The U.S. Navy Blue Angels performed a flyover of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28, marking a brief return to flight for the demonstration team amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The formation passed low over the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol during the midday event, held in recognition of the Navy’s 250th birthday earlier this month. According to Alert DC, the aircraft were authorized to operate in the National Capital Region between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
[AlertDC] The U.S. military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over the National Mall on Monday, October 28, at approximately 11:15AM to 11:30AM. https://t.co/DzYkgGvXej
— AlertDC (@AlertDC) October 28, 2025
The appearance followed a month of cancellations that sidelined the Blue Angels and other U.S. military demonstration teams from scheduled airshows across the country. Earlier in October, the Blue Angels withdrew from the Wings Over North Georgia Air Show and were unable to participate in San Francisco Fleet Week and the Sea and Sky Air Show in Jacksonville Beach. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds likewise missed performances at the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach and the Wings Over Houston Airshow, while the inaugural Texas Capital Air Show postponed its debut to 2026.
Blue Angels make a shockingly low pass in tight formation directly over the White House and National Mall in DC today. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/nU54KIVwjc
— Sam Brown (@CaptainSamBrown) October 28, 2025
Photographs and eyewitness accounts posted to social media showed the six-jet formation making several passes over downtown Washington before departing into cloud cover.
“The Blue Angels just did a few flyovers of the National Mall but have now flown off into the clouds,” posted Andrew Leyden on X. Another observer, Sam Brown, described a “shockingly low pass in tight formation” over the White House and Mall.
The Blue Angels just did a few flyovers of the National Mall but have now flown off into the clouds. pic.twitter.com/EC60tnis06
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) October 28, 2025
Despite the temporary grounding of most demonstration teams during the shutdown, the brief flyover offered a presently rare public display for the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron this fall.
It’s a good thing we have the government shut down taken care of so the Blue Angels can fly again.