U.S. Navy Blue Angels to Get 2 Seat Super Hornets and Sell Rides

Larger Aircraft Will Change Display Routine, Allow Rides to be Sold at Air Shows, Add Range for Ferry Flights.

After several seasons of speculation, official U.S. Navy documents have revealed the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, The Blue Angels, will receive the larger, upgraded Boeing F/A-18F two-seat Super Hornets to replace their aging F/A-18C/D Hornets, by the end of 2021.

The news is exciting for several reasons. For the first time ever anyone can buy a ticket to ride in a fighter jet.

By the time the first full show season in the new Super Hornets (existing ones retrofitted into a Blue Angel aerial demonstration team configuration) arrives for the Blues , the team will have been in the existing version of the Hornet for 35 years. That’s a long time for a demonstration aircraft. Most current generation Blue Angel fans have never seen the team fly any other aircraft, so the upgrade to the Super Hornet adds an element of freshness and excitement to the team’s sensational display.