Just overhead, a blue-and-gold F/A-18 Hornet zoomed past the crowd at the U.S. Naval Academy with a deafening boom.
“I love the noise,” said Benjamin Litkowski, 5, of Annapolis.
Hundreds gathered Tuesday at Ingram Field in Anne Arundel County to watch the Blue Angels practice the flight maneuvers they will perform today aspart of the weeklong academy graduation festivities.
The performance is split between groups of two and four jets. In the duo performance, each jet flies at each other, either flipping or rolling out of the way just in time. One stunt features a jet flying upside down with another jet, which is flying right-side-up.
“I really like how close they can [go] without hitting each other,” said George Messenger, 8, of Crownsville. “I wonder how they do that.”
The group of four jets passes over the Severn River with their wings overlapping, just inches apart from one another. With perfect synchronization, the group does rolls and high-altitude flips.
In one of the more acrobatic stunts, four jets fly in formation and then arc apart, with their contrails creating a fountain effect in the sky.
Prior to the jet performance, “Fat Albert” performed stunts for the crowd. The aptly named C-130T Hercules cargo plane showed off its ability to climb at a near 90-degree angle.
It is the group?s fourth performance since Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis? jet crashed during an April 21 demonstration in Beaufort, S.C.
“Right now, our focus is on getting back on track,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Lambert, the Blue Angels? flight surgeon and a 1996 Naval Academy graduate.
Tuesday?s event was a practice run, and the pilots flew at a slower speed, but faithful Blue Angels? fans came out to support the group.
“It?s amazing how they can carry on after an event like that?” said Jim Burr, 47, of Bel Air. “It just shows what the people in our military are made of.”
