July air show to feature Navy Blue Angels

  • Published
  • By Airman Cortney Hansen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The world-famous Navy Blue Angels aerial demonstration team will be visiting Great Falls this summer for their first performance in the 'Big Sky' in more than 20 years.

Co-sponsored by Air Force Global Strike Command's 341st Missile Wing, the Montana Air National Guard and the city, the free show will be held July 30-31.

"This is just the start of an amazing lineup," said Brig. Gen. (sel) Anthony Cotton, 341st Missile Wing commander. "It has been more than two decades since Great Falls has seen an aviation event of this caliber. The air show is sure to be one of Montana's top family activities this year."

The Blue Angels' performance in the two-day air show will be accompanied by top civilian and military air show performers, static displays of military aircraft and vehicles, ground demonstrations, children's activities and refreshments.

Great Falls is one of only 38 communities that were picked for an aerial demonstration by the Blue Angels this year, and will coincide with the 100th anniversary of naval aviation.

"We are excited to host the Blue Angels and showcase their talents to the wonderful people of Montana who have graciously hosted this Air Force base and it's Airmen for so many years," said Maj. Carl Mullen, 40th Helicopter Squadron, director of operations and this year's air show coordinator. "We hope everyone gets a chance to attend one of their shows."

The Blue Angels were formed in 1946 to keep the public interested in Naval Aviation after World War II.

Their current flight demonstrations consist of three different performances. They start with their C-130 plane, also known as Fat Albert, which will perform a 10-minute demonstration to illustrate its maximum performance capabilities. Next, the team will showcase many aerobatic maneuvers with their four-jet Diamond Formation along with their fast-paced, highly-skilled solo pilots; and finally, they will top-off their show with precision flying. The six-jet Delta Formation will end the show by performing maneuvers as a team in tight formations.

The four-jet Diamond Formation and six-jet Delta Formation haven't always been a part of their routine. The four-jet Diamond Formation was incorporated into the routine in 1947, about a year after they started to perform, and in 1986, the F/A-18, dual-role fighter/attacker aircraft, was introduced to create the six-jet Delta Formation.

Since their inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 463 million fans, with an average of 15 million each year.