UPDATE: Blues gearing up

EL CENTRO, Calif. – The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team reached a major milestone in winter training when they completed their first set of training flights over the airfield at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, Calif., on Jan. 19. The six jet pilots had been training over the Special Use Airspace adjacent to NAFEC, and will continue to do the bulk of training there for the next few weeks, before moving full time to the air space above NAF El Centro. It was the first time in 2019 the Blue Angels held a full practice over the airfield, a critical step in preparing for the 2019 air show season that begins March 16. El Centro is the winter home of the Blue Angels from January to mid-March. The show-season’s home base is NAS Pensacola, Fla. The team is scheduled to conduct 61 demonstrations at 32 locations across the country in the 2019 show season. The Pensacola Beach, Fla., air show is July 11. (Source: Blue Angels 01/22/19) There are no Mississippi shows scheduled for the Blue Angels this season, but the Air Force Thunderbirds will fly over Biloxi in May 4-5. UPDATE: A pilot attached to the Blue Angels made an emergency landing at NAF El Centro on Jan. 22 without injuries. The mishap occurred when the F/A-18 Hornet’s main landing gear did not extend on approach to the airfield following a training flight. The cause of the mishap is under investigation. Information on the pilot and aircraft number was unavailable from the Commander of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) in Corpus Christi, Texas.