April 24
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Chief of Naval Operations, issued directive stating That a flight exhibition team be organized within the Naval Air Advanced Training Command to represent the Navy at air shows and similar events. This directive was issued to the Chief of Naval Air Training who in turn forwarded the directive to Rear Admiral Ralph Davison, Chief of Naval Air Advanced Training, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. Rear Admiral Davison chose Lieutenant Commander Roy M. "Butch" Voris to implement the CNO's directive.

Lt. Cmdr. Lloyd G. Barnard - Left Wing
Lt. Maurice N. Wickendoll - Right Wing
Lt. j.g. Melvin W. Cassidy - Spare
NOTE: Lieutenant Commander Barnard transferred sometime prior to the Blue Angels' first public performance June 15. Lieutenant Alfred 'Al' Taddeo replaced Lt. Cmdr. Barnard, and Lt. j.g. Cassidy moved to the Left Wing position. Four Grumman F6F-5 Hellcats and an SNJ, which was painted and configured to simulate a Japanese Zero, were assigned to the team

May 21
Intensive team training commenced

Show routine was 17 minutes total

The basic element was three aircraft operating about a series of "V" and echelon formations

The "Zero" routine was developed to demonstrate fighter attack

June 15-16
First public performance of the Navy Flight Exhibition Team at the Southeastern Air Show, Craig Field, Jacksonville, Florida.

Pilots: Lt. Cmdr. 'Butch' Voris - Flight Leader, Lt Wickendoll

Right Wing, Lt(jg) Cassidy - Left Wing, and Lt Taddeo - Spare

July 21-22
Flight exhibition, Omaha, Nebraska. The team introduced themselves as the Blue Angels to the public for the first time

August 14 Last performance with the F6F-5 Hellcat took place at Grumman Aircraft, Bethpage, New York

August 15
Changed aircraft to the F8F-1 Bearcat. Took delivery at Grumman Aircraft, Bethpage, Long Island, New York

August 24
First public performance with the F8F-1 Bearcat at the Denver International Air Show and Air Exposition, Stapleton Field, Denver, Colorado

May 30
Lieutenant Commander R.A. Clarke relieves Lt. Cmdr. Voris as the Blue Angels Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

June 7
First public performance using the four-plane "Diamond" formation at the World Air Carnival in Birmingham, Alabama

July 30
Team flew their last three-aircraft 'V' formation show at Naval Air Station Floyd Bennett Field, New York Team was now equipped with five Bearcats. Four aircraft used in the Diamond while the fifth was assigned as the Solo aircraft and also filled in as the spare aircraft for the Diamond when needed

January 9
Lieutenant Commander R.E. "Dusty" Rhodes relieves Lt. Cmdr. Clarke as the Blue Angels Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

November 8
Farewell performance at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. The team moved to it new home base at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas

1949
Official Blue Angels insignia designed by Lt. Cmdr. R.E. "Dusty" Rhodes and Mrs. Virginia Porter, an illustrator assigned to the Naval Air Advanced Training Command. Shortly after its acceptance and approval by Commander, Naval Air Advanced Training Command, Rear Admiral Ernest Litch, Grumman Aircraft had large stick-on decals for the Panthers, and cloth patches manufactured for the Blue Angels The Blue Angels flew a total of 51 shows in 1949: 33 in the F8F-1 Bearcat and the remaining 18 in the F9F-2 Panther

June 11-16
Pilots underwent jet familiarization training in the TO-1 (F-80) with VF-52 at Naval Air Station North Island, California

July 13
Team took delivery of their new F9F-2 Panthers at Grumman Aircraft, Bethpage, Long Island, New York

August 5
Approval performance with their new F9F-2 Panthers at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

14 August
Last flight demonstration with the F8F-1 Bearcats at Madison, Wisconsin Retained the yellow F8F-1 Bearcat ('Beetle Bomb'), which served as transportation for the 'BLAB' (Narrator/Public Information Officer)

August 20
First public performance with the F9F-2 Panthers at Beaumont, Texas

September
Moved from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi to their new home base at Naval Air Station Whiting Field

November 7-8
Flew a series of short shows for photographers from Life Magazine, which featured a story on the team that appeared in the December 1949 issue

January 11
Lieutenant Commander Johnny Magda relieves Lt. Cmdr. Rhodes as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader Blue Angels ordered to combat duty status

July 20
Flew last East Coast air show at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

July 30
Final air show performed at Naval Air Station Dallas prior to the Blue Angels reporting to Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, for transition training

August 7
Started transition training

November 7
Reported aboard USS Princeton, CV-37, for carrier landing qualifications and combat training with ordnance

December 1
Completed operational training and officially put on combat-ready status. The team became the nucleus of VF-191, "Satan's Kittens," with Lt. Cmdr. Johnny Magda serving as the squadron's Commanding Officer

