I flew in the Blue Angels' Fat Albert and it was everything — and more — than I expected

As I sat strapped into the cargo bench seats of Fat Albert on Thursday waiting for takeoff, I reminded myself over and over I was with the best pilots in the world — the Blue Angels.

Then I remembered it wasn't fear that anything would happen to Pensacola's most beloved plane, but the traitorous actions my stomach might take to humiliate me in front of the Blue Angels, military cadets and photographer Tony Gibson, who would never, ever let me live it down that had me terrified.

Three seconds into takeoff — that's about how long it takes before you go from horizontal to nearly straight up in the air under the force of Fat Albert's massive engines — I was in heaven.

Excitement took over and I committed to enjoying every second of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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We buzzed the treetops, rolled side to side and dropped from the sky — our bodies hanging out high above our seats until gravity could catch up — over and over again.

As I got a glimpse of our wings at what seemed like inches from the ground or sideways to the trees, I only had a moment to think this can't be possible before Fat Albert would once again right itself a few seconds before an abrupt turn would have us looking at a new direction.

I wasn't sure early on if scoping out a seat across from the window was a good idea or not — sometimes ignorance is bliss — but the view gave me insight into the incredulous feats of the giant C-130 that otherwise I might have missed.

I've seen Fat Albert and the F/A-18 Super Hornet jets above Pensacola skies at least a dozen times since I moved to Pensacola eight years ago. But nothing prepares you for seeing it up close in all of its glory, much less being inside as it tears through the sky.

Walking up the tarmac to Fat Albert with philanthropist Julian MacQueen, who had a civilian spot on the flight as well, was intimidating. At nearly 100 feet long and a wingspan of around 132 feet, the sheer size up close was mind-blowing.

Julian is a pilot himself who kicks of the Pensacola Beach Air Show each year in hisflying seaplane, a vintage 1943 Grumman Widgeon.

It was his first ride with the Blue Angels and even he was impressed.

We had about 30 minutes to self-tour Fat Albert and that alone was incredible. I sat in the pilot's seat, hundreds of knobs, levers and lights surrounding me. The top of the plane, sides, front panels, even the middle console were covered in doodads — every one of them instrumental to the dazzling feats we would soon undertake.

Maps and handwritten coordinates clipped to the panel near the pilots' knees would include any last-minute instructions from the command tower.

Blue Angels pilot Capt. Jackson Streiff popped in and I made the wise decision to get out of his seat. He graciously answered all our questions — yes, that really is a microwave in the cockpit — and I determined he had more important things to do and headed to the cargo area.

The cargo area of the Fat Albert is enormous! Staring up at the ceiling of the plane and all of the complicated machinery, I immediately tripped over the cable system on the floor used to strap down heavy equipment often used by C-130s in the military.

A quick glance around, no one saw, so no humiliation before we even left the ground.

As we strapped into our cargo seats, the Fat Albert crew reminded us of the consequences of not keeping our safety belts very securely locked. A minute into takeoff we learned that wasn't an idle threat as a sudden drop suspended our bodies in mid-air. The veteran crew knew what was coming and threw their hands and feet up in the air to take advantage of the lift.

I regret cinching my seat belt as tight as I did because I didn't get the same lift of the veteran crew, but it was still intense.

The next 10 minutes or so flew by in a whirl — literally — as the action never stopped until we were back on solid ground. Unlike a commercial plane, there is no lengthy descent. You're buzzing trees one second and hitting the ground the next.

If it hadn't been for the view outside the window, you could not have convinced me I was on the ground.

Way too soon.

The crew opened the back hatch as we taxied up the runway and without notice we saw the six Blue Angels F-18 jets surge into the sky. Watching those beautiful jets from a moving Fat Albert was breathtaking.

It's easy to see why fans worldwide, but especially here in the Cradle of Aviation, worship Fat Albert. She is a stunning display of the incredible skills of America's best pilots. Having been blessed with the privilege to experience it from the inside, I am reminded once again that I live in the best community in the world.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: I flew in Blue Angel's Fat Albert. Life won't get better for PNJ editor