Your tax dollars at work

Actual, non-photoshopped picture:

Yes, that is a Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 in a drag race with a Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A 18 Hornet.

Why?

Because some folks from GM and some folks from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and some folks from Motortrend thought it would be cool.

Now, don't get me wrong.  This IS COOL.  And very MANLY.  And, ordinarily, I would totally approve of a publicity stunt like this.  Except we are in a budget crisis - and a multi-front war - so reckless spending of military dollars is probably not the smartest thing.

But I have to wonder: why did THIS stunt get approved (and funded) when other PR events for military flyers were nixed?  OK, sure, you can say that one was nixed because it was too Christian.  But that isn't the point I am making.  My point is, why, when other military stunts are turned down, did this one get the green light?  I have a theory:

The government now has a vested stake in GM.  Forget "General" Motors.  The company is now GOVERNMENT Motors.  And this publicity stunt could help boost sales of a GM product.  And now our military is being used as shills for Obama's new car company.

What's the problem?  Well, when it comes to the Blue Angels, there is more at stake than money.  Did you know that since the squadron was formed in 1949, there have been only 262 total pilots to serve in it?  And did you know that, due to the extreme danger of the complex stunt flying, there have been 26 fatalities in the squadron?

That's a 10 percent mortality rate, for peaceful duty.  You see, these guys (and gals!) have a damn tough job: demonstrate the finest flying in the world on a daily basis, for the sole purpose of demonstrating the skills and professionalism of U.S. Naval aviators.  They are killing themselves to show the world how good we are.

Now, to me, that is pretty sacred.  It ain't something to be abused to help a few sleazy car dealers draw in a few more folks from the testosterone crowd.

That said, from the text of the article, it does at least sound like the Blue Angels had a lot of fun doing it - and I admit, as a sports car junkie, I would have, too.  Hell, I would have volunteered my services.  So maybe there is nothing to make of this story, other than what is presented in the magazine: good people having a great time while making the most of two impressive pieces of transportation hardware.  But I can't help feel this whole thing is tainted by the GM government bailout and the administration's bad track record so far with military aircraft.

You be the judge.

Comments

[mech]

Pfffft, I wouldn't have known it was a corvette if you hadn't mentioned it. Otherwise, it is a sharp look at a Blue Angel and a recruiting tool that just happened to have some ol' car in it.

[Gullyborg]

Great recruiting tool. But is it tainted?

[David]

Big Deal
The Government, in the form of the Military, have been sponsors in NASCAR and the NHRA long before the car troubles. Virtually every NASCAR race is started with a flyby, and a lot of other races before. The military has been tied to the car industry since it's inception. If you have a problem with what the military is doing with the car industry/advertising, I suggest you take a step back in time to the 40's and 50's and see how closely tied they were then.

[Dr. Kenneth Noisewater]

Ironically enough, Gummint Motors is looking to offload Saab.. "Born from Jets" indeed, howsabout turning Saab into the 21st century technofetish brand instead? Micro turboshaft or linear free-piston engines and full electrification for starters.. Mass-scale carbon fiber and magnesium/titanium..

But no. Easier to crank out flabby sheetmetal junk with ancient technology to pay for all those retirees.. Meh. Hope Koenigsegg does something interesting with it..

[Erik of Dale]

That a corvette? When I first looked at this picture I thought it was a BMW.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Okay, I admit it, I can't get excited. The Blue Angels are a publicity mechanism from the start. The DoD figures popping a pilot every couple of years is worth it.

[Rocketeer]

"Big Deal
The Government, in the form of the Military, have been sponsors in NASCAR and the NHRA long before the car troubles."

You miss the point, David. Sponsoring NASCAR and the NHRA is one thing. Shilling for the car company that the government, you know, actually OWNS? That is a more than a little questionable to me.

