NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s beloved Blue Angels are back. The U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron is returning to Naval Air Station Jacksonville — the team’s birthplace — this weekend, giving spectators on the ground a front-row seat to the aerial acrobatics that have made the Blue Angels a Jacksonville tradition.
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But I didn’t just watch from the ground. I got an up-close look from the back seat of one of the jets.
Getting ready for takeoff
Before climbing into the cockpit, my photographer, Carlos, and I arrived at Naval Air Station Jacksonville for a safety briefing and a lesson in breathing techniques — a critical part of surviving high-G maneuvers at altitude.
Lt. Cmdr. Ronny Hafeza, the Blue Angels’ No. 7 pilot, explained the value of flying alongside a first-timer.
“In the instance between you and I, where, you know, you take someone who’s never been in this aircraft before, goes up in the jet, experiences all the maneuvers they could experience under the sun, and we come back and we have a shared experience,” Hafeza said.
Up in the air
Once airborne, the camera inside the cockpit captured my raw, unfiltered reactions.
Expressions like, “Wow. Whoa! Oh my Gosh! It’s beautiful!”
Hafeza narrated the physical demands of the ride in real time, coaching me through the intense forces my body was under.
“So as the G starts to increase, what actually occurs within the body is that the blood tries to find its way to the lowest point,” Hafeza said. “So in order for you to prevent that, the body against that, you have to execute what’s called the Anti-G Straining Maneuver.”
Back on the ground
After landing, I summed up the experience with characteristic honesty.
“I did it, guys. I survived. I got a little bit sick, but I didn’t pass out. I was awake the whole time.”
Hafeza also acknowledged my toughness in the air.
“It was amazing flying with you. Thanks for being an absolutely really, really good sport up there,” he said.
For me, the flight was unforgettable. This was truly the experience of a lifetime.
The Blue Angels airshow takes place this weekend at NAS Jacksonville. NAS Jax offers free admission and parking. Gates will open at 9 a.m., and the airshow starts at 11 a.m.
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