Photo By Airman 1st Class Thomas Polk | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Owen Davies, 673d Air Base Wing Public Affairs...... read more read more
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Seated in the back of Blue Angel #7, the F/A-18 Super Hornet idles at the end of the runway, waiting for the pilot to push the throttle forward and unleash 44,000 pounds of thrust, catapulting the aircraft into the sky. I have been dreaming of this moment for so long, and the little kid inside of me is grinning from ear to ear. The roar of the engines gets louder, and I get pushed back into the seat. I look out the canopy to see the world slip past me at an ever increasing speed. The pilot pitches the aircraft up, and we begin to climb into the clouds.
I’m not a pilot. I’m not even in the U.S. Navy. I am a public affairs specialist in the U.S. Air Force. But long before I signed the dotted line and raised my right hand to serve my country, I was just a kid watching the sky as aircraft performed aerial maneuvers that I couldn’t begin to fathom. My military family background helped expose me to the lifestyle, and my love for military aviation made me interested in pursuing it.
My dad has been a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy for 20-plus years, and because of that I grew up around the military. When my own opportunity came to serve, I ended up in the Air Force as a public affairs specialist. My job is to tell the Air Force story through commander directed messaging and Airmen’s experiences. I look through the eyes of service members and showcase what we all do to make sure the mission gets done quickly and effectively.
I’d been given the opportunity to fly before, but it was nothing like this. Through a competition presented to my shop, I was awarded the unique opportunity to fly with the Blue Angels on their media flight.
It is one of the many purposes for demonstration teams to be a drive for recruitment, and you’ll hear quite often how someone decided to make the military their career after experiencing a show.
“When I was six years old, I went to my first air show,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Matthew Tarnowski, 3rd Wing deputy commander. “In 2014, I got to fly as a performer in an air show and now to be a part of a hosting team for the Arctic Thunder Open House this summer — it really brings it full circle. We’re making the fighter pilots and the airlift pilots of the future right here at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson."
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels do an excellent job at showcasing not only what capabilities these amazing aircraft have but also the discipline that the military proudly instills in its service members. This was made especially clear to me throughout my flight with LT Ronny Hafeza, Blue Angel 7 pilot. Whenever we would perform an aerial maneuver, he would walk me through each step and further explain the importance of each of them. I could tell that he wasn’t just going through the motions but that every flight was special to him as well.
As we descended to land, I saw the familiar buildings and landmarks of JBER. We touched down, and I was tired. I’d experienced multiple anti-g straining maneuvers and a massive pressure on my body the entire flight. But you couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. I will never forget this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2026 15:20 |
| Story ID: | 571926 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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