Blue Angels are headed to Indiana for the Terre Haute Air Show Saturday. What to know
Today is the day. The Blue Angels are headlining the Terre Haute Air Show Saturday and Sunday.
Gates open for the two-day air show at 9 a.m. The full air show will start at noon and continue until 4 or 4:30 p.m.
This will be the Blue Angels' first appearance at the Terre Haute Air Show since 2018. Here's everything to know about the show.
When is the Terre Haute Air Show?
The 2024 Terre Haute Air Show is happening between noon and 4-4:30 p.m. on June 1-2. Gates open at 9 a.m.
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How much are Terre Haute Air Show tickets?
General admission tickets for the 2024 Terre Haute Air Show are $30 in advance and $40 at the gate, with free admission for kids 12 and under.
Pilots Lounge tickets are sold out for the Saturday show, but you can still purchase them for the Sunday performance.
Pilots Lounge tickets are $200 for adults, $175 for kids 12 and under and $157.50 for military. Tickets include general admission chair seating, a shade tent, complimentary water and soft drinks, a catered buffet, non-public and air-conditioned portable restrooms and a cash bar.
You can purchase tickets and find additional information on eventsprout.com.
How much is parking at the Terre Haute Air Show?
Parking is free at the air show.
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Who is performing at the Terre Haute Air Show?
Here are the performers for the 2024 Terre Haute Air Show:
Rob Reider – Announcer
Blue Angels
U.S. Air Force A-10 Demo
Tora Tora Tora and Tora Pyro
Gunfighter – P-51 Mustang
Jack Aces – P-51 Mustang
Matt Younkin – Younkin Airshows
Franklin's Flying Circus
Team Titan (formerly Aeroshell)
Mister Mulligan
Nathan Hammond – Ghostwriter Airshows
Patriot Parachute Team
Static displays at the Terre Haute Air Show
Here's a list of static displays you can catch during the air show:
B-29 "Doc"
F-16 Fighting Falcon
1942 Pipe HE-1 Air Ambulance
Tri-state Warbird Museum's P-51 "Cincinnati Miss"
Commemorative Air Force MO Wing's B-25 "Show Me"
Tri-state Warbird Museum's P-40 Warhawk
T-6 "Spanish Lady"
Sky Soldiers Huey and Cobra
Tri-state Warbird Museum's TBM
P-51 "Hi-G"
Commemorative Air Force's C-45 "B.O.B."
P-51 “Petie 2nd”
Commemorative Air Force's Corsair
Commemorative Air Force's SBD Dauntless
C-47/DC-3
Commemorative Air Force's MO Wing's Boeing PT-17 Stearman "Kaydet"
Commemorative Air Force's BT-13
Commemorative Air Force's MO Wing's Grumman TBM Avenger
Douglas A-1 Skyraider "Naked Fanny"
What to expect at a Blue Angels air show?
If you’re never been to a Blue Angels air show, you’re in for a treat. Plan for an all-day event, from waiting in line as you await the opening gates at 8:30 a.m. to when the show wraps up about eight hours later.
Once the gates open, depending on which show you’re attending, you’ll likely be able to meander through vendors, claim spots to watch the show, enjoy performances from civilian and other military teams and learn about some aeronautical history.
There’s typically something to keep your attention every 30 minutes to an hour, starting with a parachute demonstrations and ending with a demonstration from Fat Albert just before the Blue Angels take to the skies.
How long do the Blue Angels fly during an air show?
A Blue Angels air show is typically an all-day event spanning about eight hours. Civilian acts and other military performers take to the skies throughout the day leading up to the final event: the Blue Angels. Fat Albert will lead the Blues with a short 10-15-minute demonstration, and the Blues will perform for about an hour afterward.
What can you bring to the Terre Haute Air Show?
Here are some things you should bring with you to the Terre Haute Air Show:
Chairs, blankets or something comfortable to sit on
What can't you bring to the Terre Haute Air Show?
Leave these items at home:
Smoking or vaping
No outside alcohol
No weapons of any kind
No drones
No canopies or tents. Nothing larger than a personal size umbrella for rain.
No pets
No coolers
No two-way AviRadios
What planes do the Blue Angels fly?
In 2021, the Blue Angels started flying in a new airplane for the first time in more than 30 years — the Super Hornet F/A-18 E/F. The new jets are 25% larger, fly 40% further, remain on station 80% longer and can carry more weapons than their predecessors. The team previously flew F/A-18 Hornets, which they transitioned to from the A-4F Skyhawk II in 1986.
How fast do the Blue Angels fly?
The new Super Hornets can reach top speeds just under Mach 2 (about 1,400 miles per hour), almost twice the speed of sound. The jets can climb at a maximum rate of 30,000 feet per minute.
How much do Blue Angel pilots make?
Blue Angels pilot salaries are no different from what their pay would typically be, based on rank and time in service.
