Inside Look at a Pilot's Life: Burks Style
-By Maegan Dupre
Captain Brendan Burks is entering his second year of his three year service as a pilot for the Blue Angels, and is already a man of many talents and, currently, a pilot of the prestigious C-130. Before he became a Blue Angel he was enlisted in the Marine Corps, and when he finishes his time with the Blue Angels he will go back to his post as a captain.
In school, Captain Burks was not top of his class and played football for his school. He was as much an ordinary student as any around him, and even his teachers were surprised when he got into the Blue Angels. When a blind opportunity arose he found himself taking an exam to become a pilot, and to his surprise he began to take his journey as a pilot. Not only does Captain Burks travel all over the United States, but around the world having visited sixteen to seventeen countries with the Blue Angels just in one year. Some countries on this impressive list includes: South Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. All this traveling allows Burks to learn some geography along the way, discovering countries that he didn't know existed.
In order for Captain Burks to become a Blue Angel he had a variety of requirements. For example he had to have a minimum of 12,000 hours in the aircraft as well as a few health requirements, such as good eyesight and being physically fit. Once that is attained, a pilot can begin his three to four year service to the Blue Angels. A typical day for a pilot would begin around 4:30 in the morning. He would then get to the gym and then head off to practice. After the flight practice is done a pilot would go to his office to finish paperwork or other office activities before heading home. When the Blue Angels are going to a show site they would leave their location on Tuesday or Wednesday and leave the site for home again on Sunday. With all this time at work, Blue Angel pilots get Monday off, in which Burks uses to spend time with his two girls and wife as well as just relaxing.
One thing that Captain Burks feels is one of the hardest things about his job is the constant strive for perfection. Perfect isn't even perfect when one is a Blue Angel, as there is always something that can be improved on, whether this is in the air or on the ground. A pilot in the Blue Angels must always have an air of immaculate presentation, as the name of the Blue Angels represents one of absolute perfection and professional appearance.
And yes, they really do shine their own boots.
Blue Angels: Behind the Scenes
-By Megan Samson
The Blue Angels, the United States Navy’s flight demonstration team, is known for its trademark diamond formation, along with many other aerial acrobatics, but there is a great deal to be done behind the scenes to make sure the shows are successful, requiring many more people than just the pilots.
Of the approximately 125 members of the Blue Angels team only nine are pilots. The rest of the team is made up of maintenance, administration, public affairs and even medical enlisted volunteers to ensure the health and safety of the Blue Angels. Due to the careful work of the maintenance crew, a show has never been canceled because of a maintenance problem in the Blue Angels’ sixty-two year history. The administration is responsible for a wide variety of tasks. It gives out the orders and any awards. It also takes care of the official communication and security. The public affairs officers have many tasks to do as well. They must do all the writing and photography for any promotional materials. They also work with the local media about its coverage at the approximately seventy air shows each year.
Petty Officer Jennifer Blake, a public affairs officer with the Blue Angels, visited Lisbon High School on September 5 and gave the students a perspective on what it’s like for those team members who aren’t pilots. She told the students she has been in the Navy for three years but is in her first year with the Blue Angels. She also informed them that prior to entering the Navy she had gone to school, but not for journalism and had been a radio DJ for six months. She studied journalism for seven months at the Navy’s A-school. She said it was competitive to join the team and along with sending in an application, the applicant had to have done extremely well in his or her previous position, been recommended by their commanding officer and have interviews with the officers on the Blue Angels team.