Today in 1946 the Blue Angels performed their first public flight demonstration from their first training base and team headquarters at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida, on June 15, and June 16, 1946, with three F6F-5 Hellcats (number 1 – 3). They were specially modified to reduce weight and painted with the iconic sea blue with gold leaf trim. This initial performance lasted just 15 minutes.
On Saturday, June 12, 2021 (75 years later) we had the honor of welcoming Blue Angel #7 to our Flight Line. The F/A 18 Hornet made its final 1.9-hour flight and landed at NAS Patuxent River.
While we are very excited to share our newest aircraft with all of our guests, #7 is still being worked on by our maintenance team. The aircraft is safely tucked behind some fencing (last photo) while the work is being completed. We anticipate having everything finished in the upcoming weeks. We thank you for your patience!
All photos courtesy of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, and FF R. Jones!
