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Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Flying High over Jacksonville

October 19, 2012 by Joe Talentino

Flying is every boy’s dream, and it has been mine for a long time. I have been in planes before, and in a helicopters, but when we were invited to fly in a WWII plane – I was thrilled!

The GEICO Skytypers are the only flying unit in the world that performs at air shows typing their messages in the sky. The team fly vintage WWII planes and they are in Jacksonville for this year’s Sea & Sky Spectacular air show at Jax Beach. The team “types” messages at 10,000 feet with puffs of smoke in dot matrix-style letters. We went out to Mayport Naval Station to meet up with the team and to fly over Jacksonville. By the time we made it out to the tarmac the skies were blue and the visibility awesome. We couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions. After getting suited up and receiving a quick safety lesson, it was finally time to climb into the plane to take off. We had a group of three planes going up at the same time because we were going to fly formation.

We were ready for take off, but we had to wait for the Blue Angels who were practicing for the air show. We didn’t mind at all because we had the best seats in the house. When the Blue Angels landed, the runway was clear for take off.

The first thing that hits you when you get up in the air is literally the wind. The open cockpit makes this a completely different experience from flying in a “regular plane”. We loved it! Our camera guy Kris also loved the fact that he didn’t have to shoot through glass. We got great footage of the planes, and also of the downtown area of Jacksonville. (You can watch the story on I Know Jax on CW 17 on Saturday at 11 p.m. – and we will be uploading the video here soon too!)

Geicos Skytypers over downtown Jacksonville

The GEICO Skytypers use six of the remaining 11 North American SNJ-2 planes left in the world to write messages at an altitude of 10,000 feet.  Each World War II-era plane has been restored and equipped and with a computer that coordinates the smoke puffs from the aircraft. The six aircraft fill the sky and come from all directions, providing spectators a unique viewing experience. During skytyping missions the pilots fly 250 feet apart in a wide “line-abreast” formation. When aligned, the smoke puffs form letters as tall as the Empire State Building. Skytyping is 17 times faster than skywriting because each pilot can create a letter every four seconds. Entire messages can be as large as 6 to 8 miles wide.  Messages are visible for 15 miles in each direction on a clear day.

These flying machines have been around for a while. The SNJ-2 planes served as a training plane for most of the Allied pilots flying in WWII. This aircraft is known by many names; the T-6 Texan (Army Aircorp) and the Harvard (RAF), but was most affectionately known as the “pilot maker” by crew members. The SNJ-2 also won honors in WWII and in the early portion of the Korean War.   A total of 15,495 planes were manufactured training thousands of pilots across 34 different countries. Today there are only eleven SNJ-2 planes still in existence, the Geico Skytypers have six of these planes.

Maneuvering the antique aircraft requires great skill and expertise. Most of the GEICO Skytypers pilots earned their wings in the military and several currently fly for commercial airlines. In addition to skytyping, the team also performs a low-altitude, precision-formation flying routine combined with a thrilling aeronautical demonstration. You will be able to see the Geico Skytypers perform on both Saturday and Sunday at Jax Beach.

We had a great flight, and we got great footage. I think I had a silly grin on my face for hours after we landed – and I had wind noise in my ears too, but that didn’t bother me at all. Once back on the ground, Ken presented me with a special badge that is only given to visitors who have been on a formation flight with the Geico Skytypers. I think I’m going to sew that one to my leather jacket. All I need now is some cool pilot sunglasses and I’ll be ready for a dogfight.

Read more about the air show Sea Sky Spectacular in Jacksonville, Florida

I am almost a real pilot now!

 

 


 

Sea and Sky Spectacular Jacksonville 2009

October 27, 2009 by Susanne Talentino

The annual  Air show the Sea & Sky Spectacular on November 6 – 8 , 2009 comes to  Jacksonville, Florida. This is one of the most popular events in Jacksonville, and no wonder.

The Sea & Sky Spectacular is a breathtaking sky show highlighted by the world-famous United States Navy Blue Angels along with other military and civilian flight teams.

But there’s more to this event than planes. There’s also live entertainment, a street festival with displays of aircraft and military vehicles, simulators, recruitment booths, a kids area and Meet The Performers Autograph Sessions.

The Sea and Sky Spectacular will also be encompassed within the City of Jacksonville’s Week of Valor to celebrate and honor all military branches throughout the community.  Week of Valor components will include events held in downtown Jacksonville as well as Naval Station Mayport.

Find out about parking here!

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Here is some of the happenings:

FRIDAY NOV 6

Air show performers will practice their demonstrations and aerobatic performances throughout the day. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels practice will start at approximately 2:15 p.m.

♦ Jacksonville Sea and Sky Spectacular Pre-Flight Party
Seawalk Pavilion, 6-10 p.m.
Free admission

Come meet your favorite performer and get an autograph. Meet and mingle with military and civilian performers and crews.

♦ Popular Science Star Party
6-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday takes place on the beach, right next to the Seawalk Pavilion. In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, which marks 400 years since the great Italian scientist Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the sky, Celestron will be viewing Jupiter and its moons, the craters of Earth’s Moon, nebulas and galaxies through our computerized telescopes during the Sea & Sky Spectacular and we invite the public to come take a peek at these amazing celestial objects.

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SAT NOV 7 & SUN NOV 8

Event Hours 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Free Admission

♦ Sky Show
The show will open each day with an American Flag fly over and a performance of the National Anthem.

Jacksonville Sea & Sky Spectacular Street Festival
First Street from First Avenue North to Fifth Avenue North

Interactive games, displays, simulators, children’s activities, arts & crafts, food, beverages and much more!

Kids Area
Featuring face painting, make and take crafts and much more!
Meet the Performers Autograph Session
On Saturday and Sunday, pilots and performers will meet and sign autographs for air show fans.

Recruitment Booths
Representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, U.S. Coast Guard, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department will be on hand to provide information on careers.

♦ Popular Science Star Party (Friday and Saturday only)
6-10 p.m. On the beach just north of the pier.
Get an up close view of the night skies with Celestron! In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, which marks 400 years since the scientist Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the sky, Celestron will be viewing Jupiter and its moons, the craters of Earth’s Moon, nebulas and galaxies through our computerized telescopes during the Sea & Sky Spectacular and we invite the public to come take a peek at these amazing celestial objects.

Click here for the complete schedule
sea-sky-spectacular

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