VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Naval Air Station Oceana's Air Show is back this weekend!
Stop by on Saturday, September 17 & Sunday, September 18 for a showcase of aviation entertainment.
The U.S. Navy's Elite Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels, will be performing alongside many other military and civilian aviators.
The Blues have not been back in Virginia Beach since 2018 so their return is highly anticipated.
"It's a sight to behold. You can feel the roar of the jet engines throughout your body," said Captain Bob Holmes, the Commanding Officer of NAS Oceana.
On Wednesday, News 3 Anchor Erin Miller was given the opportunity to climb inside the cockpit of the Blue Angels jet. However, before she was able to fly, she needed to go through de-briefings and safety trainings with Seven Crew Chief Sean Donoghue.
"Do what you guys would like [during this flight]. If you want to rip it and get it and pull heavy g's, you rip it and get it and pull heavy g's. If you want to go sight-seeing and have a good time, just kind of relax and enjoy Virginia Beach, that's what you're going to do," said Donoghue.
As Erin listened, you could see a mixture of excitement and terror on her face. Erin learned a breathing technique, called "the hick maneuver," that restricts blood flow and helps fighter pilots stay awake during flight.
After the all-clear inside, the team headed outside where Erin was given her flight suit. One step closer to take-off.
Erin was introduced to her pilot, Lieutenant Commander Griffin Stangel. LCDR Stangel joined the Blue Angels in September of 2021 and has accumulated more than 1200 flight hours and over 190 carrier arrested landings.
The higher the jet flew, the stronger the experience became. LCDR rolled the plane and hit speeds upwards of 600 mph all while maintaining total control of the aircraft.
During the one-hour flight, Erin said it was hard not to feel the gravity of what LCDR Stangel and our military do every day.
"Being here in Virginia Beach where they have the master jet base of the East Coast. We want to represent everybody here, everybody across the Navy and Marine Corps, and we also don't want to forget about those people who are deployed right now on ships getting ready to land on an aircraft carrier at night."
It's also hard not to feel the actual gravity. Erin and photojournalist Lydia Johnson rolled back the tape when they landed and you can see Erin pass out, twice, after pulling 7.5 g's.
Crew members from the Blue Angels said it's not unusual to pass out on a flight like this, especially for untrained individuals.
It was a reinforcement that the skills our military pilots, and their crew, have is unmatched. Let this report serve as a thank you to our service members, seen and unseen, from everyone at News 3.
"Even though you see 6 jets flying during the demonstration as well as the C-130 Fat Albert, there's a monumental effort from our ground support team that make this a possibility," LCDR Stangel said.
Erin wasn't the only person who was able to experience flight with the Blues. Joshua Whitlinger, an 8th grade science teacher from Great Neck Middle school also had the opportunity to fly in the cockpit.
He is the 2023 Virginia Beach Citywide Teacher of the Year and the recipient of the Blue Angel's Key Influencer Ride. His story will air on Saturday morning on WTKR.
