Headed to your first Blue Angels air show? Here's what to know about the team (2024)

The Blue Angels are deep into the 2024 air show season. Their next show is set to happen in Chesterfield, Missouri, at the Spirit of St. Louis Air Show.

The U.S. Navy flight demonstration team has more than 30 shows planned for the 2024 air show season, including five in June. The season runs from March until the Blues wrap up their season at its homecoming air show in Pensacola.

If you've never been to a Blue Angels air show or you're a casual fan who wants to learn more about the team, keep reading.

What makes the Blue Angels so special?

The Blue Angels spend a lot of time honing and practicing their skills. Their mission is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through both their demonstrations and community outreach.

A Blue Angels air show is definitely a feat to behold. Their maneuvers require pinpoint precision as their jets fly up to 700 mph, just under Mach 1, and they fly as close as 18 inches apart.

Are the Blue Angels top gun pilots?

The Navy’s TOPGUN program is called the Navy Fighter Weapons School. Pilots who go through the program teaches air combat maneuvering tactics and techniques to select naval aviators and naval flight officers. Some current and former Blue Angels pilots have participated in the TOPGUN program, but it’s not a requirement.

Can a civilian fly with the Blue Angels?

Yes! Sort of. The Blue Angels partner with local news organizations and other civilians as they travel from show to show. In some cases, these people are selected to take media flights with the Blue Angels. The goal of these media flights is to give civilians a sense of what it’s like to fly through the skies like a Blue Angel through the perspective of a member of the media or someone similar.

What planes do the Blue Angels fly?

In 2021, the Blue Angels transitioned from the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, which the team has flown since 1986, to the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. The new Super Hornets are 25% larger, can fly 40% further and remain on station 80% longer.

How fast do the Blue Angels fly?

The fastest the Blue Angels fly during an air show is 700 mph during its Sneap Pass maneuver. The slowest speed is around 120 mph, during the Section High Alpha maneuver.

Where are the Blue Angels based?

The Blue Angels’ official home base is Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. During the offseason, between January and March, the team will spend time training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

Where can I watch the Blue Angels movie?

You can watch “The Blue Angels” film in select theaters or stream it on Amazon Prime. You can check to see available tickets at a local movie theater here. Want to stream it? Click here.

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Why is the team called the Blue Angels?

The New Yorker Magazine is partly responsible for how the Blue Angels got their name. According to the Blue Angels' website, the original team chose the name when they were in the process of planning a New York show in 1946. One of the members spotted the name of a famous nightclub, "Blue Angel" nightclub, in an issue of the New Yorker.

How much do Blue Angel pilots make?

Believe it or not, the Blue Angels don’t make any more or any less than any other military service member of similar rank and experience.

Blue Angels schedule 2024

Here is where you can watch a Blue Angels air show during the team’s 2024 season.

March 9: Naval Air Facility El Centro, California
March 16-17: Travis Air Force Base, California
March 23-24: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana
April 6-7: Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
April 13-14: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Forth Worth, Texas
April 20-21: Cocoa Beach, Florida
April 27-28: Vidalia, Georgia
May 4-5: Vero Beach, Florida
May 11-12: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
May 22/24: U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
May 25-26: Jones Beach, New York
June 1-2: Terre Haute, Indiana
June 8-9: Chesterfield, Missouri
June 15-16: La Crosse, Wisconsin
June 22-23: Dayton, Ohio
June 29-30: Traverse City, Michigan
July 6-7: Johnson City, New York
July 13: Pensacola Beach, Florida
July 27-28: Fargo, North Dakota
Aug. 3-4: Seattle, Washington
Aug. 10-11: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Aug. 17-18: Chicago, Illinois
Aug. 24-25: Wichita, Kansas City
Aug. 31: Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 1-2: Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 14-15: Owensboro, Kentucky
Sept. 21-22: Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia
Sept. 28-29: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
Oct. 12-13: San Francisco, California
Oct. 19-20: Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
Oct. 26-27: Houston, Texas
Nov. 2-3: Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Blue Angels practice schedule 2024

If you live in Pensacola, or you’re visiting, you can catch the Blue Angels during one of their practice shows:

March 26, 27*
April 2, 3*, 9, 10*, 16, 17*, 23, 24*, 30
May 1*, 7, 8, 14, 15*, 28, 29*
June 4, 5*, 11, 12, 18, 25, 26
July 16, 17*, 23
August 21*, 27
September 4*, 10, 11*, 17, 24
October 16*, 22, 23*

Dates with an asterisk indicate an autograph day inside the National Naval Aviation Museum following the Blue Angels practice.

Blue Angels pilots 2024

Here’s a look at the Blue Angel pilots for the 2024 air show season.

#1 Cmdr. Alexander Armatas— Cmdr. Alexander P. Armatas is a native of Skaneateles, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering.
#2 Lt. Cmdr. Jack Keilty— Lt. Cmdr. Jack Keilty, is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he attended Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School, graduating in 2005.He attended the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, where he lettered in football and earned a Bachelor's Degree in history in 2010. Upon graduation he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy and reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API)."
#3 Lt. Wesley Perkins— Lt. James Wesley Perkins is a native from Pordenone, Italy, grew up in Georgetown, Texas, and graduated from Hutto High School in 2009.He attended Texas A&M University graduating with a degree in ocean engineering in 2014. Perkins commissioned as an ensign through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
#4 Lt. Cmdr. Amanda Lee—Lt. Cmdr. Amanda Leeis a native of Mounds View, Minnesota. She graduated from Irondale High School in 2004, where she competed in soccer, ice hockey and swimming.While attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, Amanda enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronics technician (AT) and reported to her first command, VFA-136 "Knighthawks." She was selected to commission as a pilot through the Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) commissioning program in 2009. The following year, Lee attended the Naval Science Institute (NSI) for officer training in Newport, Rhode Island, and simultaneously began her studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry.
#5 Lt. Cmdr. Griffin Stangel— Lt. Cmdr. Griffin Stangel is a native of Madison, Wisconsin, and graduated from Madison West High School in 2008.He attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in air traffic control in 2012. Immediately after graduation, he reported to Newport, Rhode Island, where he received his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy after completion of Officer Candidate School.
#6 Cdr. Thomas Zimmerman— Cmdr. Thomas Zimmerman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from St. Paul's School in 2004 lettering in football, wrestling and lacrosse.After graduation, he attended the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island, for one year prior to attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He lettered in lacrosse at both schools and graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in ocean engineering, earning his commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy in 2009.
#7 Lt. Connor O'Donnell(Narrator)— Lt. Connor O’Donnell is a native of Freeport, Maine, and graduated from Yarmouth High School in 2011.Following high school, he attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in operations research."
#8 Lt. Cmdr. Brian Vaught— Lt. Cmdr. Brian Vaught is a native of Englewood, Colorado. He graduated from Cherry Creek High School in 2004, where he lettered in lacrosse.After high school he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Upon graduation, Brian worked in professional sports marketing and promotions, eventually attending Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, where he earned his commission as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in 2011."