CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In addition to the carnival and the illuminated night parade, one of the big attractions during this weekend’s Buc Days celebration will be the return of the air show.
Downtown will be filled with spectators there to see the heart-pounding aerial show we’ve all come to expect.
The Port of Corpus Christi will also play an important role.
While the Blue Angels are dazzling crowds along the Corpus Christi Bayfront this weekend, pilots in the jets will also have one eye on the water below -- and for very good reason.
The air show features demonstrations by various aircrafts and culminates with the precision flying of the Blue Angels just above the Corpus Christi Bay.
But those who take time to look away from the busy skies and across the water, may notice a lone boat, doing a job that is absolutely essential to keeping pilots focused and alert.
Port of Corpus Christi Senior Marine Operations Specialist John Rice said the ship will help give pilots a point of reference.
“We are the show center for the Blue Angels air show. We will be pumping water, around 7,000 or 8.000 gallons a minute, probably four or five hours over the weekend," he said.
The boat is capable of handling any type of emergency response and is normally used for that purpose. But it is the water that will be coming out of the vessel’s four fire pumps during the air show that will have the attention of the pilots.
Rice said that having the boat in the water beneath them is crucial for the Blue Angels.
“They need a point of reference to know where the show center is to make the turns so that, as you can see as they're coming over us, know where they're at," he said.
Whether they are fighting fires, saving lives, helping other boats or just making sure that this year’s air show is a success, Rice says that the crew of Fire Boat #1 is ready to serve.
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