US Marine Corps C-130J Super Hercules nicknamed "Fat Albert"
In addition to being the opening attraction for the Blue Angels demonstration, Fat Albert's primary mission is to transport 35,000 pounds of cargo and roughly 60 Blue Angels team members to every show site throughout the country. Consisting of eight crew members, Fat Albert Airlines is critical to the overall mission of the team.
DID YOU KNOW?
- There were 4 other types of support aircraft prior to the C-130 Hercules. They were the R4D Sky Train, R5C Commando, R5D Skymaster, and the C-121 Super Constellation.
- Fat Albert used to perform with eight Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO) rocket bottles, producing 1,000 pounds of thrust each. They helped propel Fat Albert on short runways and gain high altitude in a short period of time. 2009 was the last show season for the use of JATO rocket bottles as the manufacturer stopped producing them.
- Fat Albert was named after the children’s cartoon because of its size and shape.
- Fat Albert flies more than 100,000 miles every show season!