Blue Angels Celebrate Women In Naval Aviation

The 2023 Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show will celebrate “50 Years of Women in Naval Aviation.” According to an announcement from Naval Air Station Pensacola, the airshow "is designed to honor and recognize the significant contributions women have made to naval aviation since the enactment of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which removed restrictions previously prohibiting women from serving in combat-related roles and ultimately opened the door for women to pursue careers as naval aviators."

The two-day airshow, which will run Nov. 3 and Nov.4, is one of Pensacola’s biggest events—attracting more than 220,000 spectators. While the Navy says hundreds of women have served with the Blue Angels over the years, the 2023 season was the first with a female pilot, Lt. Amanda Lee. Other female performers at the show will include Air Force Capt. Aimee Fiedler, who leads the eight-member F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, and Melissa Burns, a professional aerobatic pilot and display skydiver.