Lt. Frank Weisser, who earned his wings of gold in November 2002 at NAS Meridian, has the glamorous job. He walks up to the F/A-18 Hornet with the look of a pilot. He straps himself in and just a few minutes later, he's in the air.

For most pilots, that isn't the case, but for 'the Blues', a crew chief performs the pre-flight checks of the aircraft.

Each of the Blue Angels has only one pilot, but two crew chiefs, only one of which travels to any given air show.

Because it is the crew chief that checks the planes on the pilot's behalf, you can imagine there is quite a bit of trust between the two.

For Chief Petty Officer second class Austin Armstrong, a native of Clay, Ala., it is the chance of a lifetime to be on the Blue Angels team, especially since the opportunity has come so early in his Navy career.

The 23-year-old joined the Navy only five years ago, but is in his second year of his tour with the Blue Angels.

The job doesn't just stop at making sure the Number 7 aircraft is ready to fly. Armstrong and Weisser always arrive a day before the rest of the team for air shows. It is up to them to make sure everything is in order so things will operate smoothly for the remaining six Blue Angels.