CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Blue Angels were originally formed as the Flight Exhibition Team in March 1946 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (NAS JAX) by Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz, in an effort to raise awareness of naval aviation and boost morale. The team performed their first flight demonstration on June 15, 1946 in Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft. The squadron was officially redesignated as the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron in December 1974.

Blue Angels - Sat Day 1 by Paul Sager, on Flickr


The Chicago Air & Water Show, the annual free event along Lake Michigan in Chicago, was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. The 2021 event was scaled back to just a 45-minute presentation at noon each day by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Blue Angels - Sun Day 2


The team has periodically upgraded their aircraft types during their 75-year history. They flew the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet from 1986 until the end of 2020. These images feature the newest F/A-18E Super Hornet, designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, now manufactured by Boeing after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing 1997. In Chicago is the first time I've seen the Super Hornet in action.

Blue Angels - Sun Day 2


The Super Hornet has been an operational aircraft in the U.S. Navy since 2001. Twenty-six Navy Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) use the Super Hornet. The VFA designation was created in 1980 to designate "Fighter Attack Squadron", and changed to "Strike Fighter Squadron" in 1983. In 2021 for the U.S. Navy, an active Strike Fighter Squadron consists of either ten or twelve F/A-18E single seat Super Hornets, or twelve F/A-18F two seat Super Hornets or ten F-35C Lightning IIs. Just over 500 Super Hornets are in active service with the U.S. Navy.

Blue Angels - Sat Day 1


All team members, both officer and enlisted, come from the ranks of regular U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps units. The demonstration pilots and narrator are made up of Navy and USMC Naval Aviators. In the U.S. Navy, most Naval Aviators are unrestricted line officers (URL), eligible for command at sea.

Blue Angels - Sun Day 2


Although pilots from the U.S. Marine Corps are eligible for selection into the Blue Angels, Marine Corps fighter-attack squadrons (VMFA) are in transition to exclusive use of the F-35C carrier variant to continue to augment Navy carrier air wings.

Blue Angels - Sun Day 2


The James J. Versluis is a tugboat operated by the Chicago Water Department. The Versluis is one of two tugs used by Chicago to break ice on the Chicago River in the winter. The 90-foot blue and white tug served as the show mid-point icon for the Blue Angels crossing patterns during the 2021 airshow.

James J. Versluis


Images shared in this post were captured in RAW using an EOS 5DIII and either the EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II and EF Extender 1.4x III (effective 420mm configuration) or the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II. Processing was performed only in Adobe Lightroom v6.

Blue Angels - Sat Day 1


These images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Great set!

bnsf

Excellent performance!

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

I have watch both the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels for years. They always put on such a great airshow. Your captures are excellent.

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

Excellent series, Paul. I'm not a big fan of air shows but these are inspiring photos!

saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee

Great work Paul! Love the close shots where you can see the pilot's heads. Seafair was canceled again this year in Seattle. So no Blue Angles or hydroplanes here for at least one more year.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Paul, once again you nailed it with this set. You really excel with aviation and the history you share is awesome....thank you so much sir.

MT native Loc: Big Sky Country — Montana

Outstanding series!! Who doesn’t enjoy a air show featuring the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds. Thanks for sharing.

GrannyAnnie

As I started to look at the set, I thought "WOW!....but he usually gets in close enough to read the pilot's helmet!".....then as I scrolled down I see that you did....😃! You really showed how thrilling they are to watch! As a transplant to the south, it was also great to see "the big lake"!!

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Excellent series Paul. Thanks for sharing.

LittleBit Loc: St. Louis, MO

Got to see them in Seattle two years ago. Took some pics but nothing as serious as these.
As always, great photos.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Nice set, Paul. I really enjoyed them at our local airshow earlier this year.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Bill, bnsf, junglejim1949, Carol, Chris, Blair, Dennis, GrannyAnnie, alberio, LittleBit, Ken! Looking at the results from Sat with a prime at 420mm prompted me to change to the zoom for Sunday. I was literally on the water's edge and a bit closer to show center than most years, with the crowd being far thinner than normal years. As a result, the prime was a bit 'too long' for that closer position. There's a few more posts prepared for the next few days, offering different perspectives from the results.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Wow!

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Great photos! Looks like it was a hazy day.