Friday rewind: Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show fun starts before dawn Friday
The Blue Angels completed a picture perfect dress rehearsal and are on their way back to NAS Pensacola.
Saturday's show is expected to be a complete repeat of today's festivities with civilian acts starting at 11 a.m. Casino Beach parking lot was closed at 4:30 a.m. last year, so visitors should plan on arriving early!
Photos from today's show will be available on pnj.com shortly.
Blue Angels preparing to start early | 1:45 p.m.
As clouds begin to form over Pensacola Beach, air show organizers are preparing Fat Albert and the Blue Angels to start a few minutes early. The last military act is wrapping up now and the water will be cleared for the show to begin.
The weather forecast had indicated a 60% chance of thunderstorms for Friday afternoon, and Pensacola Beach appears to be on the lucky end of that probability.
Weather radar indicated the nearest thunderstorm was a small cell more than 20 miles to the east, and the storm was moving toward the southeast, away from Pensacola Beach.
Temperatures at the beach just before 2 p.m. were 92 degrees with a heat index of 100 degrees.
Anniversary vacation spent with the Blue Angels | 1:30 p.m.
Keegan and Heather Doty from Perry, Georgia are celebrating their July 4th wedding anniversary with a Pensacola Beach vacation.
They come to Pensacola Beach every year and found out the Blue Angels were flying on Thursday when the planes zipped over their heads and they had to see it for themselves.
They love the beach so sitting under their tent with hundreds of enthusiastic people enjoying themselves is perfect for their anniversary.
Both are Top Gun movie fans and want to see the real masters of the sky zipping and maneuvering with ease.
For the pair, the Blue Angels are not just an American political statement but an inspiration for anyone who has dreams to do something big in their lives.
“I think other than just pro-USA, I think it shows you can do anything you want. If you want to do that, you can go for it,” Keegan Doty said.
Three people suffer 'medical events', 2 transported to hospital | 1:15 p.m.
As the dress rehearsal is underway at Pensacola Beach, first responders have been on standby to assist anyone with an emergency.
As of 1 p.m. Escambia County Emergency Medical Services assisted three people on beach for the air show who had “medical events” with two having to be transported to a local hospital for further treatment, according to Escambia County spokesperson Andie Gibson.
Gibson said they are unaware if the medical events were related to the heat, but couldn’t share any further information about the calls because of medical privacy laws.
The county has published safety tips for staying out on the beach during the airshow including staying hydrated. https://myescambia.com/news/news-article/2023/07/03/escambia-county-shares-safety-tips-for-blue-angels-weekend
The county partnered with Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Visitors Information Center to provide a cooling station for the weekend inside their building, as well as two cooling tents. The Visitor Information Center is located just north of the Pensacola Beach beachball in the teal and white building.
The outdoor cooling station, with mist fans and free water, is quiet. After a week of brutal temperatures, Pensacola Beach’s mild heat of 89 degrees with cloudy skies makes it a great day to enjoy the Blue Angels.
Arc Thames is a part of the Community Emergency Response Team who came from Santa Rosa County to help at the tents.
“Stop by, stay hydrated, and get out of the heat,” is the simple message Thames has for anyone wanting to enjoy Blue Angels weekend.
Things have stayed quiet on the water as well with no water rescues so far by Pensacola Beach Lifeguards.
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Blue Angels call signs | 12:40 p.m.
While many budding pilots usually want a call sign that sounds cool, the reality is that even among the skillfully elite, like the Blue Angel pilots, call signs are anything but cool. Call signs tend to be playful nicknames that reference where a pilot might be from, their physical appearance or even their habit to make a mistake. Check out the 2023 pilots' call signs:
Cmdr. Alexander Armatas is the pilot for the No. 1 jet. His call sign is “Scribe.”
Lt. Cmdr. Chris Kapuschansky is the pilot for the No. 2 jet and his call sign is “Cheese.”
Lt. Amanda Lee is the first female flight demonstration jet pilot to serve with the Blue Angels, piloting the No. 3 jet, and her call sign is “Stalin.”
Lt. Scott Goossens is the No. 4 solo pilot and his call sign is “Jamz.”
Lt. Cmdr. Julius Bratton, the No. 5 pilot, goes by the call sign “Whiskers.”goes by the call sign “Whiskers.”
Lt. Cmdr. Griffin Stangel is the No. 6 pilot and his call sign is “Push Pop.”
Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Zimmerman is the pilot of the No. 7 jet and air show narrator. He goes by the call sign “Franz.”
Blue Angels call signs: Here's how they earned them
Warrington man never misses a show | 12:30 a.m.
Jimmy Helton grew up in Warrington and has always loved watching the Blue Angels.
He moved to Texas 12 years ago and has came back three to four times to make sure he catches another glimpse of the show. Now he has moved back to the Pensacola area and will never miss another opportunity to be back here on the beach.
