If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Rebekah and I have seen the Blue Angels flight demonstration team before. Back around 1990 we attended a show at Pensacola Beach. Our kids were in elementary school and one of the pilots had a child in Naomi’s class at Cordova Park.

This time the show was at NAS Pensacola, right behind the Naval Aviation Museum. We took the grandchildren, and they were absolutely blown away! Then, to add something extra special to what was already super cool, Blue Angel #3 turns out to be the first ever woman selected for the team.

Power and Respect:

To me – especially as someone who is very close to being a card-carrying pacifist – the power of such a team as the Blue Angels is that of demonstrating the cutting edge, push the envelope, better than anyone else on the planet, “look what we are capable of” commitment, skills, and prowess of the U.S. armed forces.

Such publicity, such demonstration, such braggadocios performance is, in a sense, the first line of defense for the United States of America and for liberty. We do not live in a peaceable word – not yet – and we rely on such visible and awe-inspiring power to remind the rest of the world that we value freedom, and that we value peace enough to go to great lengths to defend this great blessing.

Anyway, apart from all that, this was an experience the children – and their grandparents – will never forget.

After the show we toured the museum, we watched an amazing IMAX style giant video about aircraft carriers, we had a relaxed lunch in the museum restaurant, and then – a very cool experience – we climbed all 177 steps on the spiral stairway to the top of the historic lighthouse.

There we enjoyed views of Fort Pickens, Barrancas, the Gulf of Mexico, the sound, the bay, the entire air station, and so much more.

What a great day!

I recommend taking a few moments to view the short airshow video samples too (one after the photo gallery). But you will have to wait on the best of my photographs from the Blues, because they are all on my new Nikon D50. I will post those just as soon as I have a chance to download and to edit.

Meanwhile, enjoy the images I’m sharing here, and come back for more stories and history and more enthusiasm for this good life. – DEREK