Blue Angels
The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron closes the show, at 2 p.m. in recent years, with six blue-and-gold F/A-18 Super Hornets, led onto the beach by "Fat Albert," the team's C-130J. Full maneuver guide below.
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Acts from the 2026 show
These performers flew in 2026. Which of them return in 2027 hasn't been announced.
B-1B Lancer
Nicknamed "the Bone," the supersonic heavy bomber flew at Pensacola Beach in 2026 for America's 250th anniversary, known for its sweeping wings and low, thunderous passes down the coastline.
F-15C Eagle Demonstration
A premier air-superiority fighter built to track and engage targets at long range while holding its own in tight, close-in maneuvering — one of the fastest acts of the day.
Skip Stewart — "Prometheus"
A highly modified biplane put through aggressive snap rolls and vertical climbs, ending with a signature inverted low pass that clips a string strung between two poles just feet above the pier.
Carol Pilon
A tribute to classic barnstorming: Pilon performs acrobatics atop a vintage Stearman biplane thousands of feet above the beach.
Aaron Fitzgerald
A premier helicopter aerobatic pilot who pushes rotary-wing flight to its limits, drawing on a background in competitive aerobatics and backcountry flying.
Titan Aerobatic Team
Three WWII-era AT-6 Texan trainers flying tight formation maneuvers, honoring the aircraft that trained generations of American military pilots.
Veterans Flight
Organized by Pensacola attorney and pilot Roy Kinsey, roughly a dozen Boeing Stearman Model 75 biplanes fly in tribute to World War II and Korean War veterans.
Know What You're Watching
The Blue Angels' signature maneuvers
Six moves to watch for during the 45-minute finale — look up and to the Gulf horizon.
- Diamond Dirty LoopThe four-jet diamond formation flies a full loop with landing gear and flaps extended — "dirty" configuration — for maximum drama at slow speed.
- Double FarvelTwo solo jets fly inverted, canopy-to-canopy, in a formation unique to the Blue Angels.
- Vertical PitchThe diamond climbs straight up before breaking apart in four directions.
- Fleur-de-LisA high-speed pass that traces the shape of the New Orleans-linked emblem across the sky.
- Opposing Knife-Edge PassTwo solo jets fly toward each other on their sides, wings vertical, passing at a combined speed of roughly 700 mph.
- Sneak PassThe crowd favorite: a solo jet streaks low and fast from behind the audience with little warning, arriving well ahead of its own sound.