SAN DIEGO — I still can’t believe it happened!
Riding in the backseat of a Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet was surreal, and such an amazing experience. These videos show the highlights of my flight, along with how I spent the hours leading up to the flight on the big day. It was the best day of my 30-year career!
When I found out I had been selected as the only person in San Diego to fly with the Blue Angels on a media ride to preview the MCAS Miramar Air Show in San Diego, I was a little nervous, but also super thrilled!
I was so honored. My late father was a civilian survivor of Pearl Harbor. He was walking to church when the bombs started falling. He ran home and his next-door neighbor’s house was on fire. He spent the day feverishly digging a bomb shelter on his property because they didn’t know what would happen next. The attack prompted him to enlist in the Army. He served in some capacity, first on active duty, then as a civilian, for more than six decades.
He would’ve been so proud to see me fly in one of our country’s most amazing fighter jets.
The Blue Angels' medical form emphasized how physically strenuous and demanding it is to ride in a F/A-18 Super Hornet. I had to get a physical to make sure I could handle it. It's recommended to clear your schedule for the rest of the day, as it is strenuous on your body and many people are exhausted.
I talked to a couple of colleagues who had the opportunity to do a media flight years ago. They said they felt physically drained after the flight as if they had just run a marathon.
My mission was to prepare my body as best I could. I immediately began eating clean. No alcohol, no caffeine, no gluten, no added sugars, low salt.
I also started working out five days a week, attending my favorite outdoor Forever Fit Bootcamp and also exercising on my own, focusing on strengthening my core. I had gotten a bit out of shape during the pandemic and kept telling myself I needed to prioritize my health again but never took action. This was exactly the motivation I needed to put my health and fitness first!
By the time my big day arrived, I had lost nearly 15 pounds and my core was strong. I was so excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I felt like I had done everything I could do to prepare my body for this physically demanding and thrilling experience. I was still afraid of passing out while pulling Gs.
On the morning of my flight, Photojournalist Mike Edison and I arrived at MCAS Miramar at 6:45 a.m. Petty Officer 2nd Class Cameron Tuzon - a San Diego native and Patrick Henry High School graduate - briefed us on the proper way to do the Hook Maneuver breathing technique that's done while you clench and tighten your legs from the feet up your calves, quads hamstring lower back.
He described it as trying to stand up while belted in, as if in a standing squat, then breathing in while making the “HOO” sound, holding for 3 seconds, then forcefully breathing out with the "K" sound then immediately breathing in and repeating the maneuver.
This pattern helps keep the blood from pooling in your lower extremities, which it naturally wants to do while pulling Gs, and keeps the blood flowing to your head so you don’t lose oxygen and pass out. You're basically pumping your body to force the blood to your brain. He watched me perform the move and confidently said I wouldn’t pass out if I did exactly what I was doing.
Most fighter jet pilots wear G suits, but not the Blue Angels. The suits would make it too bulky for the maneuvers they make. So, to counteract the G forces, they are all trained to breathe this way.
WATCH THE FULL CBS 8+ SPECIAL: Soaring with the Blue Angels | Once in a lifetime opportunity
Then, it was time for my ride!
All of that hard work paid off when I took my ride with the Blue Angels! I had an incredible pilot, Lieutenant Commander Griffin "Pushpop" Stangel, also known as Blue Angel #7.
While we were up in the air pulling Gs, I got up to 7.2! And I didn't pass out or have to use the motion sickness bags. I achieved my goal!
As I flew over the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean off San Diego's coast, which blended so seamlessly with the gorgeous blue sky, I thought of the servicemen and servicewomen defending our country, flying in this same plane all over the world, the F/A-18 Super Hornet showing its might. I
thought of their sacrifice and their time in deployment away from their families. I thought of my father as I soared through the air in the roaring fighter jet, feeling so close to his spirit.
I feel so thankful for this once-in-a-lifetime experience which broadened my already deep respect for our military members. I'm grateful to the Blue Angels, my pilot, Lt Commander Griffin Stangel and my trainer Petty Officer Second Class Cameron Tuzon.
I'm thankful for being selected by MCAS Miramar Commanding Officer Colonel Marty Bedell and First Lt Jacoby Hawkins.
I can't thank my manager Dana McDaniel enough for asking if I was brave enough for this crazy adventure, and CBS 8 Managing Editor Barb Richards for convincing me I should submit my name. And I am full of love from the support of my family and friends, many of whom endured the grueling bootcamps with me!
I am so happy to be able to share a 30-minute special on CBS 8+ called, "Soaring With the Blue Angels," highlighting my whole experience with the Blue Angels.
You'll see new footage that captures me climbing down from the jet and see what I did the moment my feet touched the ground.
It's been a year since my flight and it feels like it was just yesterday. I will never, ever forget that day.
WATCH RELATED: CBS 8's Marcella Lee's flight with the Blue Angels | Inside the cockpit (2022)
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