“I was here yesterday at 5 (a.m.) and I pulled into the parking lot this morning at about 4 (a.m.) and it was already half full,” Helton said. “ And my wife tells me I'm crazy, but I call it dedication myself. I might be a little crazy, but that's part of it.”
Sitting by himself on the beach with his tent, two American and Blue Angels flags attached to it, he compares the air shows in Texas to Pensacola. The main difference is the crowd, the energy, and the beautiful Pensacola beach.
For him the Blue Angels is about freedom and there is no one better at it than the Blue Angels.
“I don't miss the Blues, man and now that I'm back home again, I'm going to see them every chance I get,” Helton said. “I’m already planning for the November show with a buddy of mine in Texas already this morning. I told him to bring his butt on down.”
Clear traffic all the way to Pensacola Beach | 11:45 a.m.
Two hours before the Blue Angels perform, traffic heading to Pensacola Beach remains relatively smooth.
There are no delays across the Pensacola Bay Bridge, in Gulf Breeze, or the Bob Sikes Toll Bridge, according to Florida Department of Transportation and Escambia County traffic cameras.
Traffic in Pensacola Beach is heavy around the intersection of Fort Pickens Road and Via De Luna Drive but is still moving smoothly.
Here's what to know: Want to catch the Blue Angels at the 2023 Pensacola Beach Air Show?
Civilian acts about to begin. Here's what you'll see. | 10:55 a.m.
The civilian acts will take to the sky around 11 a.m. on Friday, and will showcase all of the following:
Pilot Julian MacQueen flying his vintage 1943 Grumman Widgeon seaplane overhead
Pilot Gene Valentino flying his ICON A5 Amphibious light sport plane.
U.S. Coast Guard pilot Lt. Cmdr. Mark Currier, from the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, flying his HC-144 Ocean Sentry large turboprop aircraft.
Training Squadron Ten (VT-10) from NAS Pensacola in a formation fly-by in their T-6 Texans aircraft.
VeriJet, a private airline, will fly by in a three-ship formation of Cirrus SF-50 Vision Jets.
Navy pilot Tanner Matheny will be flying over in his 1946 North American Navion airplane named Olivia.
U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue demonstration from the back of an HH-60J Blackhawk helicopter piloted by Lt. Travis Rhea.
Siblings travel every year to see Blues in Pensacola | 10:30 a.m.
It doesn’t matter if you live in Pensacola, in another state or if you’ve seen the Blues a thousand times, people still want to feel the sand between their toes as the jets fly past.
That’s true for siblings Barb Smith and Michael Phillips who travel each year to Casino Beach so they can watch the Blue Angels Air Show.
“I travel here every summer from Sevierville, Tennessee,” Smith said. “They’re amazing and we’re grateful for their service.”
Phillips meets his sister here as he travels from Crystal River, Florida, just north of Tampa. He said he’s been watching the Blues fly with his sister since 1971.
Both are ready for another air show to witness the skill of the Naval aviators.
“Red, white and the Blues?” Smith asked. “Hell yeah!”
Boats begin to line up at pier for best seat in house | 10 a.m.
Thousands of people have piled onto Casino Beach already this morning to find the best spot to watch the Blue Angels fly.
Whether you’re settled down or still trying to find a spot, you may notice some people arguably have the best spot in the house.
A few hundred yards off the Casino Beach Pier, you’ll notice a group of around a dozen boats filled with people anxiously waiting for 2 p.m.
Luckily, the boats and spectators on the beach can enjoy a bright sunny sky with wispy clouds for the next hour until the civilian portion of show kicks off.
Visitor Information Center opens cooling center | 9:30 a.m.
The Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center, in collaboration with the Escambia County Department of Public Safety, have opened a cooling center at their facility until 5 p.m.
Blue Angels fans negatively affected by the heat are welcome to stop in the air-conditioned building with restrooms to cool off and rehydrate. There are also outdoor cooling tents with fans, cooling misters and free water available throughout the show.
The Visitor Information Center is located just north of the Pensacola Beach beachball in the teal and white building.
Visitors with medical emergencies, however, should go to the Emergency Medical Services tent located near the Pensacola Beach Public Safety building to the west of the Gulf Side Pavilion or call 911.
Kona Ice on hand to keep people cool | 8:50 a.m.
What’s the most fun and tasty way to cool down while you’re waiting for the Blues to fly? Kona Ice, of course.
Juliette Fontaine had the shaved ice truck up and running, waiting for the masses to walk by and grab a cup of flavored ice to cool themselves down in preparation for the planes to fly.
“We’re definitely prepared for the swarm of people, she said. “It’s always interesting trying to balance reading lips with all the noise the planes are making.”
As more and more people flock toward the beach, they begin to take notice of the truck’s location to ensure the fastest route to cool down from the heat.
