Smoky haze from wildfires won't ground Blue Angels for Seafair

SEATTLE — The smoky haze that has filled the sky in Western Washington won’t stop the Blue Angels from providing one of the biggest highlights of Seafair.

The Navy precision jet team flew Thursday morning to see just how bad the haze is from the wildfire smoke that has blown in from British Columbia.  And Blue Angels Commander Ryan Bernacchi tells KIRO 7 the show will go on.

“It'll be a little harder to find our points,” Bernacchi said.  “But it won't be hard.”

The Blue Angels pilots have experience in all types of weather.  All of them have combat experience, and Bernacchi says this haze is similar to what they see on a regular basis in the Middle East.

“I flew in the sandstorm in 2003 over in Iraq during the Shock and Awe campaign, and that was far, far worse than this,” Bernacchi said.  “So this isn't that bad.”

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With Thursday morning's haze, visibility was still double the minimum to fly a show.   The Blue Angels have four versions of the show.  Commander Bernacchi says with conditions like this, they may have to fly their low show like they did all three days for last year's Seafair.

“We'll fly whatever show profile the weather dictates,” he said, noting they can easily adjust.  “Often, we adjust during the show. When we take off it might be cloudy. If it clears up we'll just adjust into the next higher show.”

So the Blue Angels show will go on.  And everyone on the team KIRO 7 talked to Thursday said Seafair is their home away from home.  That is, except for public affairs specialist Daniel Young, because this is his home.  The Leavenworth native is proud to now be on the Blue Angels team.

“My family is going nuts right now,” Young said.  “Hitting me up on facebook, texting, calling me saying ‘I heard you're in town with the Blue Angels. I want to see you. I want to see the jets, can't wait to come out and see the show.’”

And now we know they’ll get that chance.

>>Watch KIRO 7's coverage of Seafair Sunday on Sunday, August 6 at 6:30 a.m.

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