Navy expects Blue Angels to be back in the skies for Seafair
Oct 22, 2013, 7:55 AM | Updated: 9:12 am
A spokesman for the Navy said that despite the canceled shows in 2013, team members were allowed to fly minimal hours to maintain flight proficiency in the F/A 18 fighter jets. (AP Photo/File)
(AP Photo/File)
The Blue Angels are expected to roar over the skies of Seattle’s Seafair summer celebration in 2014.
The U.S. Navy says the Blue Angels should be able to do all 65 of their scheduled 2014 shows despite spending cuts.
The Blue Angels shows were canceled this past summer due to sequestration funding cuts.
The Patriots Jet Team, a flight team based out of California, stepped in to fill the lead slot in the Seafair air show in 2013.
The Seattle Times reports that even in view of the Navy’s announcement, Seafair organizers are tempering their optimism because of the potential for continuing budget disputes.
The Blue Angels have performed at air shows around the world for more than 60 years. The fighter pilots selected to serve a two-year tour with the team are among the world’s best and are often graduates of the Navy’s famed Top Gun air tactics school.
A spokesman for the Navy said that despite the canceled shows in 2013, team members were allowed to fly minimal hours to maintain flight proficiency in the F/A 18 fighter jets. The six-jet squadron, however, discontinued group practices for the remainder of the season.
The Associated Press and KIRO Radio’s Val Stouffer contributed to this report.
