Seattle Air Show Will See Updated Routine With Faster, Modern Hornet Variant

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have announced their intention to return as the featured performers at the Boeing Seafair Air Show in 2022 and 2023 in Seattle, Washington. The occasion will mark the first time that the touring air show demonstrators will bring their newest F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft to the Northwestern states. 

The return is good news for airshow-starved Washingtonians, bereft of the Angels' presence in 2021 following a cancelled 2020 show. “Seafair is thrilled to have the U.S. Navy Blue Angels back for another two years,” said Eric Corning, president and CEO of Seafair. “After the past two years that saw so many events be put on hold, we are looking forward to joining our community in welcoming back a Pacific Northwest tradition.”

The Blue Angels have started this season as the first without their long running, considerably aged F/A-18 Hornets. In November of 2020, the team had their final ceremonial flight with their faithful workhorses after 34 years of taxing, high performance demonstrations. They replaced them with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, joining frontline Navy units who have done the same. Their 'new' aircraft are hand-me-downs from the service, pulled from storage, testing, or other rear echelon activities owing to their earlier, low-initial-rate production dates. They underwent a series of upgrades in a contract with Boeing, costing the service $17 million for the first 9 aircraft. The enhancements make them more compatible with civilian airspace and navigation systems, camera systems, smoke generators, as well as improved fuel and oil delivery systems for extended inverted flight. The upgrade to the modern iteration of the Hornet necessitated a few changes to the routine, meaning even those lucky viewers familiar with past shows put on by the Angels will find themselves seeing something new once again. 

FMI: www.seafair.org