JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — As far as air shows go, the Sea and Sky Air Show in Jacksonville Beach holds a special place in the hearts of locals alike.
“It’s a totally different perspective than having a kind of a land-based one because it is out over the ocean, open sea, open sky, you get a, it’s just a different perspective on the whole thing,” Jacksonville Beach local James Carmichael said Saturday morning.
The takeoff for this year’s event, however, wasn’t without some turbulence, as the Blue Angels were not a part of the show amid the ongoing government shutdown.
While the absence of the elite naval air unit left some disappointed, many still looked to the skies with excitement, putting five civilian pilot crews in the spotlight for the first time.
“I’ll be sad that they’re not flying,” Jacksonville Beach local Julie Healy said Saturday on day one of the event. “But I saw some planes practicing yesterday, and they’re pretty awesome, I thought. So I still think it will be a good show.”
“We’ve seen the blue angels,” Carmichael said about him and his friend. “It is a disappointment, but you just deal with it and go on.”
For military service members and northeast Florida veterans, angels in the sky or not, the event also serves as an opportunity to honor our nation’s military service members, their abilities in the cockpit, and their places in our hearts.
“You have [Naval Station] Mayport close and [NAS] Jax base very close,” Duval Navy veteran David Hixon pointed out. “There’s a lot of veterans here who have served, and they’re happy that these things are done for our community.”
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