March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 46 F

Blue Angels 2015: All the information you need

Blue Angels Practice 2014

Blue Angels 2009 (236)The Blue Angels will perform above the Severn River, Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20 as part of the Naval Academy’s Commissioning Week. These events are free and open to the public.

The Blue Angels are the U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron and fly a team of six Navy F/A-18 Hornets and a C-130 Hercules, affectionately known as “Fat Albert.” The team will perform a variety of high-speed, aerobatic, precision-maneuvers during their approximately two-hour long, narrated air show at the Naval Academy.

Viewing areas for the show will include Ingram Field, portions of Farragut Field and Hospital Point on the Naval Academy grounds. 

Visitors may experience delays due to an increased number of visitors on the Yard. We encourage all pedestrians to leave bags at home to the extent possible in order to reduce wait times at the gates.  Please see additional information provided below [in page 3 of this release] if you plan to visit the Academy for the Blue Angels show.

Tuesday, May 19, the Blue Angels will perform circle and arrival maneuvers between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. followed by a rehearsal of their flight demonstration between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. 

Wednesday, May 20, the Blue Angels performance and flight demonstration will begin at 2 p.m. The show will be preceded by a fly-by of the Breitling Jet Team, comprised of seven L-39 C Albatros jets.  Spectators in the Ingram Field viewing areas will be able to hear the show’s narration.  Spectators in other viewing areas can follow the action on Periscope (live stream app for iPhone, iPad, iPod) by following @eyeonannapolis.  We will also be uploading the video to YouTube after the performance.

Four Naval Academy graduates are part of the Blue Angels team, including the first female pilot in the team’s 69-year history. Marine Corps Capt.  Katie Higgins is a graduate of the Class of 2008 and will be in the C-130 “Fat Albert.” Other graduates include Cmdr. Thomas Frosch, Class of 1992, who will be in the No. 1 jet and is the team’s Commanding Officer; Lt. Cmdr. Mark Tedrow, Class of 2004, who will be in the No. 5 jet and is the lead solo pilot; and Cmdr. Bob Flynn, Class of 1992, who is the team’s executive officer.

The Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits the choreographed refinements of Navy-trained flying skills.  The show opens with the Blue Angels C-130 aircraft displaying the tactical flight characteristics of the aircraft.  Then the audience will see the graceful maneuvers of the four-jet Diamond formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of the two Solo pilots.  The team concludes the demonstration with a performance of maneuvers together in the well-known Delta formation.

Drivers without Department of Defense credentials, midshipman parents passes (MPP) or handicapped stickers are not permitted on academy grounds on May 19 and 20.  Pedestrians are invited to walk through USNA Gates 1, 3 or 8 and those 18 years of age and older must show a valid, government-issued ID.  All bags are subject to search. Due to the increased number of visitors to the Academy during Commissioning Week, we encourage all visitors to leave bags at home to the extent possible.

Handicapped visitors may bring vehicles onto USNA with handicapped plates or placards; vehicles are subject to search before access is granted.

Parking is available at the blue side of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for a $5 fee for cars, $10 for RVs. There is a free daily shuttle between the stadium and the academy; shuttle buses are not wheelchair accessible. 

During the Blue Angels flight rehearsal May 19, and the flight demonstration May 20, the shuttle route on the grounds of the academy will be limited to stopping at Alumni Hall from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

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