Update, November 10, 2026: Military Times reported, citing two unnamed sources, that the No. 6 pilot was removed for underperforming in his role. Citing another source, it also reported that the team’s public affairs officer had been removed earlier, in a separate matter unrelated to the pilot. The Navy’s only statement on the record is still the one about Blue Angel No. 6 below, and it has not said why or when the public affairs officer left. None of this changes the 2027 schedule.
Update, November 9, 2026: the Homecoming went ahead with five jets, closing the team’s 80th season of 32 shows. More than 300,000 people watched over the two days from the NAS Pensacola flight line, WEAR-TV reported. The 2027 team began winter training right after the show; see Blue Angels start 2027 winter training.
Update, November 8: Saturday’s show closed the 2026 season, the team’s 80th anniversary year. The Navy has still not said what led to the No. 6 pilot’s removal beyond its statement that he failed to uphold the squadron’s standards.
The Blue Angels came home to Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday, November 6, 2026, for their first Homecoming Air Show since 2024, and thousands of people lined the flight line to watch. The team flew one jet short. On the same day the Navy confirmed that the No. 6 pilot, the opposing solo, had been removed from the squadron, so the season’s last show is being flown with five Super Hornets instead of six. Saturday, November 7, is the second and final day. Here is what changed, what it means for what you see from the crowd line, and how to plan the day.
Saturday at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 (second and last day) |
| Place | Sherman Field, NAS Pensacola, Florida |
| Gates | 8 a.m., Main Gate on Navy Boulevard and West Gate on Blue Angel Parkway |
| Flying starts | 9:30 a.m. |
| Blue Angels | About 2 p.m., with five jets |
| Admission and parking | Free; reserved seating is sold separately |
| ID | REAL ID-compliant photo ID for everyone 18 and older; passport for foreign visitors |
What the Navy said
The Pensacola News Journal reported on November 6 that Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux, who flew jet No. 6 as the opposing solo in his second year with the team, would not fly at the Homecoming. The Chief of Naval Air Training, the command the Blue Angels belong to, confirmed it in an emailed statement from its public affairs office: Blue Angel No. 6 “was removed from the team for failing to uphold the standards expected of members of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron” and will not take part in the rest of the season.
That is all that is on the record. The Navy has not said what the standards issue was or when the decision was made, and its public affairs officer could not give a date. The News Journal also noticed that his photo and biography no longer appear on the team’s officer page. We will not guess at the rest; if the Navy releases more, we will add it here with the date.
Six jets, five jets: what changes for the crowd
A normal Blue Angels demonstration uses six F/A-18 Super Hornets. Jets 1 to 4 fly the Diamond, the tight four-ship formation most people picture. Jets 5 and 6 are the solos: the lead solo and the opposing solo. Between the Diamond’s passes, the two solos fly toward each other and cross at show centre, and they fly the high-speed and slow-speed passes that fill the gaps. Near the end, all six join up in the Delta.
With No. 6 out, the Diamond can still fly as usual, and the lead solo still has a jet. What cannot happen in the usual way is anything that needs two solos, such as the opposing crossings in the photo above, and the final formation will have five jets, not six. The team has not published how it rearranged the routine, so treat any list of “missing” manoeuvres you see online as a guess. What we can say from the PNJ’s report of Friday: the show went ahead, on schedule, with five jets.
How Friday went
Friday was the first Homecoming in two years: the 2025 show was cancelled on October 31, 2025, during the federal government shutdown. The News Journal described thousands of fans lined up along the flight line on the first day, among them a busload of veterans who had driven about 11 hours from St. Louis. This year’s show also marks two anniversaries: 200 years of NAS Pensacola, which opened as a navy yard in 1826, under the theme “200 Years Forged Here,” and the Blue Angels’ 80th year as a demonstration squadron.
We have not found a published attendance figure for Friday. Earlier estimates for the two days ranged from about 150,000 to more than 300,000 people, depending on the source.
If you go on Saturday
- Saturday is normally the busier day. Plan to be at the gate when it opens at 8 a.m. Entry is first come, first served, and security closes the gates when the base is full.
- Stay for the end. The Blue Angels fly last, at about 2 p.m., and the five-jet change does not move that time.
- Bring what is allowed only. Folding chairs, blankets, small purses and small camera bags are fine; backpacks, coolers, outside food and drinks, drones, pets (service animals excepted) and every kind of knife or pepper spray are not.
- Protect your ears. Jet noise at the crowd line can damage hearing, children’s most of all; ear defenders for kids are worth more than any souvenir.
- If the gates close: Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island and boat cruises on Pensacola Bay are the usual places to watch from outside the base. Fort Pickens needs a pass bought in advance.
Full rules, parking and the bus from the car parks to the flight line are in our Homecoming guide, and times and hotels are on the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show 2026 page.
What comes next
Saturday is the team’s last show of 2026. According to the News Journal, the next public performance is in March 2027, with new team members; every winter the squadron replaces part of its pilots and trains the new line-up at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, before the season opens. The 2027 dates we have so far, including the next Homecoming on November 5 and 6, 2027, are on our Blue Angels 2027 schedule.
Worth bringing
- Hearing protection Fast jets are very loud, especially for children. Ear defenders or foam plugs make the day much nicer.
- Folding chair or blanket You may stand or sit for hours. Check the show rules first – some sites limit chairs near the crowd line.
- Clear bag Some venues, especially military bases, only allow clear or small bags. Check the show’s rules before you buy.
Sources
- Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels pilot Scott Laux removed from team for failing to uphold standards (November 6, 2026; CNATRA statement)
- Pensacola News Journal via Yahoo: Blue Angels and fans come roaring back after year off from Homecoming Air Show (November 6, 2026)
- Must Do Pensacola: Blue Angels fly with five jets at Pensacola Homecoming (November 6, 2026; event times)
- WEAR-TV: NAS Pensacola 2026 Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show (gates and times, November 6, 2026)
- Newsweek: Blue Angels pilot removed over standards (80th anniversary season, five jets)
- NAS Pensacola Air Show: FAQ (official)
- WEAR-TV: Blue Angels wrap 2026 show season at NAS Pensacola Homecoming Airshow (November 7, 2026)
- Military Times: Blue Angels dismiss aviator and public affairs officer, sources say moves unrelated (November 9, 2026)
Written by Airshow Guide in our own words from the sources above. Checked November 7, 2026, at 7:30 a.m. Central; updated November 8, 2026. Times and rules can change on the day: check the official NAS Pensacola air show website before you leave.