Okay.
I am someone who's been lucky enough to see the Blue Angels almost every year since 1981. For the last 30 years, we have been especially blessed to be here in Pensacola, watching the Blues practicing over our house at least twice a week and then on Sundays, overhead one by one, as they line up to land coming home from shows.
The next few days are one of two hometown shows our local heroes do every year. This week is traditionally Blues on the Beach week - an airshow built around Pensacola Beach, that gorgeous water, and even has a nighttime airshow component.
But the stars of the show are always our Blues, who fly at 2 PM
The official show day is always Saturday, but starting on Thursday, there are practice days with full schedules, including the Blues, who use those first few days to orient themselves to the beach. Many people will choose to make one of those days instead because oftentimes the Saturday show is beyond description as far as traffic and bodies packed on Pcola Beach. Because it is a barrier island, the access is always challenging to begin with, but when you are talking hundreds of thousands of people and damn near as many vehicles wanting to get out there, it can be a bear. There have been some years when, if you were in line to get across the Chappie James (Pensacola Bay) Bridge going into Gulf Breeze from the mainland, 4 AM might not be early enough to get you to the beach.
We are wild for our Blues, and they are wild for their hometown.
Obviously, what they do is incredibly dangerous, and who does it is incredibly important. That's why these naval aviators are so special in their own right. The training, natural ability, reflexes, and God-given focus are what make this team possible.
Sometimes things get a little hot, and that's what happened yesterday during their patented 'sneak pass' maneuver.
This is how our local news handled it. Exciting but no big deal - been there, done that.
A low Blue Angels flyover this morning during "Breakfast with the Blues" caused quite the stir at Pensacola Beach.
— WEAR ABC 3 (@weartv) July 15, 2026
It sent hats, tents and chairs flying as people were surprised by what they just witnessed.
"I've been coming for 10 years and I've never seen a pass like that." pic.twitter.com/otmeZ9UyV0
Granted, it was a little rockier for some folks closer to the water.
Here’s what it looked like by us! pic.twitter.com/bkodSuhe2n
— Jon-Austen Linch (@JonAustenLinch) July 15, 2026
No gainsaying that Angel came in hot, but nothing that hasn't happened before.
Sand, a beach chair or five, and someone said a few of those flimsy tents flying, plus a Super Hornet making a helluva racket.
No one's crying; people are for sure shrieking from the surprise, lots of laughing, but hello.
We were there too. What an amazing opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Blue Angels. The lifting off of tents and chairs was fun to see to. pic.twitter.com/GvNe0gQuF7
— Denise B (@DeniseB2240) July 15, 2026
They call it a 'sneak' for a reason. The diamond has everyone's attention, while one of the solos draws the eye to the east, and the second solo 'sneaks' up on the crowd from behind while they're busy watching the other five birds. Everyone jumps out of their skin every time, even though they know it's coming. Especially if they're locals - they've seen it a thousand times, but it's still a gas.
David Muir and ABC News want to know why Pete Hegseth's Navy is purposefully trying to kill people.
Dramatic video shows the U.S. Navy Blue Angels making a low-altitude flyover above Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Navy officials confirmed in a statement that Blue Angels leadership is "reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety… pic.twitter.com/ZUa1ryk4X8
— ABC News (@ABC) July 15, 2026
... "reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review.”
Over on the CBS Evening News, the headline was 'Blown Away.' With a chyron of BLUE ANGELS ROAR OVER PENSACOLA BEACH, Tony Dokoupil chuckled about one jet causing a wake on the water and 'another jet buzzing a lifeguard tower as the crowd cheered on.' Chill as could be - none of Muir's sour and dire insinuations.
What a difference in tone, and Dokoupil's chuckling is pretty much how all of this town is taking it.
It's so weird ABC never was concerned for loss of life and limb during a far more egregious 2015 flying tent incident when The Lightbringer was president.
I guess his zoom-zoom was cooler.
For its part, of course the Navy is going to go over what happened. They thoroughly review every single flight, and when one has an episode outside of their tight parameters, it gets that extra safety scrutiny to tighten up what went awry.
..."During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas," the statement said, calling it a "low-altitude pass."
...In the statement, the Blue Angels said: "The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority. Team leadership is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review to ensure all operations adhere to strict Navy and FAA safety standards."
That's how you stay world-class and safe.
The folks here in Pensacola know that and appreciate the risks these incredible aviators and their flying machines face, while having the utmost confidence in their ultimate professionalism. We trust their judgment implicitly.
So, apparently, does the Secretary of War.
Hahahahhaha
— InfantryDort (@infantrydort) July 16, 2026
There is nothing like our Blue Angels. Nothing.
This is how it looks from the Pensacola Pier (for the 2023 show) when the bird from the east makes its pass parallel to the beach. Photographers are the only people allowed on the pier during the airshow, and they claw each other's eyeballs every year out for the chance to get one of the slots.
This is just stunning photography work from a local of a sneak pass at NAS Pensacola.
Precision instruments.
The aviation experts are all out, too.
Oooh! The PARIS AIRSHOW
— tree hugging sister 🎃 (@WelbornBeege) July 16, 2026
Gracious
Citing the French is not the killshot you think it is, dude.
You can tell he's not a local, poor sad creature.
Those beaches, hard as ABC tries, are guaranteed to be slamma-jamma-ed from this morning through Saturday, even if the weather craps out, and ABC keeps moaning about tents.
We love our Blue Angels to distraction.
And believe me - there's no place like home.
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