06/30/2008. Remarks by Bill Ewing: "This is a photo of a F8F-1 Bearcat as flown by the USN Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels. The 'Angels' first flew the Bearcat at the formation of the team in August, 1946. The following month, on September 29, they had their first fatal accident at Jacksonville NAS, Florida, when F8F-1 BuNo 94986 and its pilot where lost during an air show.

In 1967, I was a member of the RCAF Golden Centennaires and we shared the airspace at the Abbotsford Airshow with the Blue Angels. One of their old Chiefs related this tale to me:

Back when the Angels were flying Bearcats, they were in transit from Alameda, California, and flying in formation between two layers of cloud. One of their sharp-eyed numbers spotted a PBY Catalina lumbering along toward them, lower but also between the layers. He tipped off the lead and the lead immediately had the entire formation roll inverted. They flew past the PBY that way.

Once past, the flight rolled back up then did a long 360 to watch the PBY. Apparently, to their amusement, the PBY was being "horsed" all over the sky in an attempt to get it the right way up. I guess the PBY crew just didn't believe their instruments.

Maybe it's a good thing the crew wasn't able to get it over. I've worked on PBYs and I'm sure the wings would have immediately folded up and brought an quick end to that flight."

Read also the F8F remarks on page 6766.