July 15th – 18th 2026
Featuring the US Navy Blue Angels
Pensacola’s hometown heroes will take center stage during a historic summer celebration as the 2026 Pensacola Beach Air Show returns July 15 to 18, hosted by the Santa Rosa Island Authority. This year’s event carries extraordinary significance as it honors the 80th Anniversary of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels while also celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary. Set against the sweeping shoreline of the Gulf, the show becomes more than an air demonstration. It stands as a tribute to eight decades of naval aviation excellence and two and a half centuries of American freedom, service, innovation, and sacrifice.
Air Show Week Schedule:
- Wednesday, July 15 – “Breakfast with the Blues”
Around 7:30 a.m., the Blue Angels mark their flight paths by circling overhead. - Thursday, July 16 – Practice Flight
At 2 p.m., the Blue Angels conduct an over-water practice session. - Friday, July 17 – Full Dress Rehearsal
Demonstrations begin at approximately 10:30 a.m.; Blue Angels fly at 2 p.m. - Saturday, July 18 – Official Pensacola Beach Air Show
The 2026 Lineup Also Features:
Aaron Fitzgerald with Red Bull Air Force
Aaron Fitzgerald is a premier helicopter aerobatic pilot with Red Bull Air Force, known for pushing the limits of rotary-wing flight. With a background in competitive aerobatics and backcountry flying, Fitzgerald performs jaw-dropping maneuvers that showcase the precision, agility, and raw power of his helicopter in ways few pilots in the world can replicate. His dynamic demonstrations blend technical mastery with high-energy showmanship, delivering a thrilling performance that highlights both innovation in aviation and elite pilot skill.
Carol Pilon and Third Strike Wingwalking
Carol Pilon with the Third Strike Wingwalking is one of the most daring acts on the airshow circuit. Performing atop a vintage, open-cockpit, Stearman WWII biplane, Pilon executes graceful yet heart-stopping acrobatics thousands of feet above the ground while the pilot maneuvers through tight turns and climbs. Her performance showcases extraordinary balance, strength, and trust, blending classic barnstorming tradition with high-energy aerial spectacle that leaves audiences in awe.
Frank Kimmel
Corsair pilot Frank Kimmel flies a rare F4U-5N Corsair, one of fewer than 24 airworthy examples remaining worldwide out of more than 12,000 built. Powered by a 2,400-horsepower Pratt & Whitney radial engine and the first piston fighter to exceed 400 mph in level flight, the Corsair is one of World War II’s most iconic aircraft. Frank’s aircraft was built in 1949, later served with the Honduran Air Force during the “Soccer Wars,” was recovered after a 1978 crash in Texas, and restored in 1983. Today, Kimmel honors its extraordinary history by keeping this legendary warbird flying.
Kevin Coleman with Red Bull Air Force
Kevin Coleman flies a Red Bull-branded Extra 330 SC, one of the world’s top unlimited aerobatic aircraft. Beyond airshows, he competes in international unlimited aerobatic competitions, where pilots are judged on precision, technical difficulty, and execution while flying complex sequences of vertical maneuvers, snaps, and tumbles. He has also competed in the Red Bull Air Race Challenger Cup, navigating high-speed slalom courses just above the ground. His competition experience brings a sharp, high-performance edge to every airshow routine.
The Pink Jet
The Pink Jet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises breast cancer awareness through high-energy aviation demonstrations and community outreach. Centered around a striking pink Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros jet, the team performs at airshows nationwide, combining unforgettable aerial displays with education about early detection, prevention, and survivor support. The Pink Jet is flown by President and pilot Stephanie Goetz and fellow Pink Jet pilot Olga Sannikova—two accomplished aviators who use their expertise and passion to spread hope and life-saving awareness through flight.
Red Bull Air Force Jump Team
Led by legendary skydiver Luke Aikins, the Red Bull Air Force Jump Team is an elite group of professional skydivers and wingsuit athletes who deliver high-energy aerial demonstrations at premier events around the world. Known for precision formations, smoke trails, and pinpoint landings, the team combines decades of experience in skydiving, BASE jumping, wingsuit flying, and competitive disciplines.
Redline Airshows
Redline Airshows is a father-and-son aerobatic duo featuring Ken Rieder and Austin Rieder, flying matched Van’s Aircraft RV-8 aircraft. The RV-8’s light weight, powerful engine, and exceptional roll rate make it ideal for the team’s tight formation flying, opposing passes, and smoke-filled aerobatic maneuvers. Blending precision, speed, and family chemistry, Redline delivers a fast-paced performance that showcases both technical skill and the thrilling capabilities of these high-performance experimental aircraft.
RJ Gritter
RJ Gritter flies a Bellanca 8KCAB Decathlon, a classic two-seat aerobatic aircraft known for its agility, crisp handling, and capability for both basic and advanced aerobatics. With inverted fuel and oil systems and nearly symmetrical wings, the Decathlon lets Gritter perform precision loops, rolls, hammerheads, and smoke-filled routines that highlight his technical skill and dynamic showmanship at airshows.
Skip Stewart
Skip Stewart is one of airshow aviation’s most electrifying performers, flying his highly modified, one-of-a-kind biplane, Prometheus. Built for extreme aerobatics, the aircraft delivers blistering snap rolls, vertical climbs, and aggressive low-level tumbles that push the limits of pilot and machine. A signature highlight of Stewart’s performance is his breathtaking inverted low-level pass along the pier, where he precisely snaps a string suspended between two poles just 15 feet above the beach—an awe-inspiring demonstration of timing, skill, and absolute control that leaves crowds stunned every time.
Titan Aerobatic Team
The Titan Aerobatic Team is a highly decorated four-ship civilian formation team that thrills audiences in their WWII-era North American AT-6 Texan aircraft. Led by Mark Henley and his seasoned crew, the team delivers tight, precision formation aerobatics including dramatic bomb bursts, avalanches, and perfectly synchronized loops. Their performance honors the legacy of the iconic military trainer while showcasing the discipline, timing, and teamwork required to fly vintage warbirds just feet apart.
Veterans Flight
The Veterans Flight, organized by Pensacola attorney and pilot Roy Kinsey, is a moving aerial tribute flown in vintage Boeing Stearman Model 75 biplanes. About a dozen Stearman pilots from across the Southeast participate in the show, honoring all World War II and Korean War veterans. Once used to train thousands of military aviators, the iconic open-cockpit Stearman represents the foundation of America’s air power, and their dignified flyovers serve as a powerful and nostalgic salute to generations who served.
F-35A Lightning II
The 187th Fighter Wing, based at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Ala., will showcase the F-35A Lightning II’s unmatched stealth, sensor fusion and combat capability over Pensacola Beach. Known as the “Red Tails,” the wing proudly carries forward the legacy of the WWII Tuskegee Airmen. That heritage lives on through their distinctive red-tailed aircraft and the 100th Fighter Squadron, which honors the history of the nation’s first African American military pilots.
B-1B Lancer
The sound of freedom returns to the beach this summer as the 28th Bomb Squadron brings the legendary B-1B Lancer back to the Pensacola Beach Air Show, celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America! Known for its unmistakable roar, sweeping wings, and unmatched presence, the Bone is set to once again shake the coastline and remind spectators why it remains one of the most elite bombers in the world. From low passes over the Gulf to showcasing the power and precision of America’s long-range strike capability, this is one performance aviation fans won’t want to miss.
Luke Carrico
Returning this year, the voice of the air show is Luke Carrico, a seasoned announcer renowned for his dynamic and engaging commentary that places audiences directly in the cockpits overhead.
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