Who are they? Meet the Blue Angel pilots and the rest of the team ahead of the Pensacola Beach Air Show
“With this Florida heat they’re already excited,” Fontaine said. “We already know people are eager for the ice.”
Don’t worry if you can’t get your shaved ice before the Blues fly. They’ll be parked right outside of Casino Beach near the parking lot until 5:30 p.m.
Pensacola Beach Air Show is special, fans say | 8:30 a.m.
Most people know the Blue Angels fly in over 60 shows all across the country, but there’s just something special when they come to Pensacola.
That’s what friends Jim Orm, Ken Steele and Bill Street say as they sat under their blue tent that donned the American flag and the Blue Angels flag.
While Orm and Steele have lived in Pensacola for decades and have seen the Blues fly for years, they had to bring their friend who hadn’t experienced the show from the white sands of Casino Beach.
“Bill hasn’t seen them up close and personal, so we had to bring him,” Steele said.
Street has seen the Blue Angels Air Show multiple times in his home state of Maryland, but today’s air show will be a first for him in Pensacola.
“I expect it to be fantastic,” Street said.
Casino Beach parking lot is closed | 7:47 a.m.
The Casino Beach parking lot is officially full as of 7:47 a.m., according to the Santa Rosa Island Authority. Escambia County Sheriff's deputies officially closed the lot and began putting up barricades at the entrance, steering them further down the island.
Drivers heading out to the Pensacola Beach Airshow dress rehearsal will have to park at another location and use the free trolley service to reach Casino Beach. The Santa Rosa Island Authority has extended the free beach trolley to pick up passengers at Park East and Park West to travel to Casino Beach.
Closing at 7:47 a.m. is actually a slow start for a Friday airshow. In previous years, the Casino Beach parking lot has closed on Friday morning as early as 6:30 a.m.
Traffic heading out to the beach remains clear with no backups along the route. However, with the Casino Beach parking lot being closed that will likely change over the next few hours.
Parking at Casino Beach open later than normal | 7:25 a.m.
A steady stream of people continue toward Casino Beach to find the perfect spot to watch the Blue Angels fly over the Gulf.
But if you want in on the action, time is running out. While there are still parking spaces available, they're quickly becoming filled.
Escambia County Sheriff's deputies tasked with overseeing the parking lot say they may need to close the lot soon, so if you plan on finding an easy spot to park you better hurry. Still, that's a full hour later than the 2022 lot closure.
Pensacola Beach Air Show Blue Angels merchandise sells fast | 6:45 a.m.
What better way to celebrate the hometown Blues than with some merch?
Every year the Blue Angels Souvenirs popup tent has all the Blues merch you could ask for, and not only do they have custom shirts exclusive for the Pensacola show, but this year they even have a custom towel.
“We had some trouble getting our Blue Angels towels, so I said why not make them custom?” said David Currin, owner of Currin Graphics, which prints the Blue Angels shirts and towels.
Blues Boss: 'This is our home ... where our families are, where our kids go to school.'
You better hurry, though. While all of their merch sells out quickly, the Pensacola exclusives can sell out before the civilian acts begin at 11 a.m.
“We’re out here before daylight and here after everyone leaves, so it’s neat seeing everyone’s faces,” Currin said. “It’s a hometown team.”
Weather forecast for Pensacola Beach | 6: 30 a.m.
Lightning and rain could threaten this afternoon's Pensacola Beach airshow.
The National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama, is forecasting a 60% chance of rain this afternoon.
Isolated thunderstorms are likely mainly after 1 p.m., the weather service said.
The Blue Angels had to cut their Thursday practice show short as thunderstorms moved into the Pensacola Beach area.
Temperatures on Friday at Pensacola Beach are expected to reach a high of 89 degrees with the humidity making it feel like 104 degrees.
Sun is coming up, time to look for treasures | 5:45 a.m.
The sun’s finally beginning to rise on Casino Beach, and for 86-year-old Jack Petresky that means it's metal detecting time.
When he’s not tending to his blueberry bushes at home, he comes to the beach with his metal detector to find lost items.
“I’ve been metal detecting out here since 2016, and I’ve been coming to this beach since the ‘60s,” Petresky said.
History: Lt. Amanda Lee is the first female Blue Angels flight demonstration jet pilot. Who is she?
Every year he makes sure to come out during the Blue Angels show to see how much stuff he can find that the hundreds of Blues onlookers may have dropped.
In the past he’s found a $260 watch and a platinum ring worth $1,000, he said.
“You never know what you’ll find here,” he said.
Casino Beach parking lot starting to fill | 5 a.m.
It's nine hours before the 2023 Blue Angels dress rehearsal and people are already beginning to fill the parking lot.
Right now, there is no traffic heading toward Pensacola Beach and it's smooth sailing. Rest assured, however, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get to the beach. In 2022, the parking lot was closed on Friday at 6:30 a.m., according to the Gulf Breeze Police Department. The lot closed at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show fun starts before dawn Friday
