::: Part 1 of the MCAS Miramar Airshow 2003 Series ::: Taken at MCAs Miramar down in San Diego, California during the annual airshow (October 18, 2003) This aircraft is the United States Navy Blue Angel's support C-130 Hercules cargo plane... named 'Fat Albert'. This aircraft, made by Lockheed, has been the principle cargo transport earning it the phrase 'Anywhere, anytime.' Fat Albert will usually bring all the support personel to the airshow before the Blue Angels arrive... and spare parts are stored inside the C-130 in case of problems. However... Fat Albert is a part of the show himself! At most Airshows, he demonstrates the famous 'JATO' (Jet Assisted Take Off). Here 4 powerful 'one time use' jet engines power the C-130 and bring it almost up to the vertical. This demonstrates short runway take offs and climb power of the JATO. After using the engines... they can either be discarded from the aircraft in flight or removed later after landing. Camera is a digital Minolta Dimage 7hi (5 MP). This image has been shrunk down to 33% of the original full size. Manual Focus, custom White Balance, Priority to Shutter mode (1/500 for prop blur), and custom contrast/exposure value settings to help in the harsh sunlight.