October 25
Blue Angels officially re-commissioned Lieutenant Commander R. M. "Butch" Voris was once again selected to organize and prepare the new team for its first show Home base: Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas

Aircraft assigned to the Blue Angels Six Grumman F9F-5 Panthers One Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat (this aircraft was retired early in the 1952 season) Two Chance-Vought F7U-1 Cutlasses (only used for a short time. Dropped in early June 1952)

May 26
The Lockheed TO-2 (T-33B) Shooting Star, joined the Blue Angels

June 19-20
First public performance at the Mid-South Naval Festival, Memphis, Tennessee

First Marine pilot, Capt. Chuck Hiett, joined the team New Maneuver: Tuck-under break and the 3-in-1 (referred to a the 'Greaser')

February 21
First aerial Change of Command Commander 'Zeke' Cormier relieves Lt. Cmdr. A. R. Hawkins as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader over Naval Air Station New Orleans

December 11
Final appearance for the 1954 season over the commissioning ceremonies for the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59). It was also the last performance using the F9F-5 Panthers

January
Lieutenant Commander A. R. "Hawk" Hawkins relieves Lt. Cmdr. R. M. 'Butch' Voris as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader Left Echelon Roll maneuver added to the performance

January 24
Opening air show in New Orleans

August 4
The Blue Angels departed Grumman Aircraft, Bethpage, New York, with their new swept-wing F9F-6 Cougars Enroute to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, over Mississippi, Lt. Cmdr. Hawkins experienced mechanical problems and became the first Navy pilot to survive a supersonic ejection The remaining F9F-6 Cougars were returned to Grumman Aircraft for modifications. This aircraft was never again flown by the Blue Angels

December 1
Final performance of the 1953 season flown over Naval Air Station Pensacola

February 4
First official air show using the F9F-8 Cougars over Naval Air Station Corpus Christi

Mid Season The team changed home base from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

Sixth aircraft added to the flight demonstration in the Opposing Solo position

June 10
Blue Angels 10th Anniversary Celebration: Flight Demonstration at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Peconic River Facility followed by a reunion with former team members

September 7-8
The Blue Angels first-ever performance outside the United States at the International Air Exposition at Toronto, Canada

December
Commander Ed Holley relieves Cmdr. "Zeke" Cormier as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

January 31
Farewell performance to Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. It was the last year the Blue Angels conduct Winter Training in El Centro until 1967

April 10
Departed Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Peconic River Facility, for Naval Air Station Pensacola, after completing F11F-1 Tiger acceptance flights

July 4
First official flight demonstration in the new Tiger at Newcastle Air Force Base, Wilmington, Delaware

July 12
Final performance in the F9F-8 Cougar over Naval Air Station Pensacola

First Six-Plane Delta Maneuvers added Solo's Back-to-Back Maneuver introduced Replaced the Short-Nose Tigers with the Long-Nose version of the Tiger in November

September 5
Second Canadian appearance by Blue Angels at the International Air Exposition in Toronto, Canada

December
Lieutenant Commander Zeb Knott relieves Cmdr. Ed Holley as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

April 28
Foreign appearance in Bermuda

September 9-10
Third Canadian appearance by Blue Angels at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto, Canada

Five new maneuvers introduced: Diamond Landing, Six-Plane Delta Landing, Lead Solos Dirty Roll on Take Off (landing gear and flaps extended), the Half Cuban-Eight, and the "Farvel" Formation (leader inverted in the Diamond)

January 16
Lieutenant Commander Ken Wallace relived Cmdr. Zeb Knott as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

August 11-12
Flight demonstrations at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was present at the Aug. 11 performance. The team met the President and presented him with a scale model of their F-11 Tiger

August 30-31 and September 1
Fourth Canadian appearance at the International Air Exhibition in Toronto, Canada

July 6-7
Flight demonstrations at the Centennial Celebration in Pocatello, Idaho The Blue Angels flew their 1,000th Flight Demonstration July 6

January 3
Lieutenant Commander Bob Aumack relieves Lt. Cmdr. Ken Wallace as Officer-in-Charge/ Flight Leader

July 26
The Blue Angels participated in the Aeronaves de Mexico Anniversary Air Show over Mexico City, Mexico, before an estimated crowd of 1.5 million people

September 3-5
The Blue Angels make their fifth appearance at the International Air Exhibition in Toronto, Canada

March 20-25
Caribbean Tour March 20 - Andros Island, Bahamas March 21 - Nassau, Bahamas March 23 - Naval Air Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico March 24 - Kingston, Jamaica March 25 - Montego Bay, Jamaica

June 12 - July 8
European Tour June 12 - Vichey, France June 14 - Mildenhal, England June 17 - Le Bourget, France June 18 - Evreux, France June 20 - Paris, France ** June 23 - Helsinki, Finland June 27 - Copenhagen, Denmark June 30 - Arnhem, Holland July 3 - Yeovilton, England July 5 - Portsmouth, England July 6 - Keflavick, Iceland July 8 - Reykjavik, Iceland * Flight demonstration teams from all over the world had performed at the Paris Air Show, including the USAF Thunderbirds. The Blue Angels were the only Flight Demonstration Team that received a standing ovation from the crowd during the four-day event.

