‘The greatest window seat’: Blue Angels prep for Seafair with early landing in Seattle
Jan 13, 2025, 5:50 PM
One of the U.S. Navy’s famous Blue Angels landed Monday afternoon in Seattle, more than half a year ahead of the famous squadron’s annual air show at Seafair.
Descending through a low-hanging blanket of grey skies around 2 p.m., the Blue Angel No. 7 jet landed at Boeing Field with a small crowd of Seafair executives and news crews gathered to greet them. One photographer jokingly asked the two pilots if they’d done any barrel rolls on their flight from Oakland, Calif.
“You can get in trouble doing some of that stuff, so we don’t do that,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux through a smile. “But admittedly, it’s the greatest window seat that you’ll ever get. We were admiring the mountains all the way up, the beautiful snow-capped mountains all the way up the coast.”
One of the Blue Angels has landed at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The pilots are here to prep for Seafair this summer. pic.twitter.com/5UYyM6T3XD
— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) January 13, 2025
U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Lilly Montana sat in the cockpit seat behind Laux. She told KIRO Newsradio Washingtonians can expect a much more exciting entrance at Seafair than she and Laux had to resort to Monday.
“The type of flying is certainly going to be different,” Montana said, adding that the low cloud cover meant they couldn’t follow through on some preplanned theatrics Monday.
Just interviewed the pilots, Lt. Commander Lilly Montana and Maj. Scott Laux.
I’ll have more on @KIRONewsradio 97.3FM https://t.co/IlB9uSBXf5 pic.twitter.com/D9Qa63pTcw
— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) January 13, 2025
“Not as exciting of an arrival as you’ll see out of the six-plane delta here at the end of July,” she said. “They’ll come in for what’s known as the pitch-up break. That is an overhead maneuver with all six jets flying very close together, smoke on – very exciting to see.”
Montana and Laux will spend about a day in Seattle coordinating with airshow and Seafair planners for the demonstration.
The 2025 Boeing Air Show at Seafair is scheduled to take place between Aug. 1 and 3.
Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on X, or email him here.
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