Blue Angels conducting review after jet flies over Florida beachgoers

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

July 15, 2026, 8:00 PM


Officials with the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron said they're conducting a review after social media footage showed a jet flying low over a crowd of beachgoers in Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning.

"During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas," the statement said, calling it a "low-altitude pass."

North Florida ABC affiliate WEAR reported the flyover happened during a "Breakfast with the Blues" event.


A still image from a video showing a flyover by a jet with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels on July 15, 2026. Hayes Air Experts / Facebook
Hayes Air Experts / Facebook

"I've been coming for 10 years and I've never seen a pass like that in my life," Ashley Korn told WEAR. "I literally thought we were going to be taken out by Blue Angels, but it was amazing."

Read more: https://abcnews.com/US/blue-angels-conducting-review-after-jet-flies-florida/story?id=134800561

---

And like the other illegal air incidents, it will be excused and praised.

[Delarage]

1. High-T pilot

Either that or kid Rock was on the beach

[70sEraVet]

13. That was MY first thought!

Pilot demonstrating that he doesn't need to have his levels tested (or female pilot showing Hegseth that you can do stupid 'manly' shit without testosterone overload!).

[Prairie Gates]

2. I mean, come on

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. I see what you did there.

[True Dough]

11. "Negative, Ghost Rider,

the pattern is full!"

[Vinca]

3. C'mon people. He's just demonstrating his testosterone level.

[Stacey Grove]

5. I saw a guy in the middle of Clark Street

who had no shoes on. He was crossing to get to a garbage can to look for something to eat.

But there's money for this crap.

[Deminpenn]

26. The Blues and demonstration teams of

the other services are recruiting tools.

[QueerDuck]

6. Horrifying.

[twodogsbarking]

7. It is a display or a machine that is designed to kill people. That is beyond sick but done daily.

Disagree if you like but don't try to change my opinion.

[Happy Hoosier]

9. Hegseth has destroyed good order and discipline.

These yahoos now believe they can act with impunity if they are just "manly" enough.

[Crowman2009]

12. Then the fatal accidents happen!

So get ready for easily preventable deaths due to stupid shit.

[JohnnyRingo]

19. That is indeed where this buck stops.

I too believe he's influencing such behavior.

[littlemissmartypants]

30. I would not be surprised if he's overtly encouraging it.

[pfitz59]

10. During my ground school training I heard the story of

"In the Dirt Burt", a Marine Corps A-6 pilot. He loved flying low and fast. The A-6 was an extremely loud and powerful attack jet. The story goes Burt was on his way out of the Marines and did one last flight. On it he saw a lake where a small boat sailing regatta was happening. Burt dropped down to about 20 feet as he flew over the lake, his exhaust scattering sailboats willy nilly. He laughed while watching in the mirrors.

[ms liberty]

14. They were looking at girls - but that is way too low

Pilots out of MacDill did that kind of thing regularly back when I was a kid, but never that low on a civilian, public beach. That's a big no-no, and that pilot should have been reamed by his CO later.

[ZERTErYNOthe]

15. Video posted on Reddit

In case you want to see a video of this taken by someone on the beach:

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1uxv04s/a_fighter_jet_flew_over_the_beach/

[BumRushDaShow]

18. There are a pile out there,,, here is one on youtube

?feature=share

[twodogsbarking]

16. So much for an impartial review.

[Cheezoholic]

17. Went to an airshow in Charleston SC 20 years ago. The thunderbirds do a maneuver that right when you think its done

A Tbird solo comes blistering directly overhead, full afterburner, from behind the crowd. If you've seen the Tbirds you're probably familiar with it. Ive seen them at least 20 times and this maneuver still scares the shit out of me lol. But this particular pass, the jet had to fly the length of the parking area before it got over the crowd. They had to stop the airshow for 20 min because it set off at least 1k car alarms all at once. It was crazy.

Yeah that pass is a bit much for an airshow. I'm pretty sure the pilot missed his incoming mark by a couple hundred feet, maybe a sudden sea breeze gust caught him/her (it's been pretty hot down there) but thats speculation on my part. They cue off of sight lines on the ground and very very seldom they miss the line. It does happen. These guys aren't Movie Maverick types. They are consummate pros and I doubt very much it was intentional. I'm sure proper measures will be taken. Anytime a safety infraction happens the Angels very are serious about finding out why. If by chance it was the pilot (which I doubt) intentionally doing it he/she will be gone.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. Yes. They are well disciplined professionals.

A mistake like this could get one of his squadron mates killed in a performance. He's gone from the group, and even Hegseth won't be able to save him.