November 13-14
Flight Exhibitions at the Air Fair in Freeport, Bahamas

June 11
The Blue Angels 20th Anniversary Celebration Flight Demonstration at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation's Peconic River facility

September 1-3
Sixth appearance at the International Air Exhibition in Toronto, Canada The team's Sep. 2 performance at Toronto's International Air Exhibition was stopped after Lt. Cmdr. Dick Oliver, Blue Angel #5, crashed

November 12-13
Flight exhibitions at the second annual Air Carnival in Freeport, Grand Bahamas.

January 10
Lieutenant Commander Bill Wheat relieves Cmdr. Bob Aumack as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

May 13 - June 5

European Tour
May 19 - Gaeta Bay, Italy
May 20 - Bay of Naples, Italy
May 21 - Aviano Air Base, Italy
May 24 - Tunis-Carthage Airport, Tunisia
May 28 - Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
June 4 - 27th Paris International Aeronautical and Space Salon, Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France

June 6
Flight demonstrations in conjunction with the Miss America Beauty Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey

August 11
Flight exhibition at the Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, International Air Show

November 18
Flight demonstration in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds 14th anniversary reunion at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

January - March
While at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, for winter training the Blue Angels retired their R5D (C-54) Skymaster transport aircraft and replaced it with a C-121J Constellation

June 1
Flight demonstration at Royal Canadian Air Station Shearwater, Bismarck, Nova Scotia

October
Lieutenant Mary Russell became the first woman assigned to the team when she reported for duty as the team's Administrative Officer. She served until 1970

October 20
The largest single show during the season was performed in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Attendance figures, as reported by the commander of the Caribbean Sea Frontier, were nearly five hundred thousand (500,000) spectators, making the demonstration the largest attended event in Puerto Rican history

November 17
The team's final performance in the F-11 Tigers, and their last flight demonstration using Grumman aircraft

December 23
Lieutenant Commander Bill Wheat flew the first of the Blue Angels' new McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II (Bureau Number 153079aa), to Naval Air Station Pensacola During the 1968 show season, the Blue Angels flew approximatel y 3,000 flight hours and traveled an estimated 150,000 miles

The Diamond developed the 4-Plane In-Trail Loop, 4-Plane Box Loop, while the solos added the opposing Outside Half Cuban Eights (referred to as the 'Blivet')

March 15
First official flight demonstration in the F-4J Phanto at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona

April 26
Flight demonstration in Nassau, Bahamas

July 4-8

Three-show tour of Alaska
July 4 - Fairbanks, Alaska
July 6 - Anchorage, Alaska
July 8 - Kodiak, Alaska

August 6
While performing a practice show in Kelowna, Canada, Captain Vince Donile (#2) exceeded the speed of sound during the 4-plane cross portion of the Diamond Vertical Opener maneuver. The majority of the windows in the area parted company with their frames

August 7
Flight demonstration in Kelowna, Canada

August 30
Flight demonstration in Toronto, Canada

December
Commander Harley Hall relieves Cmdr. Bill Wheat as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

New Diamond maneuvers: Line-Abreast Loop, Tuck-Under Break, Echelon Landing, and the Inverted Fleur de Lis (Flight Leader Inverted) New Solo maneuvers: Opposing Dirty Roll On Take Off, Dirty Loop, and the Tuck-Away Break During the 1970 air show season, the team participated in the filming of "THRESHOLD: THE BLUE ANGELS EXPERIENCE". Produced and Directed by Paul Marlow, this full-length, color documentary motion picture told the story of the Blue Angels. There were two version of this documentary motion picture made, a long and short version. The long version includes footage shot while the Blue Angels were at NAF El Centro for winter training in 1971. Besides the basic air show footage, which was shot both from the ground and inside the various demonstration aircraft, it covered their flight to across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and their performance over Waikiki Beach. It also contained footage of their performance at Quito, Ecuador. This performance proved to be a real challenge for the team, not only because of the extremely high airfield elevation, but the fact that there were high mountains on either side of the airfield. These mountains merged with the clouds

March 19-26
Flight demonstrations in Puerto Rico: San Juan, Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads and Ramey Air Force Base

August 7-9
Flight demonstrations in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

