paris. More next year, please!
Photos (click to enlarge):
Large - Athos 1 and 2 break on a tight looping getting very close to the Montparnasse Tower and the region border (notice how close I am! - bottom right of the photo). The two pilots demonstrated again how well they go together. Always a pleasure to watch, and a great lead by Lcl. Lefavre.
Top right - The audience on the platform below could be heard from the top of Montparnasse Tower as the Patrouille de France made the sky of Paris more beautiful. Applauses and cheers at each loop, cuban eight and roll. The spear head seen in great style at yet another loop top.
Center and bottom right - One final tight looping before the four tricolor Alphajets headed for the tight landing I had the privilege to experience the day before (see here!). A memorable occasion was about to reach the end, but the party would go on after in Paris! Vive la France et Joyeux Quatorze!

Very nice video of the occasion, courtesy of Papillon (a.k.a. Carole Renard). Merci, Pap!!

Note: For my adventure the eve of Bastille Day, see "An American in Paris".

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
NASMCO / NFDTXO / TFCOM