Navy Spokesman Said The UAV Was Not Close Enough To Interfere With The Show

A spectator watching the Blue Angels perform during the SeaFair Air Show in Mercer Island, WA on Friday captured video of a drone flying in the vicinity of the jets, but a Navy official told local media that the UAV was no threat to the aerobatic team.

The drone video was first reported on the blog The Aviationist. Several people reportedly saw the drone, including Washington State Police officers on the I-90 bridge over Lake Washington where John Redifer captured the video using his cell phone. He said he heard the WSP officers discussing the presence of the drone.

The drone reportedly remained in the area until after the end of the Blue Angels show, according to the blog report.

The Mercer Island Patch reports that Blue Angels spokesman Lt. Joe Hontz said that the team was aware of the drone during the performance, but the pilots did not notice it was there, and it was not close enough to interfere with the show.

Redifer speculated that the drone was owned by someone local, but it is not known who was operating the aircraft during the show.

(Image from John Redifer video. Enhanced to show location of UAV in the frame)

FMI: The Aviationist, Patch