Photo: U.S. Navy
If you happen to be a fan of aerobatics in general and the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels in particular, then you might know these guys like to plan ahead. About two years in advance, to be more precise, as per “Department of Defense safety and community outreach objectives.” And this is why we’re here now to talk about the Blue Angels outings in 2023.
For that year, the crew plans to attend no less than 62 air shows at 32 locations across America. The schedule of appearances kicks off in March 2023 in El Centro, California, and runs each month from then until November, when demonstrations will conclude in Pensacola, Florida.
The number of air shows to be performed in 2023 is one event short of the schedule for next year, which opens and concludes at the same locations in El Centro and Pensacola.
The Blue Angels are the second oldest such aerial demo teams in the world, being formed in 1946, 15 years after the French set up the Patrouille Acrobatique de France. That means these guys have been doing incredible aerial stunts for 75 years now.
Over the years, the team fielded a variety of incredible military machines, from the F6 Hellcat and the F8 Bearcat to the A-4 Skyhawk and F/A-18 Hornet.
Back in 2020, the team began receiving the newer Super Hornet version of the Boeing machine. This year, they’ve started flying the new jets, after 34 years of being faithful to the older version.
The Super Hornet, heavily based on its predecessor, is a twin-engine multirole aircraft. It’s powered by two General Electric turbofan engines that develop up to 17,000 lbs of thrust each and give the plane a top speed of Mach 1.6.
The Blue Angels’ airplanes are cared for by a team comprising 17 volunteer officers. To join the team, the pilots’ leader needs to have at least 3,000 tactical jet flight-hours and to have commanded a tactical jet squadron. The rest of the pilots must have aircraft carrier qualification and a minimum of 1,250 tactical jet flight hours.
The full Blue Angels calendar of events for 2023 can be found at this link.
The number of air shows to be performed in 2023 is one event short of the schedule for next year, which opens and concludes at the same locations in El Centro and Pensacola.
The Blue Angels are the second oldest such aerial demo teams in the world, being formed in 1946, 15 years after the French set up the Patrouille Acrobatique de France. That means these guys have been doing incredible aerial stunts for 75 years now.
Over the years, the team fielded a variety of incredible military machines, from the F6 Hellcat and the F8 Bearcat to the A-4 Skyhawk and F/A-18 Hornet.
Back in 2020, the team began receiving the newer Super Hornet version of the Boeing machine. This year, they’ve started flying the new jets, after 34 years of being faithful to the older version.
The Super Hornet, heavily based on its predecessor, is a twin-engine multirole aircraft. It’s powered by two General Electric turbofan engines that develop up to 17,000 lbs of thrust each and give the plane a top speed of Mach 1.6.
The Blue Angels’ airplanes are cared for by a team comprising 17 volunteer officers. To join the team, the pilots’ leader needs to have at least 3,000 tactical jet flight-hours and to have commanded a tactical jet squadron. The rest of the pilots must have aircraft carrier qualification and a minimum of 1,250 tactical jet flight hours.
The full Blue Angels calendar of events for 2023 can be found at this link.
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