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Hundreds of thousands of fans descended on Pensacola Air Force Base today to witness the grand finale of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels' performance season. The 2026 Homecoming Air Show marked the end of the squadron's demonstration season. They finished the year with 32 performances across the country. On Saturday, the Navy's official demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, concluded its 80th season with the Homecoming air show in Pensacola. They are incredible. I mean, look, they are part of America. They, you know, personify patriotism. The team showcased their iconic aerobatics at speeds in excess of 400 mph, including the Diamond Turn, the Delta, and the Barrel Roll.
I think it's going to be really cool to see those maneuvers and, uh, see the speed, feel, you know, feel that power. Speed, precision and excitement were left in the air, ending the 2026 season. Early estimates suggest that more than 300,000 people watched the two-day show from the Pensacola Air Force Base airfield. Part of that crowd was Pensacola resident Shatia Snowden. I always pray that they have a safe, great show, because all of us here in Pensacola love the Blues so much.
I have met so many other people who feel the same joy as I do when I come to see them. This is her fourth Blue Angels show, but her first time attending the Homecoming show. It had been her dream to get to the airfield since she learned of her diagnosis of stage four cancer in 2024. I truly pray for the people who enjoyed them, and that they gave them something worth living for, at least through the joy they can tell their children or friends about, and that they inspired them to come; and not just family members but other friends too, because there are so many people who can take
oh my God, just so much inspiration from this. That's why this father-son duo from Birmingham came to the "Homecoming" show on Saturday. The last time I saw the Blue Angels was when I was about 10 years old, I think. And this, this is my son Levi. He's 12. It's his first time, so yeah, we're looking forward to it. I brought my grandchildren here to see it because I wanted to give them something, you know, to look forward to in the future.
You know, this is something they can also attribute their great careers to. This year's homecoming show was highly anticipated. In 2025, the government shutdown resulted in the cancellation of open training in late October and last year's show. This Brooklyn couple had been planning to come last year after watching a documentary about "The Blues." We missed the Blue Angels when they flew into New York for the 250th anniversary, so we found them and came here. Since the show in 2025 was canceled, they definitely decided to attend it this year. Oh, I mean, this is incredible. It's so realistic. It's very patriotic and, you know, just really cool to be here. It's really nice to be around people who appreciate this
outside of New York. The Blues have been flying without their number six solo pilot for the past few weeks. The Pensacola News Journal reports that the head of Naval Aviation Command confirmed to them that pilot Major Scott Locks did not meet the standards expected of the team, but did not provide any details. It was removed from the team's website.
