NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow 2024
I made the trip from Tennessee down to Pensacola, Florida to attend my first Naval Air Station Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow. This years show was packed with big acts in addition to the home standing U.S. Navy Blue Angels and their logistical support Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules “Fat Albert”. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds were the special guest for this year’s homecoming show − a rare treat as the two demonstration teams typically don’t perform within 150 miles of each other. The U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team and the U.S. Navy F-35C Demonstration Team were scheduled to fly. The F-35A put on an exciting, vapor filled demonstration. Unfortunately, the F-35C was unable to fly due to a maintenance issue and was moved over to the ramp with the other static displays. Sitting on the static ramp next to the F-35C was the very new, one of only eight built, Boeing F-15EX Eagle II multi-role strike fighter. The Eagle II was impressively loaded with a dozen air-to-air missiles under its wings. Other static highlights included a B-1 Lancer (BONE), F-14 Tomcat, F-4 Phantom and T-6 Texan II painted in dark green camo with WW II D-Day Invasion stripes.
01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules Nicknamed "Fat Albert" Low Transition Takeoff. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules Nicknamed "Fat Albert" Flat Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules Nicknamed "Fat Albert" Flat Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules Nicknamed "Fat Albert" Parade Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Echelon Parade Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Dirty Loop. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Opposing Horizontal Roll Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Diamond Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Line Abreast Loop Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Opposing Knife Edge Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Double Farvel Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Fortus Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Fleur De Lis Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Fleur De Lis Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Loop Break to Six Plane Cross Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Delta Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Delta Break Out Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Delta Flat Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Delta Flat Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets Delta Pitch Up Break Pass. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16C "Fighting Falcons" Delta Pass. 01Dec24
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16C "Fighting Falcons" High/Low Overtake Pass. 01Dec24
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16C "Fighting Falcons" High Alpha Pass. 01Dec24
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16C "Fighting Falcons" Five Card Loop Pass. 01Dec24
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16C "Fighting Falcons" Delta Burst Pass. 01Dec24
Stearman Trainers formation making a pass down the flight line. This was taken from outside the airshow. I had not made it through parking and security checkpoint when the airshow started. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules "Fat Albert" climbing for altitude. 01Nov24
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Skip Stewart Airshows flying a highly modified Pitts S-2S, nicknamed "Prometheus".
Redline Airshows flying their Van’s RV-8 kit planes and Adam Baker Airshows flying his Extra 330 in formation. 01Nov24
Redline Airshows flying their Van’s RV-8 kit planes and Adam Baker Airshows flying his Extra 330 in a formation loop. 01Nov24
Redline Airshows flying their Van’s RV-8 kit planes and Adam Baker Airshows flying his Extra 330 in formation. 01Nov24
Redline Airshows flying their Van’s RV-8 kit planes. 01Nov24
Redline Airshows flying their Van’s RV-8 kit planes. 01Nov24
GO EZ Aerobatics pilot Kyle Fowler flying his Long EZ through a spirted routine. 01Nov24
GO EZ Aerobatics pilot Kyle Fowler flying his Long EZ through a spirted routine. 01Nov24
GO EZ Aerobatics pilot Kyle Fowler flying his Long EZ through a spirted routine. 01Nov24
GO EZ Aerobatics pilot Kyle Fowler flying his Long EZ through a spirted routine. 01Nov24
RAD Aerosports pilot Jarrod Lindemann taking off in his Jet Waco, a Taperwing Waco biplane with a Pratt & Whitney 985 radial engine and a General Electric CJ610 (J85) jet engine slung underneath the fuselage. 01Nov24
RADIAL RUMBLE pilot Jeff Shetterly flying his 1945 North American SNJ-6 “Texan". 01Nov24
RADIAL RUMBLE pilot Jeff Shetterly flying his 1945 North American SNJ-6 “Texan". 01Nov24
RADIAL RUMBLE pilot Jeff Shetterly flying his 1945 North American SNJ-6 “Texan". 01Nov24
RADIAL RUMBLE pilot Jeff Shetterly flying his 1945 North American SNJ-6 “Texan". 01Nov24
RADIAL RUMBLE pilot Jeff Shetterly flying his 1945 North American SNJ-6 “Texan". 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team climbing in afterburner making wingtip contrails. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team showing off its belly with wingtip contrails. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team banking hard and creating some fluff above the wings. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team - Afterburner Baby! 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team - Fast pass pulling the fluff from the air. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team showing off the business end of the aircraft. 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team - Fluff Baby! 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team - Even more Fluff! 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team going vertical. Oh, and more Fluff! 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team going vertical. Oh, and more Fluff! 01Nov24
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning Demonstration Team - Taxing back in front of the crowd. 01Nov24
NAS Pensacola Ramp Statics
Lots of great things to see sitting on the NAS Pensacola hot ramp and static ramp. F/A-18 Super Hornets, C-130 Hercules (Fat Albert), B-1 Lancer (BONE), F-35C Thunderbolt II, F-15EX Eagle II, F-16C Fighting Falcon, F-14 Tomcat, F-4 Phantom, A-4 Skyhawk, T-6 Texan II, T-38 Trojan, FG-1D Corsair, T-6 Texan, and a MH-60S Knighthawk.
