Thanks to the Blue Angels and particularly the USMC crew of Fat Albert for giving me the ride of a lifetime on Friday.

 Fat Albert is a C-130 Transport aircraft that can do some really incredible things for a plane of its size. We shot straight into the shy at a 45 degree angle on take off and landed at just about the same angle, locking them up and burning rubber on the Boeing Field runway. We left a skid mark that will still be there next Seafair.

 The 20 minutes spent in the air between take off and landing were some of the most memorable of my life. I got to experience true weightlessness four times and loved every minute of it. Maybe I should have been an Astronaut.

In taking this ride I was so impressed with the disciplined flight crew and I really must salute the thousands of men and women who get on these planes, not to circle Lake Washington but to fly into places like Kabul and Bagdad, not knowing what will be waiting for them when they land.

 Thanks to all who serve our Nation at home and abroad. You are the people who give the rest of us the freedom and safety to enjoy a wonderful Seafair weekend like the one we just had.

 Check out the photo gallery and video of our flight and thanks to Seth Thompson for tagging along to capture the images. I am happy to report neither of us needed the air sickness bag but I think Seth would freely admit he was much closer than me !

   Cheers, and to the gentlemen who took me up in Fat Albert, Semper Fi !

                                           Joe