NAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO — The sky was streaked blue as jets landed, preparing for months of training and perfecting maneuvers that will be seen throughout the United States.
The Blue Angels, a tradition of taking to the air of Imperial County for nearly 50 years, arrived back in town for the winter training season, which is set to culminate in the area’s annual air show on March 16.
The Blue Angels are the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration team, which works to enhance Navy recruiting and represent Navy and Marine Corps aviation. The team trains in El Centro from the beginning of January to mid-March before heading to cities throughout the country to perform.
It took four hours for the pilots to fly the more than 1,700 miles from their home base in Pensacola, Fla., to the team’s winter home at NAF El Centro. Stepping from their jets after the flight and before debriefing, the pilots greeted NAF El Centro officials and some community members.
“I’m really excited to be back,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Hiltz, the No. 2 pilot for this year’s team. “I’m really energized for the season to kick off.
“Being here allows us to do two things: come together as a team, have that esprit de corps, that camaraderie you see throughout America’s armed forces,” he said.
“As well, the great weather of the Imperial Valley is really going to allow us to practice and execute those maneuvers at such high precision that it will set us up for success throughout the rest of the season.”
The team is set to have a high operational tempo while training throughout the next few months, he said. The team flies six days a week with two or three flights per day. Getting used to that tempo is a challenge, as well as learning the complex and precise maneuvers.
The pilot of the right wing of the team’s diamond formation, Hiltz said training locally allows the group to build the teamwork needed for the rest of the season.
“(The diamond formation is) really unique because there’s four of us in there, and we really depend on each other,” he said. “We fly close enough together where we move each other’s jets around. To develop that trust out here, this is where we do it.”
It is Hiltz’s second year with the Blue Angels, but he’s trained in El Centro before as the base is a big training ground for student aviators, he said.
Naval Air Facility El Centro is uniquely suited for the training the Blue Angels will take on through March, said base Deputy Public Affairs Office Kristopher Haugh. There are nearly 365 days of good flying weather, and as a training facility, NAF El Centro provides a perfect opportunity to hone skills the flight demonstration team will need to “perform the world famous maneuvers.”
“We’re always pleased and honored to have the Blues come back,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for the community because they come down here, they train, they interact with locals. We get to strengthen the already strong ties we have with the community.”
Digital Media News Editor Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
WHAT OUR FACEBOOK FANS ARE SAYING (UNEDITED)
Lynette Lussier Reed “I am so glad they are back! I love the air show I get at my house every day for 3 months. I even wave at them!”
Marubia Moreno-Ortiz “Always waiting for your arrival! My son and family enjoy watching morning and afternoon trainings ... so worth the wait. Countdown begins at our home for the air show Welcome Back and stay safe!”
Tawnie Robles “I was already getting used to the silence on base. Now ima wake up to them and go to sleep to them...”
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