A maneuver that could cost any United States military pilot their wings

A very low pass by the Blue Angels in Pensacola and the unusual reaction of the government

Esp 7·17·2026 · 21:31 0

The Blue Angels, the US Navy's demonstration team, are one of the best aerobatic patrols in the world.

'Blue Angels', a film about the brilliant United States Navy aerobatic squadron
A spectacular aerial exhibition by the Blue Angels in San Francisco Bay

Founded in 1946, the Blue Angels inspire awe wherever they perform, with maneuvers in which their pilots are able to fly aircraft (currently F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters) at a minimal distance from each other, displaying amazing skill.

The Blue Angels flying in a demonstration in Chesterfield, Missouri, on June 6, 2026 (Photo: U.S. Air Force).

However, this week that team has become the subject of controversy following a flyby at very low altitude over a group of people on Pensacola beach in Florida on Wednesday, July 15. As we can see in this video, the jet exhaust sent objects flying on the beach:

Here we can see another video of this incident, in this case recorded from an elevated area, offering a better perspective of what happened:

The plane that made that low pass was number 3. Because of this, some people circulated a rumor claiming that the plane was piloted by Captain Amanda Lee and that she was going to be kicked off the demonstration team as a result. This led many to post messages rejecting this supposed measure and supporting the Blue Angels. Amanda Lee was the first woman selected to pilot a Blue Angels aircraft, joining the team in 2022 and making her debut in March 2023 flying aircraft number 3. Lee became very popular thanks to the 2024 film "Blue Angels," which depicted her joining the team. However, in 2024 Lee rejoined the fleet, flying with VFA-87 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

On July 16, a Blue Angels spokesperson stated: "During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas." The statement added: "The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority. Team leadership is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review to ensure all operations adhere to strict Navy and FAA safety standards."

The surprise came this Thursday at 3:30 PM CET. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted a message on X (above) showing one of the videos of the Super Hornet flyover and stating: "The flyovers will continue until morale improves." This message began to generate all kinds of reactions, some criticizing the statement and others supporting it.

Contradicting the Secretary of War and following the publication of his message, yesterday the leader of the Blue Angels, Captain Adam "Gilligan" Bryan (above), acknowledged that the low-flying incident resulted in an "unsafe situation" and announced that they will have "a heary review of what happened yesterday to ensure that one we don't put ourselves in unsafe situations again":

Finally, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao posted at 9:32 p.m. (above): "Flight debrief complete. No reprimands. No firings. No problems. That's the sound of Freedom! Semper fi and Hooyah." This message is truly surprising, but in addition, @DOWResponse, an official X account of the Department of Warfare, posted this response to Hung Cao's message (below), with the image of the Super Hornet that made the very low pass over Pensacola and the "Carry on Patriots!" motto.

A pass like the one in Pensacola would have cost any US military pilot their wings during three decades. The reason for these strict measures has to do with a serious air accident that occurred on June 24, 1994, at Fairchild AFB, Washington, when a pilot with a history of risky maneuvers, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur "Bud" Holland, made a sudden maneuver with a B-52, causing the bomber to crash and killing all four crew members:

The investigation revealed that Holland had been violating multiple flight safety regulations for years, irresponsible behavior that went unpunished due to his high rank and the fact that the United States Air Force (USAF) turned a blind eye. Following this accident, compliance with flight safety regulations was made stricter in the U.S. Armed Forces to prevent further tragedies.

That wasn't the last time recklessness ended in disaster. On July 27, 2002, an air show featuring a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet in Lviv, Ukraine, ended in tragedy (you can see the video of what happened above). Another case of negligence and violation of flight rules resulted in a terrible event: during a low-altitude pass, the aircraft crashed into an area full of people. The pilots managed to eject and survived. Sadly, 77 people died and 543 were injured, in the worst disaster to occur during an air show in the history of aviation.

Flight safety regulations have been written in blood for many years. They are the result of investigating and drawing appropriate conclusions from aviation accidents. It is alarming to see that the violation of these regulations is now being politicized, as if flight safety were a matter of ideology. Obviously, a very low flyby is spectacular as long as it doesn't end in an accident. The people on that Pensacola beach will always remember that day and the excitement they experienced at that moment. However, let's imagine what could have happened if, for any reason, that Super Hornet had experienced even the slightest deviation from its trajectory as it flew over a beach with thousands of people. Applauding this from a government perspective is like applauding irresponsible people who perform reckless maneuvers with their cars on a highway to show off to their friends.

UPDATED 7/18/2026 5:00 PM: According to @MuniBondz, only 5 of the 6 Blue Angels planes flew yesterday in Pensacola. Plane number 3, which was involved in Wednesday's incident, did not participate. It seems the team leader's decision prevailed. Here is the video of the five planes flying yesterday in Pensacola.

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Photo: U.S. Navy. A Blue Angels F/A-18E Super Hornet on display at NAS Patuxent River on June 19, 2026.

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