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The Blue Angels Are Back for A Full 2014 Season

Bob Barrett
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WUWF News

There will be angels in the sky next summer on Pensacola Beach. Commander Tom Frosch, commanding officer for the Blue Angels speaking outside the Blue Angels hanger at NAS Pensacola announced the return of the Blue Angels for the entire 2014 season of training and air shows.

Their first show will be on March 15 in California.  Looking ahead to next summer, the Blue Angels are set to go for the air show at Pensacola Beach on July 12.  Commander Frosch says the squad is excited about getting a chance to perform again.

And he and the other Blue Angels are not the only one excited about seeing the squad in the air again.  Buck Lee, the executive director of the Santa Rosa Island Authority on Pensacola Beach says the Blue Angels were sorely missed on the beach this past summer.

Lee says that beyond the economic impact of having the Blue Angels perform...it's a great recruiting tool for the Navy.

Despite the fact that the Blue Angels have been grounded, the squad has managed to stay together.  All of the pilots will be coming back, something that Commander Tom Frosch says is vital for keeping what he called the corporate knowledge in the team.  He said that while the year was difficult and frustrating, it gave the Blue Angels a chance to connect with the local area better than ever.

Credit Bob Barrett / WUWF News
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WUWF News
Blue Angels Jet at NAS Pensacola

But as much as they enjoyed the outreach to the community, Commander Frosch says there is nothing the Blue Angels are looking forward to more than performing for the crowds.

And people can start making plans to see that show next summer on Pensacola Beach. 

Bob Barrett has been a radio broadcaster since the mid 1970s and has worked at stations from northern New York to south Florida and, oddly, has been able to make a living that way. He began work in public radio in 2001. Over the years he has produced nationally syndicated programs such as The Environment Show and The Health Show for Northeast Public Radio's National Productions.