FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and many other special aircrafts were seen flying high over east Broward County Friday morning, just one day before they make their return for the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Air Show.
The event is scheduled to kick off on Saturday at Fort Lauderdale Beach, where guests will be able to witness the U.S. Navy Blue Angels showcase some of their highly skilled aerial maneuvers.
“You will see us going fast, you’ll see us pulling a lot of g-forces as well as dynamically maneuvering the jet,” said Lt. Commander Julius Bratton, of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
Bratton is one of the pilots who’ll be in the cockpit this weekend and is excited to display what he and his team have trained for.
“We are able to perform a flight demonstration that lasts about 45 minutes that showcases the precision flying of United States Navy and Marine core aviators, as well as the max performance flying that the solos do,” he said.
Spectators will have the opportunity to watch several different aircrafts along Fort Lauderdale Beach.
The all-star lineup is headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, but according to event organizers, there’s a whole lot more to look forward to.
“We have (the) F-35, F-22 Raptor and Para-Commandos (that) protect our freedom every day,” said Chris Dirato, Director of Public Relations with the Fort Lauderdale Air Show. “You’ll see lots of aerobatics and, of course, the Blue Angels. They do all kinds of formation flying as well as high-speed passes. It’s amazing what these guys do.”
On Friday, Local 10 News spoke with Dirato at Fort Lauderdale Beach, who encouraged attendees to arrive early for the big event.
“I think it’s a family-friendly event which is great. You can come out here, set your chairs up and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Fort Lauderdale. It gives you an American flag-oriented feeling to see who’s protecting our freedom every day.
Petra Ringeisen was watching the practice on Friday and said she loves attending the event because of how family-oriented it is.
“We love it, we love watching the military planes and the Red Bull and it’s just a lot of fun. Nice to be able to spend some time with the family,” she said.
Local 10 News also spoke with Cindy and Dave Larson, parents of F-22 pilot Sam Larson, that will be participating in this weekend’s festivities.
“This is something he’s wanted to do his whole life so when your kid gets to do their dream, mom and dad are there!” Cindy Larson said.
The Larson’s traveled all the way from Iowa to watch their son fly the F-22 over Fort Lauderdale.
They say they started taking him to air shows when he was just two years old and seeing him now, feels like a full circle moment.
“Amazing, surreal, he was a little kid wanting to fly and now he’s doing this,” said Dave Larson. “Sometimes I want to say ‘Look, Sam, isn’t that cool?’ And then I realize, it’s him doing it!”
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Traversm, with the SOCOM Para-Commandos, told Local 10 News that he hopes the weather hopes up so that he and his aerial mates won’t have any restrictions.
“If (the) weather holds, we’ll be jumping out of Fat Albert, the Blue Angels C130. We’ll be jumping out at about 5,000 feet flying in the old red, white and blue while the anthem is going on and opening the show.”
Traversm says that interacting with people is the best part of the event.
“We get to spread the SOCOM word, make people that might not be aware of the special operations command. Obviously, they’re going to be aware of us now coming out of the sky at 130 mph.”
If you plan on coming out to see the show, the event is free of charge if you’re on the beach, just south of Sunrise Boulevard.
For more information on exclusive seating and a VIP experience, click here.
To hear more about the Fort Lauderdale Air Show, watch the video below.
For more information on the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, click the play button below.