Where are the Blue Angels based?
The Blue Angels are based onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.
Meet the Blue Angels first woman pilot, Amanda Lee
Growing up in Minnesota, Lt. Amanda Lee worked for UPS while attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth. She enlisted in the Navy before graduating from Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, in 2017.
Her successes as an aviation electronics technician led to her selection into the Seaman-to-Admiral Commissioning Program. She was designated a naval aviator in April 2016.
After earning her naval aviator wings, Lee was deployed to the USS Harry S. Truman in support of Dynamic Force Employment Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, as well as numerous exercises with NATO allies.
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In 2019, Lee flew in the first ever all-female flyover that was part of the funeral service for retired Navy Capt. Rosemary Mariner, one of the first female Navy jet pilots and the first woman to command an operational naval aviation squadron.
Amanda joined the Blue Angels in September 2022. She has accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and over 225 carrier-arrested landings. Her decorations include four Navy Achievement medals and various personal and unit awards.
Blue Angel pilots in 2024
Here’s a look at the Blue Angel pilots for the 2024 air show season.
#1 Cmdr. Alexander Armatas — Cmdr. Alexander P. Armatas is a native of Skaneateles, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering.
#2 Lt. Cmdr. Jack Keilty — Lt. Cmdr. Jack Keilty, is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he attended Mount Saint Mary Catholic High School, graduating in 2005. He attended the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, where he lettered in football and earned a Bachelor's Degree in history in 2010. Upon graduation he was commissioned an ensign in the United States Navy and reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API)."
#3 Lt. Wesley Perkins — Lt. James Wesley Perkins is a native from Pordenone, Italy, grew up in Georgetown, Texas, and graduated from Hutto High School in 2009. He attended Texas A&M University graduating with a degree in ocean engineering in 2014. Perkins commissioned as an ensign through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
#4 Lt. Cmdr. Amanda Lee — Lt. Cmdr. Amanda Lee is a native of Mounds View, Minnesota. She graduated from Irondale High School in 2004, where she competed in soccer, ice hockey and swimming. While attending the University of Minnesota Duluth, Amanda enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronics technician (AT) and reported to her first command, VFA-136 "Knighthawks." She was selected to commission as a pilot through the Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) commissioning program in 2009. The following year, Lee attended the Naval Science Institute (NSI) for officer training in Newport, Rhode Island, and simultaneously began her studies at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where she received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry.
#5 Lt. Cmdr. Griffin Stangel — Lt. Cmdr. Griffin Stangel is a native of Madison, Wisconsin, and graduated from Madison West High School in 2008. He attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in air traffic control in 2012. Immediately after graduation, he reported to Newport, Rhode Island, where he received his commission as an ensign in the United States Navy after completion of Officer Candidate School.
#6 Cdr. Thomas Zimmerman — Cmdr. Thomas Zimmerman is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from St. Paul's School in 2004 lettering in football, wrestling and lacrosse. After graduation, he attended the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island, for one year prior to attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He lettered in lacrosse at both schools and graduated from the Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in ocean engineering, earning his commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy in 2009.
#7 Lt. Connor O'Donnell (Narrator) — Lt. Connor O’Donnell is a native of Freeport, Maine, and graduated from Yarmouth High School in 2011. Following high school, he attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in operations research."
#8 Lt. Cmdr. Brian Vaught — Lt. Cmdr. Brian Vaught is a native of Englewood, Colorado. He graduated from Cherry Creek High School in 2004, where he lettered in lacrosse. After high school he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Upon graduation, Brian worked in professional sports marketing and promotions, eventually attending Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, where he earned his commission as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in 2011."
Blue Angels schedule 2024
March 9: Naval Air Facility El Centro, California
March 16-17: Travis Air Force Base, California
March 23-24: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana
April 6-7: Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
April 13-14: Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Forth Worth, Texas
April 20-21: Cocoa Beach, Florida
April 27-28: Vidalia, Georgia
May 4-5: Vero Beach, Florida
May 11-12: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
May 22/24: U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
May 25-26: Jones Beach, New York
June 1-2: Terre Haute, Indiana
June 8-9: Chesterfield, Missouri
June 15-16: La Crosse, Wisconsin
June 22-23: Dayton, Ohio
June 29-30: Traverse City, Michigan
July 6-7: Johnson City, New York
July 13: Pensacola Beach, Florida
July 27-28: Fargo, North Dakota
Aug. 3-4: Seattle, Washington
Aug. 10-11: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Aug. 17-18: Chicago, Illinois
Aug. 24-25: Wichita, Kansas City
Aug. 31: Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 1-2: Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 14-15: Owensboro, Kentucky
Sept. 21-22: Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia
Sept. 28-29: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
Oct. 12-13: San Francisco, California
Oct. 19-20: Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
Oct. 26-27: Houston, Texas
Nov. 2-3: Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels head to Terre Haute Air Show Saturday. What to know
