A month after a U.S. Navy pilot died during a Blue Angels practice in Tennessee, the squadron of elite jets returned to the skies over Michigan on Saturday.
The Blue Angels flew a modified five-jet show as part of the Fourth of July celebrations and National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Mich.
On June 2, the crash killed Capt. Jeff Kuss. The Navy is still investigating the cause of the crash, but witness video showed the plane freefalling shortly after takeoff.
The squadron thanked airshow fans for their patience “as we have navigated through this very difficult loss of our teammate,” said Cmdr. Ryan Bernacchi, commanding officer and flight leader.
Plans called for the crew to fly aerobatic demonstrations over West Grand Traverse Bay with their F/A-18 Hornets looping and barrel rolling at speeds that approach 700 mph for high-speed passes.
