Blue Angels already soaring in Lincoln ahead of air show

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — You might be hearing something loud in the air for the next several days in Lincoln.  

The Blue Angels are in town preparing for their performance at the Guardians of Freedom Airshow this weekend.

Officials are expecting hundreds of thousands of people to attend the event at Lincoln Airpark. 

It all gets underway on Saturday and runs through Sunday.

But Thursday, Channel 8 got a sneak peek at the jets and talked to the crew.

The @USNavy @USMarineCorps @BlueAngels are at @LNKairport and @NENationalGuard @155thARW airbase ahead of the Guardians of Freedom Airshow this weekend. Members of the media got to see them land at the airport and talk with the pilots. Check out this video of them this morning! pic.twitter.com/WdJP4i4lAr

— Channel 8 KLKN-TV (@Channel8ABC) August 24, 2023

The Blue Angels are the Navy and Marine Corps’ high-flying acrobats, who wow millions of people across the country each year.

The team consists of one RC-130J Super Hercules nicknamed Fat Albert and six F/A-18 Super Hornets.

At the show, Fat Albert will perform a flight demonstration for about 10 minutes, and the Super Hornets have their own 45-minute demonstration.

One of the goals of the Blue Angels is to inspire the next generation through a culture of excellence and service to country.

All of the pilots are Navy fleet pilots.

“This flight demonstration is just refinements of maneuvers that you’ll see all over the fleet, so we perform the exact same type of maneuvers that your fleet aviators perform,” said Cmdr. Alex Armatas, the flight leader. “The only difference is we do them a little closer to the ground, a little bit closer together, but everything this airplane can do can be done in the fleet.”

The Guardians of Freedom Airshow is expected to welcome at least 100,000 people each day.

To see a list of all the performers go to the airshow’s website.

Meanwhile, local law enforcement is asking everyone to be extra cautious on the roads, especially on Interstate 80 coming in and out of the Capital City. 

Lincoln Police, which is one of the agencies helping out with the airshow, shared some tips for anyone traveling to the event.

The free event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.

Diaper bags, strollers and wagons are all allowed, though they may be examined when you arrive. Also, water stations will be placed throughout the grounds.