October 9
Flight demonstration at Howard Air Force, Panama

October 10
Flight demonstration in Guayaqvil, Ecuador

October 11
Flight demonstration in Quito, Ecuador This exhibition set a new record for the Blue Angels. With a field elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level, it was the first time any flight demonstration team had performed an air show at an airfield with such a high elevation

October 21
Blue Angels Peak dedication ceremony at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. The highest mountain in Imperial County (4,548 ft) is located in the southwestern corner of the county just north of the international border with Mexico

October 27 - November 6
First deployment to Hawaii. Flight demonstrations were flown at the following locations:

October 30 - Schoffield Barracks, Wheeler Air Force Base, Hawaii
October 31 - Naval Air Station Barber's Point, Hawaii
November 1 - Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii
November 2 - Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
November 3 - Barking Sands, Hawaii

December
C-121J Constellation was officially retired as the team's support transport aircraft. It was replaced by a U.S Marine Corps KC-130F Hercules (Bureau Number 150690). This aircraft arrived in Pensacola, Florida, July 22, 1970, in standard U.S. Marine Corps with the Blue Angels logo painted on the vertical fin and Blue Angels lettering on each side of the forward fuselage. An all-Marine crew manned it.

October 13 - November 29
First Far East Tour  The team departed the United States from Naval Air Station Miramar, California, October 13. The team returned to Miramar November 29. They performed at the following locations:

October 21-22 - Taegu, Republic of Korea
October 24 - Seoul, Republic of Korea
October 26 - Pusan, Republic of Korea
May 24 - Tunis-Carthage Airport, Tunisia
October 29 & November 1 - Nagoya, Japan, at the International Air Show
November 4- Misawa, Japan
November 10- Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan
November 11- Ching-Chuan Kang (CCK) Air Base, Feng-Yuan, Taiwan
November 16- Tainan Air Base, T'ai-nan, Taiwan
November 19- Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Phillippines
November 21 - Manila, Phillippines
November 26 - Naval Air Staion Agana, Guam

December

Lieutenant Commander Don Bently relieves Commander Harley Hall as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

The Blue Angels were awarded the Navy's Meritorious Unit Commendation for furthering the United States' international relationships by projecting America's image through 194 Flight Demonstrations during the two-year period from March 1, 1970 - December 31, 1971

August 11-13
Flight demonstrations at Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

April
Lieutenant Commander Skip Umstead relieves Lieutenant Commander Don Bently as Officer-in-Charge/Flight Leader

April 21
Flight demonstration at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. President Richard M. Nixon viewed this performance

May 23 - June 20
A European tour, including an air show in Tehran, Iran, saw the team perform at the following locations:

May 25 - Upper Heyford, England
May 26 - Bentwaters Air Base, England
May 28 - Nottinghamshire, England
May 31 - June 3 - Paris, France
June 5 - Zaragosa, Spain
June 7 - Rota, Spain
June 7 - Torrejon, Spain
June 11 - Tehran, Iran
June 13 - Incirlik, Turkey
June 14 - Athens, Greece
June 16 - Aviano, Italy

July
Lieutenant Commander William F. Wiggins, Blue Angels Maintenance Officer, assumed the duties as Officer-in-Charge

September 30
Blue Angels pilots and crew arrived at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, to start 26 days of familiarization training with the A-4F Skyhawk II

December 10
The Blue Angels were commissioned as a Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron at Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and Cmdr. Anthony 'Tony' Less assumed the duties as the squadron's first Commanding Officer

May 18-19
First official flight demonstration with the A-4F Skyhawk II

January 9
Commander Casey Jones relieves Cmdr. Tony Less as Commanding Officer

May 22-23
First overseas demonstration in the A-4F Skyhawk II at Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico

June 27
Flight demonstration at Moose Jaw, Sasketchewan, Canada

July 2-4
Flight demonstrations at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, celebrating America's Bicentennial. The Royal Canadian Air Force Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds, also performed. The July 4 flight demonstration included a fly-by of the Blue Angels and Snowbirds. Both teams passed in review together. The Blue Angels, flying in Delta Formation, were in the lead

August 13-15
Flight demonstrations at Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

August 24
First-time demonstration at the home of space program, Cape Canaveral, Florida

June 18-19
Flight demonstrations in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

December
Commander Bill Newman relieves Cmdr. Casey Jones as Commanding Officer

The first enlisted woman assigned to the maintenance crew joined the team. Penny Edwards, an aviation electrician's mate, became the second woman to serve with the Blue Angels

August 25
The team performs its 2,133rd flight demonstration at Escanaba, Michigan

December
Commander Denny Wisely relieves Cmdr. Bill Newman as Commanding Officer

April 19-20
Flight demonstrations at Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico

June 21-22
Flight demonstrations at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

August 8-9
Flight demonstrations at Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada