PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. — The sight and sound of the Blue Angels over Pensacola Beach returns this week as Red, White and Blues Week brings the Navy flight demonstration squadron and the Pensacola Beach Air Show back to the Gulf Coast.
It is a July tradition for thousands of families — packing up the car, spreading out on the sand or anchoring a boat to watch the jets from the water. Among the visitors this week are Lynnette and Dewayne Davis of Center, Alabama, who brought their grandchildren, ages 5 and 3, to see the Blues for the first time. “They think it’s a real life Top Gun,” Dewayne laughed, crediting the movie’s trailers for the buildup.
Beach Businesses Cash In
The air show’s economic pull is visible at the beach’s newest restaurants. Martin Duffany, brand manager for Whiskey Joe’s, said social media photos of the Blue Angels were one of the things that convinced the brand to expand into Pensacola Beach. The waterfront spot opened in February with seating for up to 1,100.
For show week it is all hands on deck: Duffany said nobody has called out and the restaurant is fully staffed for what he called a money-maker weekend.
The sand was already filling in Wednesday, and by show day officials expect barely a patch of white sand to be visible along the best viewing stretch. Crowds come from across the region and beyond — including Charles Wilson of Atlanta and vacationer Candy Gantt of North Carolina, who described the chill of a jet “sneak attacking” over the crowd from behind.
This year’s demonstration features new tricks and stunts alongside the squadron’s familiar maneuvers. Live coverage of the show runs Friday morning, with the full dress rehearsal streamed Friday at 2 p.m. and complete Saturday coverage to follow.