Walking in to the airshow, I passed this tower which prominently shows the pilots what to set their altitude to. 01Nov24
USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. Wings loaded with a full dozen AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). 01Nov24
Nose on view of the USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. 01Nov24
USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. Wings loaded with a full dozen AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). 01Nov24
USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. Wings loaded with a full dozen AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). 01Nov24
USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. 01Nov24
USAF Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle - One of only eight built so far. 01Nov24
U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II. This aircraft was supposed to fly during the show. But due to a mechanical issue, it was unable to perform. So it was moved to the static ramp for all to see. 01Nov24
Tail of the U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin F-35C Lighting II. This F-35 is from Strike Fighter Squadron 125 based out of NAS Lemoore, CA. 01Nov24
The Strike Fighter Squadron 125 is a Fleet Replacement Training Squadron for the F-35 Lightning II. This group was receiving some instruction from the gentleman in the black cap. 01Nov24
The Strike Fighter Squadron 125 is a Fleet Replacement Training Squadron for the F-35 Lightning II. The instructor was moving around the F-35C discussing different aspects of the jet. 01Nov24
Several spectator were listening in to the group discussion on the F-35C Lightning II. 01Nov24
Sitting far behind the flight line next to some hangers was Blue Angels F/A-18F Super Hornet #7. 01Nov24
Blue Angels F/A-18F Super Hornet #7. 01Nov24
Blue Angels F/A-18F Super Hornet #7. 01Nov24
Blue Angels F/A-18F Super Hornet #7. 01Nov24
Blue Angels C-130J Hercules "Fat Albert" sitting at the far end of the flight line. The crews were making the post flight inspections and prepping the plane for the following days performance. 01Nov24
Fat Albert has the Blue Angels logo proudly emblazoned on the vertical stabilizer. 01Nov24
I was surprised to see a Rockwell B-1B Lancer "Bone" sitting on the statics ramp. 01Nov24
I wasn't expecting to see a USAF Rockwell B-1B Lancer "Bone" to be at a Navy show. 01Nov24
North American SNJ-6 Trainer "Honey Lulu" sitting on the statics ramp. 01Nov24
USAF F-16C "Fighting Falcon" Thunderbird #5 pre-flight prep ongoing in front of the assembled crowd. 01Nov24
USAF F-16C "Fighting Falcon" Thunderbird with canopy up. 01Nov24
F-4C Phantom II. Formerly a gate guard at the Gallatin, TN airport. It is painted in the marking of 4-Star General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr., a decorated former fighter pilot who trained the Tuskegee Airmen. Chappie flew a combined 179 combat missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
An F-14A Tomcat showing the wear and tear of the years. 01Nov24
The F-14A Tomcat was a popular attraction. There was a crowd around it at all times. 01Nov24
An A-4D Skyhawk on display. 01Nov24
Later, I came back around to the A-4D Skyhawk and was surprised to see no one standing in front of it. Seconds after this shot was made, people were again in front of the jet. 01Nov24
A NASA RS-25 rocket engine on display at the NASA booth. 01Nov24
A lovely Beechcraft T-6 Texan II showing off its WWII D-Day inspired paint scheme. 01Nov24
Another view of the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II showing off its WWII D-Day inspired paint scheme. 01Nov24
North American T-28C Trojan trainer on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
North American T-28C Trojan trainer on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
North American T-28C Trojan trainer on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
North American SNJ-6 Texan on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
North American SNJ-6 Texan on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
The CAF FG-1D Corsair on the hot ramp. 01Nov24
The CAF FG-1D Corsair did not fly during the show. It was scheduled to fly in the Legacy Flight with the F-35C. Unfortunately the F-35C had a maintenance issue and was unable to fly. 01Nov24
USN Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk. 01Nov24