Robert "Bob" Rasmussen is a retired United States Navy Captain and former pilot of the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team where he served from 1957 to 1959. His tenure with the Blue Angels was marked by a number of historical milestones including the team's transition from the Grumman F9F Cougar to the F11 Tiger.
Upon joining the Blue Angels, Rasmussen was originally selected to fly as a solo pilot, however, due to the unfortunate passing of Capt Charles Hollaway in an accident, the team reassigned him to fly #2 Right Wing for the 1957 air show season.
The Blue Angels began the 1957 season flying the F9F-8 Cougar, however, the decision was made to to transition to the F-11 Tiger at the beginning of the year so that the team could take advantage of its sleek design and afterburner capabilities. During the transition process, Rasmussen, known for his artistic capabilities, was asked to modernize the paint design for the six new jets. Leveraging the existing design, Rasmussen added stripes to each side of the canopy, an arrow on the bottom of the fuselage, repositioned the crest under the cockpit, and adjusted the font of the word "Blue Angels" to be in script lettering. The paint scheme has lasted the test of time and is still the livery for today's team.
With the unique challenge of transitioning aircraft mid-season, the Blue Angels practiced with the F-11 Tigers during the week and flew air shows with the Cougars on weekends. The team completed their transition to the F-11 and flew their first show at Barin Field near Pensacola on March 23, 1957.
At the conclusion of his first season with the team, Rasmussen moved to the #4 Slot position where he encountered an engine malfunction while on a test flight and made the first successful "engine out" landing in an F-11.
Rasmussen attributes the success of his time on the Blue Angels to his teammates and the dynamic that existed between them, including Herb Hunter, who was also his brother-in-law. Sadly, Herb Hunter was lost during the Vietnam War after taking hostile fire to his aircraft and failing to land aboard the USS Oriskany on July 19, 1967.
Captain Rasmussen's total active duty lasted from October 1951 to July 1983 with 5,000 flight hours and 600 carrier landings. At the conclusion of his naval service, Rasmussen accepted a position at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, where he oversaw the museum's expansion and operations for over two and a half decades. He was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hal of Honor in 2008.
Produced by Ryan Nothhaft
Filmed by Brian L. Butler Creative
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
The Blue Angels Association
Laura Bogan
Clark Merritt
Eric Rasmussen
Perry Hunter
John Miller
Nicholas A. Veronico, Author of The Blue Angels: A Fly-By History
VISUAL RESOURCES:
1957 F11 color footage: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation | Produced by Gordon Knox for the Princeton Film Center
1957 F9F Cougar color footage: From the private collection of the Blue Angel Phantoms KZitem Channel
1957 F9F Cougar black & white footage: From the TV show "You Asked for It"
BLUE ANGELS 1957
1. CDR Ed Holley
2. LT Bob Rasmussen
3. LT "Lefty" Schwartz
4. LT Nello Pierozzi
5. 1stLt Tom Jefferson, USMC
6. LT Herb Hunter
7. LT Bruce Bagwell
7. LT Mark Perrault
MO LCDR Harry Sonner
MO LCDR Willard Oleson
Doc LCDR R E Luehrs
BLUE ANGELS 1958
1. CDR Ed Holley
2. Capt Stoney Mayock, USMC
3. LT Herb Hunter
4. LT Bob Rasmussen
5. LT Jack Dewenter
6. LT John Demeiller
7. LT Mark Perrault
CDR Nick Glasgow
MO LCDR Bill Oleson
BLUE ANGELS 1959
1. CDR Zeb Knott
2. Capt Stoney Mayock, USMC
3. LT Herb Hunter
4. LT Bob Rasmussen
5. LCDR Jack Dewenter
6. LT John Demeiller
7. LT Mark Perrault
LT Don McKee
MO LCDR Jack Reavis
#blueangels #f11tiger #militaryaviation
Негізгі бет Blue Angels Pilot: Robert "Bob" Rasmussen | 1957 - 1959
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