The
Pensacola Beach Airshow
resumes Friday with the Blue Angels dress rehearsal in front of thousands of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team’s biggest fans in their hometown.
The festivities begin about 10:30 a.m. with civilian acts, followed by the beloved
Blue Angels at 2 p.m.,
weather depending. Follow along below for live coverage of all the action as it unfolds.
Traffic flowing smoothly out of Casino Beach parking lot
Traffic cameras show that traffic is flowing steadily on Pensacola Beach as cars gradually make their way out of the Casino Beach parking lot.
The Santa Rosa Island Authority has three open-air trolleys running an extended route between Park West and Park East between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday.
Trolleys servicing Portofino Resort/Park East will be staged on Via de Luna in front of Sideline’s Sports Bar and the Hampton Inn (facing east). Trolleys servicing Park West will be staged on Fort Pickens Road in front of the Surf & Sand Hotel and The Sandshaker (facing west).
Both Navarre Bridge lanes to be used for northbound traffic to alleviate congestion
The southbound lane of Navarre Beach Bridge will temporarily close at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12 to assist with traffic control following the Blue Angels airshow.
This temporary closure will allow both lanes to be used for northbound traffic only, helping to ease congestion as attendees exit the beach following the airshow. The southbound lane is expected to reopen within two hours, depending on traffic flow.
Motorists needing access to Navarre Beach during this temporary closure should plan to go through Pensacola Beach and travel through the Gulf Islands National Seashore along Highway 399 (J. Earle Bowden Way).
Blue Angels dress rehearsal is over, but they’ll return Saturday for the official show
The Blues Angels Pensacola Beach Airshow has wrapped for Friday, and crowds are beginning to start making their way off the beach.
It’s showtime! The Blue Angels are about to fly
Fat Albert just flew over Pensacola Beach, the Blur Angel’s are about to start their show!
The Gulf is cleared of swimmers and the Blues are up next
The civilian air show just ended, and the Gulf is clear of swimmers until the Blue Angels take to the skies “full throttle” at 2:00 p.m.
What you need to know before the Blue Angels fly
How low do the Blue Angels fly during an air show?
Not every air show is the same, and because safety is paramount, the range of maneuvers the team performs depends entirely upon the conditions at the time of the show. That said, in general, the infamous Sneak Pass is the closest they’ll get to the ground. During this maneuver, the Lead Solo will “sneak” up on the crowd from behind and pass only 50 feet above it. Earbuds are recommended to protect your ears, but nothing will save you from the rumbling you’ll feel in your chest as it passes overhead.
What planes do the Blue Angels fly?
In 2021, the Blue Angels transitioned from the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet, which the team has flown since 1986, to the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. The new Super Hornets are 25% larger, can fly 40% further and remain on station 80% longer.
How fast do the Blue Angels fly?
The fastest the Blue Angels fly during an air show is 700 mph during its Sneak Pass maneuver. The slowest speed is around 120 mph during the Section High Alpha maneuver.
When will the Blue Angels fly?
The Blue Angels always close out the air show at 2 p.m. alongside the team’s beloved support aircraft, Fat Albert. Fat Albert will typically fly for about 15 minutes before the Blue Angels take to the skies for the next 45.
Here’s what’s on tap next at Pensacola Beach Airshow
Here’s what’s on tap next at Pensacola Beach Airshow:
USAF B-1B Lancer arrives
to tease the raw power and speed of the legendary swing-wing bomber.
Red Bull Air Force
team performs the “Presentation of the Colors” by skydiving with the American Flag – landing at show center. Expect aerobatics from helo pilot Aaron Fitzgerald and pilot Kevin Coleman in his Extra 330 SC, too.
B-1B Lancer
comes back for more action and maneuvers to impress.
RJ Gritter
is next overhead, flying a red, white, and blue Decathlon and bringing high-energy aerobatics to Pensacola for the first time.
The father-son duo of
Ken and Austin Rieder
with
Redline Airshows
will deliver formation thrills and precision flying in their RV-8s.
Next up, the four-man
Titan Aerobatic Team
performs synchronized loops and bomb bursts in their WWII-era AT-6 Texans.
Kevin Coleman and Aaron Fitzgerald
team up again in a high-adrenaline, two-aircraft routine to finish up with the Red Bull Air Force finale before a short 10-minute water break.
Traffic flowing smoothly as countdown to air show begins
Traffic all the way from downtown Pensacola to Pensacola Beach is still flowing smoothly 10 minutes before the official air show begins with a fly-by from a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber.
Department of Transportation traffic cameras show traffic is smooth all the way across Pensacola Bay and into Pensacola Beach. Traffic data from the department indicates traffic has slowed down once on the island, especially in the area immediately near the intersection of Pensacola Beach Boulevard, Fort Pickens Road, and Via De Luna Drive.
Pensacola Beach Airshow civilian show is underway
The civilian flight demonstration acts have begun. Here’s the schedule:
- The Black Ducks in WWII-era aircraft
- Sheldon Heatherington in a Zenith 75 STOL named “Redbird”
- Gene Valentino in an Icon A-5
- Tanner Matheny in a 1946 Navion named “Olivia”
- Veterans Flight team in their WWII-era Stearman biplanes honoring WWII and Korean War veterans, led by Roy Kinsey
- HT-18 training helicopters from TAW-5 aboard NAS Whiting Field
- VT-10 flying T-6 Texans from TAW-6 aboard NAS Pensacola
- U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue demo from an MH-65E Dolphin
The official air box will close, and lifeguards will clear the water around 11:40 a.m., which is when the official performers will take flight.
How long is the Pensacola Beach Air Show?
Friday and Saturday’s shows are full-day affairs, with the battle for parking starting several hours before the show itself.
Pre-show demonstration start at 10:30 a.m. and the “main” show starts just before noon. The Blue Angels take off around 2 p.m., and wrap up around 3 p.m. So, while performances happen within a five-hour window, expect to spend the full day at the beach.
Cooling center available until 4 p.m.
BRACE
,
Visit Pensacola Beach
and ProHealth have teamed up to host a cooling and hydration station at the Pensacola Beach Visitor Information Center in the Casino Beach parking lot.
Air show attendees are encouraged to cool off and hydrate often to avoid any serious heat-related injuries.
Heat index to set reach 100 degrees this afternoon
Pensacola Beach Lifeguards are flying green flags at Pensacola Beach with calm surf and a low risk of rip currents.
The water temperature in the Gulf is 82 degrees.
Showers are likely today with a 60% chance of rain, and the high temperature will be 88 degrees. The heat index will reach 100 degrees by 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Want to see what it’s really like to be in the U.S. Navy?
Take part in the ‘Strike Group’ multi-scenario, mobile mixed-reality experience, which is designed to demonstrate the breadth and depth of Navy STEM careers.
Players will test their skills on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in a five-person mixed-reality game. Participants will don a Meta Quest 3 headset and be transported out to the USS Gerald R. Ford, where they will team up to launch an F-35C Lightning II jet. Working together in different roles – from loading fuel to flying helicopters to piloting the aircraft itself – each player will be immersed in the experience of what it is like to serve aboard an aircraft carrier and how their efforts influence a Navy mission.
The experience is set up from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Casino Beach Boardwalk.
Pensacola Beach Air Show trolleys available
The main lots are closed, but the Santa Rosa Island Authority has three open-air trolleys running an extended route between Park West and Park East between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday.
Before the show
: The trolleys will service passengers from Park East, located a mile east of Portofino Resort, and Park West to the show center at Casino Beach throughout the indicated hours.
Passengers will only be picked up and dropped off at designated trolley stops, which will be marked with a bright Escambia County Area Transit-branded feather flag.
After the show
: Trolleys servicing Portofino Resort/Park East will be staged on Via de Luna in front of Sideline’s Sports Bar and the Hampton Inn (facing east). Trolleys servicing Park West will be staged on Fort Pickens Road in front of the Surf & Sand Hotel and The Sandshaker (facing west).
Pensacola Beach Air Show trolley tracker
Casino Beach parking full at 6:45 a.m.
The Casino Beach lot is officially full.
Escambia County said the lot reached capacity at 6:45 a.m. for the publicly available spaces in the lot.
The Santa Rosa Island Authority will begin running a free trolley from the Park East parking lot to and from Casino Beach at 7:30 a.m. The trolley service runs until 6 p.m.
Space is getting limited at the Casino Beach parking lot at Pensacola Beach
The live webcam atop the Pensacola Beach Hilton show a tightly packed parking lot but cars were still entering the lot as of 7 a.m.
It likely won’t be much longer until the public spaces in the lot are taken.
Traffic flowing smoothly on Pensacola Beach
Cameras on Pensacola Beach show that traffic appears to be flowing smoothly.
The Casino Beach parking lot appears packed, but as of now there’s been no announcement of the lot closing.
The parking lot closed at 9:35 a.m. on Thursday, but more people are likely to turn out today for the Blue Angels full dress rehearsal.
2025 Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show Friday schedule
Friday’s dress rehearsal will start around 10:30 a.m.,
weather permitted
, with the start of the civilian flight demonstration acts.
The official air box will close, and lifeguards will clear the water around 11:40 a.m., which is when the official performers will take flight.
The Blue Angels always close out the air show at 2 p.m. alongside the team’s beloved support aircraft, Fat Albert. Fat Albert will typically fly for about 15 minutes before the Blue Angels take to the skies for the next 45.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal:
Pensacola Beach Air Show: Blue Angels wow once again as Friday show wraps
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