SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Nick Allard describes passing out during his Blue Angels flight
Aug 4, 2018, 6:00 AM
The Blue Angels. (AP)
(AP)
KIRO 7 meteorologist Nick Allard got the thrill of his life when he spent 45 minutes flying upside-down and spinning through the air as a media guest with the Blue Angels.
As documented in a video on his Facebook page, Allard got to go up with the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron as part of its Seafair practice on Thursday.
Allard thought getting a firsthand look at the Blue Angels was incredibly fun and exciting, but was less impressed with his own performance. Due to the lack of blood flow to the brain, it is common to pass out when “pulling Gs” — and Allard was no exception.
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However, he was happy with himself for being able to point out to the pilot the moment when he was about to black out.
“We got to about 6.5 Gs and my proudest moment was, you could see the curtains closing in,” Allard told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson. “I was going out and I told the guy.”
The episode of unconsciousness was fast, however; Allard woke up a moment later, somewhat confused.
“I didn’t know where I was when I woke up,” Allard said. “The first thing I thought was, ‘It’s really bright in here.'”
What set in next was the nausea, as “breakfast went bye-bye.”
“I can do any thrill ride in the world, I love huge drops, I love roller coasters, but if you put me on the swings at the Puyallup Fair, I will throw up,” he said. “I can’t do anything in a circle, I just can’t.”
At this point, Allard gave up the chance to experience a break maneuver in favor of being back on the ground.
“I was nauseous the entire day afterwards,” he laughed.
He noted, however, in “a little piece of non-scientific, non-medical advice that no child should ever listen to” that having a beer at about 5 p.m. cured his nausea.
