Blue Angels soar at Pensacola Beach Air Show on Saturday: Full schedule, viewing guide
The Blue Angels and more than a dozen other military and civilian aerobatic performers will wow hometown crowds on Saturday with nearly five hours of high-speed displays and maneuvers.
Saturday's weather forecast favors clear and sunny skies slightly more than Friday's, but folks shouldn't be surprised if a storm or two rolls over the area and impacts the schedule.
The Pensacola Beach Air Show on Saturday starts at 10:30 a.m. Here's everything you need to know to prepare.
The 2025 Pensacola Beach Air Show starts with a mix of military and civilian aerobatic demonstrations at 10:30 a.m.
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.
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.
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.
If you have any hopes of getting into the Casino Beach parking lot, you'll want to get out there before 3 a.m. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office reported last year that the lot had filled up between 3 and 3:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Anyone who values their sleep and doesn't mind taking an open-air trolley ride down Via De Luna Drive can arrive at their leisure. The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) is adding four buses and extending public transportation service to Park East, located about a mile east of Portofino Resort.
On Saturday, July 12, SRIA will have four buses, plus the three trolleys, running between 6:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. The trolleys will resume their original route until midnight.
The trolleys will carry passengers from Park East and Park West to show center at Casino Beach, stopping only at designated stops. Trolley stops will be marked with a bright Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT)-branded feather flag.
One the show wraps up, the trolleys and buses servicing Park East will be staged at Via de Luna in front of Sideline's Sports Bar and the Hampton Inn. The staging area for Park West will be at Fort Pickens Road, in front of the Surf & Sand Hotel and The Sandshaker.
Pensacola Beach Air Show is centered around Casino Beach, so that is where you'll have the best view. That said, you don't have to be in the thick of it to watch the show. When you're flying as fast as the Blues, it takes a lot of space to set up maneuvers, so you'll have a view even if you're a little out of the way.
Of course! In fact, watching by boat is one of the best ways to watch the Pensacola Beach Air Show.
Prior to the air show, the U.S. Coast Guard will mark off areas of the water directly beneath the show, but you'll find plenty of spots to anchor and get a great view of the show.
Two of the most popular spots are near Quietwater Beach (on the east side of the Bob Sikes Bridge) and Little Sabine. Your view will be slightly obscured by some of the condos and hotels, but you'll have your own space onboard your boat and you won't have to deal with the regular traffic.
New this year: Escambia County Emergency Management will implement a new vessel exclusion zone to create a 250-yard lane for first responder vessels to respond to incidents and injuries.
The vessel exclusion zone will begin from the shoreline between Flounders and the Santa Rosa Island Authority Administrative Building and extend approximately 250 yards into the sound. Emergency Management has deployed 24 buoys and signage to alert boaters to the vessel exclusion zone.
While the vessel exclusion zone is in effect, boaters are prohibited from anchoring their boats within the red buoys. However, boaters may cross through the vessel exclusion zone while traveling to their destination.
Hellcat Productions LLC, will be live streaming the Pensacola Beach Air Show on YouTube on Saturday, July 12, if you can't make it out to the show. You can catch the stream here.
Yes! But also no. When nothing is going on, you'll be able to swim as much as you like, as long as you observe the beach flags posted along Pensacola Beach. However, during some performances, like the Blue Angels' demonstration, the public will be told to vacate the waters.
Every day at the Pensacola Beach Air Show is a full-day event, so you'll want to pack accordingly. Here are some things you shouldn't leave without:
Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen
Beach towels, chairs or anything else to sit on
Water to keep you hydrated (just remember that glass containers are prohibited on the beach)
Food or snacks (it'll be a long day)
Umbrella, tent or anything else that will provide shade
A small bag or container to keep important belongings safe and sand-free
Ear plugs
A cooler
There aren't many show-specific rules to follow at the Pensacola Beach Air Show, but there are plenty of general safety tips to follow:
Be aware of beach flags, which are generally modeled after traffic lights. Green is good, yellow flags mean surf conditions are moderate and red flags indicate dangerous conditions. Thursday's current rip current risk is low, according to the National Weather Service.
Reapply sunscreen often. The general rule of thumb is to reapply it every two hours of sun exposure.
Thursday's highs will reach around 91 degrees, so drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. In general, you should aim to have around 2-4 cups of water per hour, per person.
Pick a spot along the beach with lifeguards if you plan on swimming.
The Santa Rosa Island Authority says you cannot bring the following to Pensacola Beach:
Glass containers
Alcohol (if west of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier)
Open containers off the boardwalk or establishment
Grills
Dogs or animals outside of designated dog parks (excludes service animals)
Drones
Here is a look at the 2025 Blue Angel pilots and their roles:
#1 | Cmdr. Adam Bryan | USN — Flight leader and commanding officer
#2 | Cmdr. Jack Keilty | USN — Right wing
#3 | Maj. Brandon Wilkins | USMC — Left wing
#4 | Lt. Cmdr. Wes Perkins | USN — Slot
#5 | Cmdr. Thomas Zimmerman | USN — Lead solo
#6 | Lt. Connor O'Donnell | USN — Opposing solo
There are three officers who serve as pilots for the Blue Angels' beloved support aircraft known as 'Fat Albert.'
Capt. Sam Petko | USMC — Lead C-130J 'Fat Albert' pilot
Capt. Isaac Becker | USMC — C-130J 'Fat Albert' pilot
Maj. Josh Horman | USMC — C-130J 'Fat Albert' pilot
Fat Albert is a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules that follows the Blue Angels across the country as they perform air shows during a season. The modified C-130 carries the team's maintenance and support equipment and has its own moment in the sun during air shows as it performs its aerobatic maneuvers for about 15 minutes ahead of the Blue Angels.
Here is the latest forecast information from the National Weather Service:
High: 90℉
Low: 79℉
Weather: Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny, with a 50% chance of precipitation. Expect a slight south breeze.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show Saturday: Everything to know
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