N.Y. members help keep elite pilots flying at Long Island air show

 

 

(1)
Second Lt. William Pisano of Suffolk Cadet Squadron 9 stands post in front of the C-130 aircraft that transports the Blue Angels crew to and from each air show.

(2)
Cadet Maj. Patrick J. Argento of Suffolk Cadet Squadron 7 patrols in front of the Blue Angels flight line at Republic Airport

(3)
Crowds gaze at the Blue Angels flight line in a secured fenced area outside the main terminal at Republic Airport.

(4)
Second Lt. Ed Valenson of the Long Island Group at his security post in front of U.S. Navy Blue Angel No. 7.

(5)
Members of the Long Island Senior Squadron and Long Island Group patrol past the Blue Angels flight line.

(6)
Gathering on the Republic Airport ramp in front of Blue Angel  No. 7 are (from left) 2nd Lt. Edward Valenson, 2nd Lts. Daniel Turano and Steven Fucaloro, Senior Member Lori Corcacas, Capt. John Corcacas and Senior Member Ronald Alvarez, all Long Island Senior Squadron members.

(7)
A Blue Angels flight crew members stands on the flight line as Blue Angel No. 1 fires up for a practice run.

(8)
The Blue Angels flight crew prepares the fleet for showtime.

(9)
(From left) Navy Chief Petty Officer Glenn Kildare, Petty Officer 3rd Class Julia Casper and Capt. Edward Jorge.

Photos by 2nd Lt. Kevin P. Coughlin


1st. Lt. William J. McGee
Public Affairs Officer
Senior Member Kevin P. Coughlin
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
Long Island Senior Squadron
New York Wing

NEW YORK -- Some duties in Civil Air Patrol never get old.

Take, for instance, the integral role that members of the Long Island Senior Squadron play each year in assisting the military, media and public as hundreds of thousands gathered for the annual Bethpage Federal Credit Union New York Air Show at Long Island's Jones Beach. It's both a privilege and a pleasure, and CAP's reputation increases with every successful mission.

In odd years, the squadron provides direct assistance to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at the show, one of the nation’s largest. In even years, like this one, the members lend a hand to the Navy equivalent, the Blue Angels.

For years, both elite teams have performed at Jones Beach and based their aircraft and support personnel at Republic Airport in nearby Farmingdale. Republic also serves as home base for the Long Island Senior Squadron, so the unit’s role during the air show is a natural fit.

"We're always honored to lend a hand to the Navy or the Air Force in any way we can," said Capt. Joseph Pizzo, the Long Island squadron’s commander. "This mission has become the centerpiece of our year. And it's great that our efforts are so appreciated."

Members of the squadron — assisted by cadets and senior members culled from other Long Island Group units — perform a wide variety of tasks during the four-day air show. Their duty days begin at 7 a.m.

These responsibilities include perimeter and fence-line security, crowd control, logistical support, transportation assistance, public affairs outreach, VIP and media escorts, and just about anything else that can help.

And Pizzo is not exaggerating the Navy's gratitude.

"Everyone from CAP has been terrific — they're very helpful," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Julia Casper, a member of the Blue Angels' public affairs team.
Casper was especially impressed by the cadets who spent long hours under a hot sun yet performed professionally. "I was glad to hear so many of them go on to the military,” she said. “They’re learning the right way to do things here."

Founded in 1946, the Blue Angels are based in Pensacola, Fla., but the squadron's 2010 schedule — which runs from March through November, with 68 shows at 35 sites — has them flying everywhere from New Hampshire to Alaska to Hawaii. The Blue Angels' mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corps recruiting efforts and positively represent naval aviation.

For 23 years now the team has flown Boeing F/A-18 Hornets, capable of operating at Mach 1.7+-- about 1,200 mph. The Jones Beach crowd was wowed by some of the world's best precision flying, including the four-jet Diamond Formation and the six-jet Delta Formation.

The squadron also travels with a Lockheed-Martin C-130T Hercules, operated by the U.S. Marine Corps and affectionately known throughout the world as “Fat Albert.” The mammoth aircraft logs more than 140,000 miles each season, carrying 40 maintenance and support personnel as well as gear, spare parts, and communication equipment.

Though it may look deceptively clunky, Fat Albert is capable of radically short takeoffs and extreme maneuvers of its own; at Republic Airport, CAP assisted in recruiting and escorting broadcasters, photographers, and print journalists for demonstration rides.

One of Fat Albert's pilots, Capt. Edward Jorge, also expressed appreciation for CAP's assistance at the temporary Republic Airport base. "All of you have been great. We really thank you, “Jorge said.

For the Blue Angels team’s maintenance chief, Chief Petty Officer Glenn Kildare, the show was a journey home. Kildare hails from Wantagh, N.Y., just a few parkway exits from the beach where his squadron mates perform aerial acrobatics.

For Long Island Senior Squadron members, there's no higher praise than recognition from a fellow Long Islander. Kildare stressed how much the Blue Angels contingent appreciates CAP's efforts.

"We really couldn’t do the job without you guys," he said. "You free us up to do more. And then that lets us go out and see more of the area."

As for the CAP's cadet program, Kildare called it a "stepping stone" and noted that quite a few Navy pilots began their service through Civil Air Patrol.