Blue Angels and Oracle Challenger over Seattle

05:20 PM PDT on Thursday, August 4, 2005

KING 5 News

It's great viewing the Blue Angels from the ground, but you can imagine how much better it is from the air!

Click the video links at the right to see what it's like to be just 30 feet from the Blue Angels and the Oracle Challenger. The planes flew together over downtown Seattle Thursday and KING 5 photojournalist Dave Wike was there to give us a rare aerial perspective through his lens and the eyes of Oracle Challenger stunt pilot Sean Tucker.

Wike also interviewed Blue Angels pilots Lt. Commander Ted. Steelman and Major Matthew C. Shortal, along with Oracle pilot Sean Tucker. See their complete interviews using the links at the right.

Major Shortal wouldn't trade his jet for anything.

"I've got God's Jet, I believe," Shortal said. "It's quite a ride."

It's the first time for Shortal and Lt. Cmdr. Steelman flying over Seattle. Steelman, who grew up outside of Boise, said the view was fantastic.

"The scenery is, well it's pretty much close to perfect," said Steelman, who like Shortal, was pretty excited about his job. "It is always fun. I tell people all the time I think I've got the greatest job in the entire world and I feel very fortunate that I'm paid to do it."

When asked about flying with Oracle pilot Sean Tucker, Steelman called him a "living legend" whose name is known throughout the aviation community.

Tucker was even more effusive in his praise.

"What an honor for the Blues to invite me to fly with them in my airplane," Tucker said. "They're the best jet team in the world, they're the best guys in the world and then we're in the best city in the world it was just so beautify out there hanging out with the blue angels as they're doing a high-alpha pass. I just dove in, got right next to them and sat with the big boys."