[Mitt (retired Navy fighter pilot)]

RE: Charlie "The DoD figures popping a pilot every couple of years is worth it."
We hope that DoD does not stop this type of effort because we lose a pilot every other year or so (using the provided figures, which are through 2006, and the team was formed in 1946). Just as we hope DoD does not stop aggressive air combat training because we lose a pilot every 6 months or so (just an educated wag). The "DoD" does NOT force pilots to do this. The competition to get on this team is fierce, and everyone who tries knows the risks. It is in part because these guys are willing to accept the risk that our military is the finest in the world.

[comatus]

Doctor Noisewater, you haven't actually seen a Corvette in the last 25 years, have you?

I agree it's too bad about Saab, but I'm still reeling in the technomagnificence of their transverse 3-cylinder two-stroke, and their sports car with its Ford V-4.

There is a special relationship between the Corvette and US military pilots (and aviators!). It is chronicled in Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff." Ask any Academy cadet.

I'd bet money the one pictured is destined for a 2009 Annapolis grad. Maybe driven by one.

[Ronnie Schreiber]

What a petulant comment! This would have been done with our without gov't money given to GM. Saab indeed has used Swedish military jets in its advertising.

The ZR1 is the highest performance American car in mass production. At $100,000 it performs as well or better than cars that cost 50-100% more. It's a magnificent example of what GM can do when they continuously improve a product - though it's less than $100K interior also highlights how GM's bean counters have cheapened their products.

As the king of the hill in terms of American performance cars, I can easily see why the Blue Angels jumped at the opportunity for a joint PR event with the ZR1 Vette.

This blog is just another reason why gov't involvement in business is not a great idea. Every step that GM takes is now under a microscope. Political conservatives start sounding like gov't micromanagers when they complain that GM is misspending "their" money.

[JEM]

One might wonder, then, when the TopGear folks over at the BBC put on their recent piece on the Ford Focus, complete with a full-on Royal Marines beach assault, who was paying the bill for that one?

The DoD figures the kind of folks that'd be interested in a 'Vette are the kind of folks that'd be interested in smashing 20-ton assemblies of milled aluminum bits into ships' decks at 170kt.

Works for me (my eyes weren't good enough anyway.)

[DensityDuck]

You know, you'd think that they could have painted the Corvette in Blue Angels blue; or Photoshopped it or something. This is basic advertising stuff, people!

Or else just not used a blue Corvette at all. Right now, it looks like they tried to match the colors and failed.

[Tom]

I agree with the author, yea it's a very cool picture and a great idea. But since BAM BAM took over GM & Chrysler it stinks. How about a Ford?

I will not buy any GM or Chrysler product as long as Obama and the IAW own them. It's not fair to Ford. Before long Toyota and Honda will provide more North American jobs than GM and Chrysler. So who's the "domestic" manufacturer?

[Jay Tea]

I read the article. They let the pilots drive the Corvette, and a grand time was had by all.

As far as I'm concerned, anything that provides our pilots with that kind of entertainment and fun is not only OK, but damned near mandatory. I doff my hat to the folks at Motor Trend for doing it.

And I can't stand Obama.

J.

[Lou Gots]

Nah. It's OK. Exhibition teams like the Blue Angels are part of Public Affairs, not flight ops. Their mission is to get publicity. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[Ed]

This is just a copy of Top Gear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NZ9X9A2efA And yes, it's a marketing ploy.

[Tim Hamilton]

This exact race (although I'm not sure which brand of car) has been going on with our pilots for years. Decades, in fact. I remember first reading about the jet vs. car race sometime in the early-mid '90s, I think.

So it's not a now-that-we-own-GM stunt. Although if they picked that car just for that reason, I'll be rolling my eyes.

[Patrick Carroll]

Given that the Corvette owes its very existence to Curtis LeMay, I'm shocked, shocked, not to see an F-22, or at least an F-15.

[DaveH]

Nice little hint of Prandtl-Glauert around the Jet and awesome timing on the staged photo...