I too have seen that Thunderbirds routine a number of time and I thought the Blue Angels do it too. Even watching for it hardly prepares me for the sudden shriek as it blasts by. I think it's because he's pushing it fast enough the sound trails behind. You never hear it coming

[Deminpenn]

27. The Blues do do that same maneuver

coming from behind the crowd and thundering overhead.

[Cheezoholic]

29. Good to hear. Yes the Angels do a similar manuever but with the Tbirds its that F16. It's single engine is much louder

than the Angels F18's. I'm an aviation nut (Air Force Brat) so I enjoy it though. I really enjoy taking Tbird virgins to a show and watching them freak out when they pull that one off lol. Like I said, I even know its coming and it still blows my mind!

On the other side of it though, those machines were built destroy and to kill. I can't imagine the horror of someone on the ground (the F16 is a ground support fighter) as one of things barrels down on them to fire air to ground missiles or cannon fire. Silence then explosions then the roar of hat thing. Terrifying when you think about it. That absolutely horrible thought always crosses my mind when I see the show.

[JohnnyRingo]

33. As an airshow fan, I wonder if you've seen the "Flying Farmer" routine?

Being a certain age helps as it's been watered down over the years.
The first time I saw it was when aerobatic master Art Scholl was still alive. He dressed in overalls as an old hick who won a free ride in a Piper Cub. He sat in the cockpit while the pilot walked about inspecting the plane. With the pilot at the rear Art pushed the throttle forward and barely took off at near stall speed while the pilot gave chase. Then Scholl proceed to push the envelope doing maneuvers that appeared on the edge of controllability, even stalling and recovering just feet above the runway. It was breathtaking, but not the punch line.

Finally Art gained a few hundred feet of altitude and pushed a dummy out of the cockpit. It landed with a thud and the announcer let the people of the hook. Scholl safely landed the plane and took a well deserved bow. I think they quit doing that part to keep people from being triggered.

[Deminpenn]

37. The scariest thing I ever saw at an airshow were the AH-64 gumships popping up over

the surrounding tree tops ready for action.

[Deminpenn]

38. The F16 is a nice little airplane, but it can't hold a candle to an A-10 Warthog bearing

down on ground troops and tanks with that gatling gun, that shoots depleted uranium ammo, blazing away.

[JohnnyRingo]

20. He's gone. He'll still be in the Navy, but I'm sure he's done with the BA.

I say that because the squadron is all about discipline and there's a long list of hot shots who want the honor of flying his jet. He's very expendable.

"500 hundred feet from any person, place, or thing". That's the law. Even airshow pilots can't fly over the crowd.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Discipline after the most recent aircraft "incidents" has been overruled by Kegsbreath every time.

[JohnnyRingo]

23. I don't believe the squadron will want him either.

Being disciplined in the Blue Angels is about life & death for his squadron mates.
If this was a mistake, he failed the first qualification to fly in the unit. If he did it intentionally he showed bad judgment. That would probably be the second qualification.

I'm sure a Commander will sit Pete down and explain it very slowly to him, perhaps using axe throwing as an example of how quickly such stunts can go bad.

[BumRushDaShow]

39. Not gone - PRAISED

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143696953

“That’s the sound of Freedom!”

Link to tweet

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao
@SECNAV
·
Follow
Flight debrief complete.

No reprimands. No firings. No problem.

That’s the sound of Freedom!

Semper fi and Hooyah.
3:32 PM · Jul 16, 2026

The military is destroyed from within.

[LeftInTX]

24. The MAGATs in the crowd probably loved it.

"Hey next time bring me my water skis!!"

[Deminpenn]

25. The Blues do a knife edge pass that

can't be more than 30 feet above the runway at during their airshow.

It is an awesome maneuver if you've never seen it.

[underpants]

28. He knows Kegsbreath will bail him out

Like the helicopter pilots at Kid Rock’s house
And the helicopters really low going by I think Myrtle Beach

[Cheezoholic]

32. We'll see. Depends on what actually happened. If the pilot was actually trying to show off they're gone

The other pilots won't fly with them if it comes to light they were just being an idiot. No way will they pull into formation 16 inches from a hot head at 300mph.

[underpants]

35. Good point.

[Martin68]

31. Way too much testosterone.

[purr-rat beauty]

34. A bird strike would be a blast

Not like flocks of seagulls and other seafaring birds hang out on the beach or anything

Also hearing damage?

Shrapnel strewn about from jet wash?

I didn't realize how low and close, that should be a clipping of this pilots wings but he'll get a high five and invite to a circle jerk.

[Snackshack]

36. This was reckless and...

reflects badly on the Blue Angels.

Regardless of what the secretary of keggers says, the Blue Angels are supposed to hold themselves to a higher standard. It's what imbues them with the respect and reverence of that 'elite pilot' status as opposed to the 2bit carney barnstormers / wing walkers of yesteryear.