An Insider's Look at Flying with the Blue Angels

👨‍✈️The Blue Angels perform aerial demonstrations in precise formation at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour.

🛩️The team flies Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets, multi-mission strike fighters capable of high airspeeds and versatile maneuvers.

🚀Training to fly in close formation starts with flights at greater distances and gradually progresses to 18 inches apart.

🌊The Blue Angels represent both the Navy and the Marine Corps, showcasing their flight skills and precision.

💥Former Blue Angels pilots were brought in to perform low-level sequences in the movie 'Top Gun' due to their expertise in flying at such altitudes.

What aircraft does the Blue Angels team fly?

—The Blue Angels fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets, which are multi-mission strike fighters.

How close do the Blue Angels fly in formation?

—The Blue Angels fly as close as just 18 inches from wing to wing in their precision formations.

What is the training process like to become a Blue Angels pilot?

—The training starts in El Centro, California, with flights at gradually decreasing distances to achieve the precision required for the Blue Angels' formations.

Do the Blue Angels still fly the Legacy Hornet?

—No, the United States Navy does not fly the Legacy Hornet anymore, but the Marine Corps still has a few Legacy squadrons.

What is the role of Fat Albert in the Blue Angels team?

—Fat Albert is a specially modified C-130 J model that transports the team support personnel and maintenance equipment to different show locations.

00:00Welcome to Naval Air Station Pensacola, home of the legendary US Navy's Blue Angels aerial demonstration team.

00:09The Blue Angels fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets in precise formations at incredible speeds.

01:40Training to fly in close formation begins at greater distances and gradually progresses to just 18 inches apart.

05:00Former Blue Angels pilots flew low-level sequences in the movie 'Top Gun' due to their expertise in flying at such altitudes.

08:01Experience the thrill of flying with the Blue Angels as they perform daring aerobatic maneuvers.