ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Navy's flight exhibition team, the Blue Angels, are practicing Tuesday in the skies over Annapolis in preparation for Wednesday's U.S. Naval Academy Air Show, a tradition during graduation week.
You don't have to be on the Naval Academy grounds to get a good view of the show, which begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The weather will be just about perfect: partly cloudy with high of 74 degrees, winds from the east at 6 mph and no chance of rain.
Sought-after vantage points include spots along the banks of the Severn River, such as Jonas Green Park and the area surrounding the Naval Academy Bridge and World War II Memorial; City Dock; and Spa Creek, according to the Capital Gazette in Annapolis. But as usual, expect parking to be a challenge.
The Naval Academy Bridge will be closed 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday for the Blue Angels' arrival and 1:45 to 4 p.m. the show, the Gazette said.
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The Blue Angels' team, which includes three Naval Academy graduates, fly six Navy F/A-18 Hornets. Team members will perform a variety of high-speed precision maneuvers in their 45-minute show, according to Naval Academy officials.
Sixteen officers are chosen for the Blue Angels and typically serve two years with the team, later returning to other assignments. Lt. Cmdr. Adam Kerrick, the team's event coordinator, is a 2005 U.S. Naval Academy graduate; Lt. James Haley, a pilot, graduated in 2009; and Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Webb, also a pilot, graduated in 2008.
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Graduation ceremonies for more than 1,000 Naval Academy midshipmen will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium here, the culmination of Commissioning Week.
Graduates earn bachelor's of science degrees and are commissioned as either Navy ensigns or Marine Corps second lieutenants. They then serve at least five years in those branches of military service.
