Something was missing when Blue Angels recently roared in
FORT LAUDERDALE — Blue Angels fighter jets may be known for their signature six-jet Delta formation, but it never happened at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show over the weekend.
That’s because only four Blue Angels wowed the crowd on Sunday and five on Saturday.
At least one jet was grounded Saturday with maintenance problems, and another was grounded Sunday when a pilot became ill and was unable to fly jet No. 6, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy said Monday.
The Navy’s Blue Angels, based in Pensacola, got new airplanes for the 2021 air
show season: F/A-18 Super Hornets. They’re bigger, faster and louder than the F/A-18 Hornets they’re replacing.
Suresh Atapattu, an aviation photographer and air show regular from Plantation, said he noticed right away that two planes were out.
“I’m not sure it’s a big deal, but people do notice,” Atapattu said. “Because they’re expecting six jets and two were missing. The dynamics of the air show change. When you’re down two jets, there’s more dead space. The display is not as dynamic.”
Lt. Chelsea Dietlin, who handles public affairs for the Blue Angels, said five jets performed on Saturday, but astute observers noticed jet No. 4 depart about 10 minutes into the show.
Atapattu says he was there and saw it with his own eyes.
“On Saturday, the show started with five jets,” he said. “After a few maneuvers, the No. 4 jet broke away. It tried to rejoin the formation, but then it broke away and went back to the airport.”
Dietlin did not give details about the jet’s maintenance problem or the pilot’s illness.
“One of the jets experienced maintenance issues which was cause for a 4-jet demonstration Sunday,” Dietlin said via email. “Our skilled maintenance team is working to get that jet back into the demonstration. The number one priority of the Blue Angels is to ensure a safe and entertaining demo for all. We do not fly any jet that isn’t ready to fly perfectly.”
Atapattu says he’s been going to Fort Lauderdale air shows since the 1990s and can’t remember the Blue Angels ever being down two planes.
“If one goes down, they have a backup plane that transitions in,” he said. “I have never seen them down by two jets.”
The Blue Angels are scheduled to perform 53 flight demonstrations this year at 28 locations across the United States and Canada, the Navy says. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the precision and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach.
City Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes the beach, says he’s not heard one complaint about the Fort Lauderdale show.
“No one noticed a difference,” he said. “It was a non-issue. Four is better than none. And one is better than none.”
But aviation enthusiasts quickly took to social media with their own theories about the “broken” jets being grounded by fuel leaks or maybe routine or not-so-routine maintenance issues.
“Uhoh, the four diamond jets are up and the lead solo 5 jet is up but I don’t see the opposing solo 6 jet,” one air show fan posted on Twitter.
“I wonder if they broke it.”
City Manager Chris Lagerbloom said the show’s promoter told him three jets — including a backup jet — had mechanical problems.
“It is my understanding they travel with seven jets,” he said. “Three of them had some sort of mechanical problem and were not able to fly. That left four for the show.”
Atapattu said the Blue Angels arrived on Thursday and usually head back to Pensacola on Sunday afternoon after the air show ends. But he said saw three still at the airport on Monday.
“They have to be fixed and flown back,” he said.
Mayor Dean Trantalis noticed only four Blue Angels flying overhead on Sunday instead of the traditional six. He heard the jets were grounded because moisture somehow got into the engine.
“They were missing two jets,” he said. “I don’t think they were able to perform the acrobatic feats we were normally used to seeing. But safety is the biggest concern, and we have to focus on that. Entertainment is second.
“As long as we didn’t compromise safety, we should be happy with that.”