Latest news with #BlueAngels'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clear skies make for clear views of the aerial displays, MCAS Beaufort Air Show comes to close
BEAUFORT, S.C. (WSAV) – Thousands of people packed onto Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort's air track to watch as planes put on an aerial show. Today was the closing day of the show. The announcer came on the radio to let everyone know that clear skies would make for the perfect end to the two-day event. One first-timer at the show said they weren't expecting to be so amazed by the aerial displays. 'It's amazing. It's so cool. And I'm so, like, fascinated with how they do these tricks. It's so cool.' Several folks said they make sure to arrive early in the morning to witness all the tricks – from prop planes, military helicopters, fighter jets, parachuters, and simulated explosions. 'I like looking at all the static displays,' said one young viewer. 'And I like watching the parachute from the airplane.' Another young viewer said they loved that the planes made art in the sky. 'I was excited to see when they made a heart.' Many folks who traveled to Beaufort were witnessing the displays for the very first time. Others said they come every chance they get to carry on their family tradition. 'Since I was little, I would see them. Oh, we'd go to the air shows all the time. We've loved it as a family,' said one viewer. Whether a rookie or a veteran to the show, the biggest crowd drawn was for the headliner of the show. 'I'm really excited to see the Blue Angels,' said a viewer. 'I like their tricks. I like the designs of their planes,' another viewer added. The Blue Angels' F/A-18 Super Hornet Jets closed out the show. 'I love them,' another viewer boasted as they showed off their newly purchased Blue Angel t-shirt. Folks said attending the show not only brought the community together to support the military, but it also inspired so many young and aspiring combat and fighter pilots. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blue Angels aim to inspire excellence at SUN ‘n FUN in Lakeland
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — The Blue Angels soared into Lakeland Thursday with a mission of inspiring excellence in the people who watch their gravity-defying skills. 'We just want whatever folks choose to do with their lives to do it really well and to do it with focus and excellence,' Lt. Connor O'Donnell said. Lakeland man caught hosting illegal poker games, trying to hide $800K: deputies O'Donnell said he was first moved by the Blue Angels as a kid in Maine. 'That's when I saw them first when I was about 10 years old, and that will stick with you as a kid, and that's really what we're hoping to do here,' he said. He now flies Blue Angel #6 all over the country and, this weekend, at SUN 'n FUN in Lakeland. 'I've heard it's huge, and there's tents,' O'Donnell said. 'I've been looking for them. I've heard people camp out here on the fields.' Flying at speeds over 500 miles per hour in tight formations requires months of practice and intense focus during the demonstration. 'You're just focused on what you're doing at that moment. Not really worried about the next thing, stay in the moment, trust the training,' O'Donnell said. 'This is not a place you want to have a bad day. We're all about not only practicing the demo itself but preparing our bodies so good rest, good hydration.' At certain times in the demonstration, the F/A-18 jets come close to 18 inches from each other. The planes are unique in that they can fly at high speeds while also maintaining maneuverability. 'You see the high speed stuff, that's what excites us. But I think a lot of the aviation people around here understand that one of these planes can fly as slow as some of the prop aircraft around here,' said Cdr. Adam Bryan, commanding officer and flight leader for the Blue Angels. This is Bryan's first visit to SUN 'n FUN. 'With an air show that's essentially already begun, it makes it quite a unique place to come into. Seeing all the aircraft on the ground excited me a lot when I came in to land,' he said. Bryan said his favorite move is the 'Diamond 360,' which is the quintessential, tight maneuver that kicks off the Blue Angels' demonstration. Training begins in Pensacola, Florida, in November and then the teams spend 2.5 months in El Centro, California, practicing over the desert. 'We practice by doing a lot, a lot of repetition. You can think about it like being in the gym. It's a lot of reps and sets over and over again,' Bryan said. It's all an effort to display excellence. 'Our job is to inspire those that are watching us to kind of reach for their highest potential,' he said. The Blue Angels' demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday during the daily air shows. To see the schedule, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
