July Pensacola Beach Air Show Will Go On – Without the Blue Angels

April 25, 2013

The annual July air show on Pensacola Beach will go on — without the Navy’s Blue Angels.

The Santa Rosa Island Authority announced Wednesday afternoon that there will be a free air show on Pensacola Beach on July 12 and 13.The show will include 24 aircraft with two warbird jets that perform aerobatics much like those of the Blue Angels, and a concert featuring the R&B-style band “The Tams” from Atlanta at the Gulfside Pavilion.

The show will include OTTO The Helicopter and aerobatic groups Team Aerodynamix and Lima Lima.

The Blue Angels were grounded from air shows for the remainder of the season due to federal budget cuts.

Pictured: Team AeroDynamix will perform at July’s Pensacola Beach Air Show. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

12 Responses to “July Pensacola Beach Air Show Will Go On – Without the Blue Angels”

  1. Rod Erskine on July 9th, 2013 9:37 am

    Well said NWFLA Linda. I wonder how the big air show in Houston will be this year without the military presence.

  2. Remy rener on May 22nd, 2013 6:36 pm

    yes i like a Air show it was very nice and i also enjoyed a blue angles and thank you very much i hope to see you there.
    Remy rener

  3. thomas brooks on April 29th, 2013 8:31 am

    hello my name is Thomas brooks and I been going to see a blue angles like 5 time and I enjoy it. and I would like to see a blue angel next year 2014. and thank you for turning on a Airshow and we also enjoyed a some other jet plane. and we are going to Pensacola beach in july 8th and it will like a 6 days so thank you I hope you will bring back a blue angels. Thomas brooks

  4. Dreamboat Annie on April 26th, 2013 10:53 pm

    Very well said Linda.

  5. md on April 26th, 2013 7:37 am

    Any time they go up in the air, they have to coordinate with the FAA and whatever airports are near. These guys take up a good chunk of airspace to practice. Hence them flying over to Choctaw to practice.

  6. Maxk on April 25th, 2013 5:10 pm

    I’ll still go, support our beach, enjoy some brews on my boat, and go to Peglegs for dinner (after the crowds die down, when everyone else is racing for the ramp to go home, I’ll be fishing, suckers, ;lol)

  7. NWFLA Linda on April 25th, 2013 12:41 pm

    jeeperman, In addition to local news coverage, you may verify at http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/

    “The Blue Angels practice scheduled for Friday, April 5, 2013, at Naval Outlying Choctaw Field located in Santa Rosa County will not be open to the general public. Visibility from State Road 87 South will be limited, as the airfield is located in a remote area approximately 2 miles off the main highway. Parking privately owned vehicles along the entrance road (Old Choctaw Road) to the airfield will not be allowed.”

  8. William on April 25th, 2013 12:35 pm

    >>The Blues practice in the same air space where they are to perform. Not at outlying airfields away from population centers.

    Not always. There was a practice scheduled last month, but canceled by the sequester, at Naval Outlying Choctaw Field located in Santa Rosa County, about two miles off Hwy 87.

  9. jeeperman on April 25th, 2013 12:28 pm

    The Blues practice in the same air space where they are to perform.
    Not at outlying airfields away from population centers.
    Because they rely on reference structures at every venue.

  10. NWFLA Linda on April 25th, 2013 10:42 am

    The Blues’ pilots, when they do practice, do so at outlying fields away from the public. They are also flying individually enough hours each month to maintain flight qualifications.

    Doing “that one show for the summer” is not practical in light of the fact finances for fuel and support are cut by the sequester, thus curtailing opitmal and safe practice time. The last thing anyone wants is to see a collision of these jets caused by inadequate, team practice time and unit cohesion. That doesn’t happen sitting in the ready room.

    The goal of the sequester, many conjecture, is to make the American public as painfully aware of the desire of many in D.C. – chiefly the president – to raise taxes even higher than they now are. And, not just on those some define as “the rich”.

    With all the inarguably worthless and wasteful expenditures of our tax money that could be eliminated outright, I also wonder if there isn’t another reason for withholding funding for these flight demo teams which, by most folks’ descriptions, tend to stir up patriotic, proud to be an American thoughts in the viewing population. It seems, one by one, these icons of America are being tamped down, minimized, disregarded, and belittled.

    Linda
    Proud to be an American

  11. Angie on April 25th, 2013 10:12 am

    well all i have to say is that the july beach show is all about the blue angels. thats why people come from all over to see. I don’t see any point in going cause I go there to see them mostly and I don’t see why they can’t do that one show for the summer.

  12. Roy Mars on April 25th, 2013 7:30 am

    From what I read, the Blue Angels’ and Thunderbirds’ away show was cancelled for the season but that they would still practice regularly in order to keep up their skills. Since the Blue Angels are based in Pensacola, can’t they just go up for a practice during the air show time? Just sayin’.