More Than 277,000 People Attended The Two-Day Event
Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in northeast Florida held
its 27th air show Oct. 23-24, celebrating the 70th anniversary of
the station. More than 277,000 people attended the air show, which
featured the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue
Angels.
Blue Angels
"This was an outstanding and memorable week for military and
civilian aviation enthusiasts in Northeast Florida," said NAS
Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Maclay. "From
everyone who worked diligently to organize the event to the roster
of exhilarating of performers and interesting static displays
– the commands of NAS Jacksonville teamed up to stage another
first class air show starring the Blue Angels. There's no doubt in
my mind that this was a huge crowd pleaser."
The air show's guest of honor was 91-year-old Alfred 'Al'
Taddeo, the last living member of the original Blue Angels team
that was established at NAS Jacksonville in 1946. Taddeo and his
wife, Joan Taddeo, flew from their home in California to be guests
of NAS Jacksonville and the Blue Angels.
In addition to speaking at air show receptions, Taddeo was front
and center for each Blue Angels performance. After the final Blue
Angels performance Oct. 24, Taddeo said he really felt a kinship
with the Blue Angels in the air show. "They perform their close
diamond formations just the same as our 1946 Blue Angels team. But
when you add the two solo pilots to the mix, today's team is just
spectacular," said Taddeo. "This week has been an exciting blur of
activity. Swapping stories with the Blue Angels pilots and crew, as
well as talking with Air Force aviators, military parachute teams
and talented civilian pilots was truly a special pleasure for
me."
"The people here have been fantastic – especially Capt.
Maclay, XO (Executive Officer) [Capt. Bob] Sanders and our tour
guide, Ron Williamson. I think this was the most thrilling day of
my life, because I'm getting to the age where an event like this
makes me a little emotional. Joan and I sincerely thank everyone in
Jacksonville who showed us such hospitality," said Taddeo.
Maclay gave special recognition to the NAS Jacksonville air show
team, led by 2010 Air Show Coordinator Cmdr. Rob Surgeoner.
"Celebrating the sights and sounds of freedom is our way of giving
back to the city of Jacksonville and surrounding communities that
are so supportive of our military men and women," said Maclay. "And
I couldn't be more proud of our 2010 NAS Jax Air Show team –
from those who scheduled the performers to those who set up
exhibits and those who cleaned up after each day's events. Teamwork
and preparation were key to a successful air show."
"I salute everyone for their outstanding execution of an event
that has thousands of moving parts. It's a great opportunity for
the public to understand why America's Navy is a global force for
good," said Maclay.
More than 4,000 public school students and Junior Reserve
Officers Training Corps (JROTC) cadets visited the air station Oct.
22 for the air show dress rehearsal. "For many of our students,
this may be their first trip to an air show and their first
experience seeing the Blue Angels perform their thrilling aerial
demonstrations over NAS Jacksonville," said Ed Pratt-Dannals,
superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. "We appreciate the
commitment of the Navy and NAS Jax Air Show organizers to providing
our students with this exciting opportunity."
Retired Master Chief Steve Waddell attended the event with 50
Navy JROTC students from Mandarin High School. "This is a great
time to get up close to aviation legends like the Blue Angels.
There's so much for our kids to see and do – this is a
not-to-be-missed opportunity," said Waddell.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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