See the Blue Angels this weekend on the 16th and 17th

The Blue Angels will be performing 5 aviation acts over a 2.5 hour period between 1:00 -4:00 pm on June 16 ^th and the 17 ^th . The show will take place over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.

Viewing sites are limited and boating traffic will be restricted from driving their boats in the fly zone.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels were created on April 24 ^th, 1946, by the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

The original team picked their name while they were planning a show in New York, in 1946. They had come across the name in the New Yorker Magazine, which was named after the city’s famous Blue Angel nightclub.

Their mission is to enhance Navy recruiting, and credibly represent Navy and Marine Corps aviation to the United States and its Armed Forces to America and other countries as international ambassadors of good will.

They usually practice at least twice before every show at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. The jets are then flown to each show site pilots will then fly the jets to each show site.

Some people have speculated about the smoke that comes out of the jets during the show. The smoke is produced by pumping biodegradable, paraffin-based oil directly into the exhaust nozzles of the aircraft where the oil is instantly vaporized into smoke. The smoke provides a traceable path for spectators to follow, so they can see the flight profile that has been flown. It also enhances safety of flight by providing a valuable means by which the solo pilots can see each other during opposing maneuvers and conditions of lowered visibility or haze. The smoke poses no hazard to the environment.