Blue Angels retire beloved Fat Albert after more than 30,000 flight hours

Fat Albert is being retired, the Blue Angels announced Wednesday night.

Fat Albert has been with the Blue Angels for 17 years and has flown more than 30,000 hours, in front of millions of fans, according to the Blue Angels.

“It's a bittersweet day for us as we say our final farewell to our venerable C-130T, Fat Albert,” the Blue Angels posted on Facebook Wednesday night.

This current airframe, BUNO 164763, has been with the team since 2002, and was the last C-130 to conduct a jet-assisted take-off (JATO).

“While this may come as a shock to many of our fans, we have known this day was coming,” the post continued. “The team will be transported via Fleet-provided logistics, until a permanent replacement aircraft is identified. Fat Albert will enjoy her retirement as a ground-based training aid in Fort Worth, Texas.”

Fat Albert hasn't been a consistent part of the team's routine performances for nearly two years. The Navy grounded its KC-130T fleet in July of 2018 after a KC-130T crashed in rural Mississippi killing 15 Marines and one sailor. 

Flown by a team of Marine pilots, Fat Albert has been a popular part of the team's show for years and is known for high-speed, low-altitude maneuvers. 

Last May, Lt. David Gardner, spokesman for the elite fighter jet demonstration team, said the Navy was also considering purchasing a replacement C-130 J aircraft from the British Royal Air Force to serve as the new Fat Albert. 

"The decision whether or not to pursue the acquisition will be made at higher DOD levels," Gardner wrote in an emailed response to questions about the aircraft. 

The Navy posted a notice on the federal government's contracting website in March 2018 stating that a single-source contract would be executed between the Naval Air Systems Command and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense for the purchase of a British Royal Air Force C-130 J. 

"The government requires a suitable replacement aircraft, which must be delivered in an expeditious manner, to avoid a gap in logistical support of the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron," the contract notice stated.