VERO BEACH — Pulling 7.5 Gs, going 400 knots, the #7 Blue Angel of the Blue Angels U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron flew into Vero Beach to check the site for the 2014 Vero Beach Air Show at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport.
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“It’s gonna bring a lot of people that don’t come to Vero,” said Ellen Bedford-Ross, Board Director and Chair for Sponsorships. “It’s an extra special over the top airshow performance.”
Next year will be the first full season back after the federal sequester canceled the rest of the 2013 season. The squadron continued to train and maintain flying proficiency at its home station in Pensacola, Fla., according to a press release.
Lt. Ryan Chamberlain and LCDR Michael Cheng flew in during a drizzling rain to the Piper Aircraft property where he was greeted by around 50 people from the community. Those included where politicians and board members of the airshow.
“It’s a very, very, busy schedule,” said Chamberlain.
Vero Beach is the seventh of 34 cities the team will be flying to through January.
“I think it’s phenomenal, especially for the town,” said Jerry Carlon, sales director for Boeing. “There’s a lot of people that follow the Blues.”
Because of the Blue Angels large footprint during the show, the team visits each site to touch base to prepare.
This is the first time the team has visited Vero Beach.
“You already got the show,” said Chamberlain, referring to his flight into the airport Monday.
Next year’s show will consist of a C-130 “Fat Albert” and seven F/A-18 Hornets.
“When you go to small town USA and you bring the Navy and the Marine Corps into their backyard, you can’t beat it,” said Chamberlain.
