Blue Angels Cockpit
Crew Chief: Bill Greene
The Blue Angels Cockpit at the Pacific Coast Air Museum.
Blue Angel F-4 Simulator
This cockpit simulator is a new acquisition for the Pacific Coast Air Museum, acquired from NAS Fallon, Nevada on March 8, 2006. This cockpit section was from an F-4B that flew sorties over Vietnam.At the end of its flying life, it seamed to headed to the target range at China Lake, CA. But the U.S. Navy personnel had another plan. They chopped out the cockpit, made up a trailer and did a huge amount of sheet metal work to make it look presentable and portable.
With approval from the Blue Angel team (it is unknown at this writing if it actually was flown by the "Blues") the simulator was painted in the color's of the Navy's official flight demo team and it hit the road with the Navy recruiting teams on the West Coast. The Navy even brought it to our "Wings Over Wine Country" Air Show in the late 90's. Talking with the staff on hand that weekend, we were told that the this simulator was soon to be retired, as the F-4 was no longer on active service with the Navy.
After extensive talks with the Navy command staff at NAS Fallon, the go ahead was given to bring it to the Pacific Coast Air Museum. After sitting in the desert for twp years between quonset huts it was in rough shape. It took several months to clean it up, repaint the entire outside and acquire the logos.
The interior is complete including the rear seat joy stick that controls the radar and the huge bank of circuit breakers on the lower right side. The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines flew the F-4. The major difference is the Marine and Air Force versions were flight controls in the rear.
Have a seat in both the pilot and RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) seats and see how busy all involved were flying these aircraft.
