WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – One of the biggest attractions attracting thousands this weekend, Air show “Frontiers in Flight” arrived at McConnell Air Force Base on Thursday.
After a 17-year absence, the US Navy’s Blue Angels are back in the Air Capital.
“It’s so nice to be back in the Heartland,” said Lieutenant Commander John Keilty, a Blue Angels pilot.
The Blue Angels are a select group that makes two to three flights a day, six days a week. To apply for the team, you must have at least 10 years of flying experience. The select few who are chosen for the elite force then undergo months of training.
Performing this breathtaking show requires a lot of concentration and practice, with everyone taking on a specific role.
“Me as pilot No. 2, I fly a certain set based on pilot No. 1. And then I try to keep it as close as possible,” Keilty said. “And then No. 3 on the left, that makes us look good, symmetrical, it balances me out. And then Amanda Lee in fourth, she makes us all look like a perfect diamond.”
Keilty said he hopes this weekend’s show inspires someone, no matter their age, to follow their dreams, just as the Blue Angels inspired him to follow his dreams.
“Follow your dreams and don’t be afraid to fail,” he said. “Find something you really love and don’t give up, just keep going.”
The 2024 Frontiers in Flight Air Show will take place Saturday and Sunday (August 24-25) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McConnell Air Force Base. Flight activities begin at noon and the Blue Angels will take to the skies at 3 p.m. each day. Admission and parking are free.
For more information about artists, floor performances and parking, visit https://www.frontiersinflight.com/.
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