American fighter jets fly low, just a few meters above the audience’s heads

In the program Breakfast with the Blues On the morning of July 15, the opening activity for Pensacola Air Show Week in the US state of Florida, the Blue Angels demonstration team performed many performances in front of the audience on the beach.

However, one of the Blue Angels’ F/A-18E Super Hornet fighters flew unusually low, surprising even longtime spectators. “I’ve been coming here for 10 years and have never seen a plane fly like that. I really thought the plane was about to hit us, but it was still very impressive,” recalled Ashley Korn, a viewer watching the show.

Video recorded by people shows the Super Hornet tilting its wings and gliding over the crowd, at times only a few meters away from people below. The engine’s exhaust blew sand, sun umbrellas, chairs and tents across the beach, causing many people to rush to save their belongings.

Samantha Mayne said that many people initially thought the approaching plane was the “Fat Albert”, a C-130J Super Hercules transport supporting the Blue Angels, because of its seemingly large size. “The plane was very close. All the tents were blown down, but it was worth seeing. It was amazing,” she said.

Witness Lane Wilkerson shared that she will “remember this moment for the rest of her life”, while Lillie Korn said the performance was “exciting” and different from her original imagination.

A representative of the Blue Angels demonstration team confirmed that a fighter approached the crowd “at a lower altitude than standard procedures”, emphasizing that the safety of the local community, spectators and pilots is always the top priority.

The flight command board is reviewing all developments and thoroughly reviewing safety, to ensure all activities strictly comply with the safety standards of the US Navy and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Blue Angels was founded in 1946 and currently operates six F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft for demonstrations, along with a two-seat F/A-18F used as a backup aircraft and to serve experience flights for civilian passengers.

These aircraft are specially modified, completely different from the versions in service with combat units. They have all radars and fire control systems removed, an oil tank added to release white smoke when performing, and a fuel pump that allows them to maintain a belly-up flight state longer than the regular version. The pilot’s joystick is also equipped with a spring to increase weight, helping to control the aircraft more accurately.

In addition to performance fighters, Blue Angels also owns C-130 transport aircraft to transport equipment, spare parts and personnel.