KEY WEST, Fla. (April 3, 2016) U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, perform a Double Farvel formation in Naval Air Station Key West’s air show, the Southernmost Air Spectacular. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cody R. Babin/Released)

U.S. air superiority is a worthy goal, especially when it comes to protecting our shores. With Cuba only 90-miles away it’s something I think about when I’m in Key West. And with the recent developments in China, explained here by our in-house weapons specialist Steve Schneider, our ability to defend our shores may not always be as easy as it is today.

When four military aircraft crashed recently and another earlier in March—a Navy F-18 near naval station Key West—I’ve questioned how we can keep our “edge” if there’s not enough funding for training. We know the prior administration did not do enough to help keep our pilots safe by failing to give them the necessary funding.

But do we even need “humans” flying these jets? Will drones replace them? All the pilots I speak with, with thousands of flight hours between them flying sorties over Iraq and vacationers to Disney, tell me technology is a good supplement to a pilot, but it is not a replacement. It’s how I feel about technology and investing. It can help a Top Gun investment manager, but it can’t replace him.

Driving north on A1A from Key West you’ll pass Naval Air Station Key West on your right in Boca Chica. Continue north a few more miles to Gieger Key and take a right on Boca Chica road after the Circle K. Continue along this road until you can’t go any further, park your car, walk down the beach a little bit and you’ll be at the end of the Naval Air Station runway.

It’s a great way to see the pilots up close piloting F-18s in a landing pattern, practicing touchdowns on the tarmac much like they’ll be doing on the deck of an aircraft carrier. On your way home, stop in at the Geiger Key Marina for the best fish sandwich where it is hard not to consider how lucky you are to live in America.

Blue Angels A Year in the Life – Becoming Blue 1/4

Originally posted on Yoursurvivalguy.com