Actually, the C-130's short-field takeoff capability is very impressive even without the JATO. And don't forget that a barrel roll is a one-G manuever that doesn't stress the airframe very much at all (if done right). As long as you have enough energy to get over the top, it's a piece of cake.
One advantage of going through VT-10 and VT-86 (NFO Primary and Advanced) was that during the show season you could watch the Blues nearly every weekday morning as they flew their practice show. Of course they closed the airfield, so if you were a little late, you may end up sitting in the hold short sweating your butt off or drilling holes in the sky until they are done.
A little known fact is that Blue Angel replacement pilots are chosen by the current pilots, not by some "best of the best" criteria. Assuming the requisite number of hours and traps(which almost all fleet pilots have), the selection process comes down to reputation as a good stick (since nobody is an airshow pilot when they report), public profile (looks, married, public speaking skills, diversity, etc), and most importantly: do the guys like you? This leads to a phenomenon known as "Blues chasing", where pilots who wish to become Blues and have access to aircraft will fly cross-country hops to as many airshows as they can, and then attend Blue Angel pre- and post-show events. Very much like rushing a fraternity. My Intermediate instructor was doing this, so I ended up at about 3 or 4 airshows that summer. I ended up manning the static display while he was off schmoozing the Blues. It was still a good deal, because airshow groupies are great!
