BILLINGS — This weekend thousands of eyes will be in the air as the air show takes center stage in Billings. The focal point of which, will be the Blue Angels.
"Everything they do, they’re pushing these jets to the extreme maximum. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the best pilots in the world," said Co-Chair of the Yellowstone Airshow, Matthew McDonnell on Thursday.
When you’re flying just under Mach two at around 1,400 MPH, you have to be and they're ready to put on a show this weekend.
"What you can expect this weekend is our standard top notch Blue Angels performance.... You’re going to see our diamond formation showcasing the teamwork and precision present in the United States Navy Marine Corp, followed by our solo showcasing the high-performance capabilities of the super hornet," said Commander and Blue Angel Pilot, Alex Armantas on Thursday.
Armatas is a commander and pilot of one of those super hornets. Just one of the 17 members of an elite unit and flying in the Navy is something he always knew he wanted to do.
"As a kid I really wanted to be a Naval Aviator. I knew that early on I wanted to fly Navy airplanes. Later on, as my career went on and as I saw the Blue Angels for the first time, saw how incredible the team is and how inspirational they can be, it really started to appeal to me as something I hoped to do one day," added Armatas.
Becoming a Blue Angel pilot is quite the feat itself. Many apply but typically only six new members are chosen each year.
While they make it look easy, maneuvers like the ones the pilots undertake require hundreds of hours of practice to master and leave little room for error.
"Some of our formations will be as close as 18 inches apart," Armatas added.
And visitors to Billings can't wait to watch the spectacle.
"I’ve seen a couple fly over now, you can hear that they’re just on the edge of a sonic boom, it’s just exciting just feeling that sound," said Billings visitor Adam Garrett on Thursday.
And as far away as they may seem, the show is as up close and personal as it gets and one no one will forget.
"We’re really excited, we’re just really excited to perform here and we’re really excited to meet as many folks as we can," Armatas said.
"When they get over town and it sounds super loud, it’ll be loud, I know the whole town will be looking to the sky and saying we’re so glad to have them," McDonnell added.
