Runway should be familiar for Fat Albert pilot

For Maj. Drew Hess, it's like returning to the classroom a decade after graduating. But instead of chalk dust, the scent of jet fuel will trigger the flood of memories.

The Marine Corps pilot will take off from a familiar flightline in this weekend's Cherry Point Air Show. Hess learned to fly the C-130 transport jet while assigned to the air station's aerial refueling training squadron, VMGRT-253, in 1999.

"I'm looking forward to coming back to Cherry Point," he said. "We have a lot of friends there and a lot of memories. We're all looking forward to coming back."

Hess flies the Fat Albert Airlines C-130 plane for the Blue Angels, the Navy's premier flight demonstration squadron. A crew of eight operates the hulking jet, which carries the Blue Angels' support staff and gear. The aircraft also is used in flight demonstrations along with the smaller and sleeker F/A-18 Hornets.

"It's a lot quicker and a lot more maneuverable than people give it credit for," Hess said of the C-130. "I can't speak for everybody, but we really enjoy flying in the shows. And I think the crowd enjoys it, too."

The Lockheed-Martin C-130T Hercules transport cruises at 360 mph at an altitude of 27,000 feet. The aircraft is a crowd-pleaser despite its sluggish speed. By comparison, the Blue Angel jets can exceed Mach 1.7, or 1,200 mph.

Fat Albert's aerial repertoire includes the parade pass, flight pass and push-to-land - a landing under assault conditions - but Hess said the most exciting maneuver is the jet-assisted takeoff. With the aid of eight solid-fuel rockets attached to the fuselage, the C-130 leaps skyward, leaving the ground within 1,500 feet and climbing to 1,000 feet in about 15 seconds.

The demonstration team has a hectic schedule during air show season, which runs from March to the middle of November.

"We do approximately 70 shows in 35 different cities, so you're working pretty much every weekend," Hess said. "Of course, if you didn't love it, you wouldn't be doing it in the first place. It can be a bit draining sometimes."

At the air show, Blue Angel pilots are bona fide celebrities. They shake hands and sign autographs, and while Hess will gladly field compliments on his aerial maneuvers, he said he's frequently thanked for serving in the military.

"You get a lot of, ‘Hey, thanks for what you're doing for your country,' and for me, that's what means the most," he said. "I'm a Marine first and a Blue Angel second."