Milwaukee Air and Water Show, Blue Angels set to return in July 2023

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Following a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021, the Milwaukee Air and Water Show came roaring back to life in 2022, bringing thousands to Milwaukee's lakefront to take in the spectacular sights and sounds the show provides.

"Bringing it back after hiatus from 2020 and 2021, it was tough," said Paul Rogers, president and founder of the Milwaukee Air and Water Show. "Everybody was looking forward to that event, and the Blues performed incredibly for four days."

The event was a success, and with the help of title sponsor Waterstone Bank, will return again in 2023.

"Having a great performing team like the Blue Angels makes it a step above," Rogers said. "It'll happen again."

The Blue Angels were founded in 1946 by the chief of naval operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz. His vision of creating a flight exhibition team was meant to raise public interest in naval aviation and boost morale.

"While we are just 150 to 160 personnel, we are representing the over 800,000 men and women in the Navy and Marine Corps that are deployed currently overseas," explained Lieutenant Commander Thomas Zimmerman with the Blue Angels. "It's exciting to bring that mission across the United States and also try to inspire the next generation of leaders and inspire a culture of excellence."

The show will feature two days of demonstrations by all types of different aircraft, with the headliners being the Blue Angels F 18 Super Hornets.

"(F 18) Super Hornet's an amazing aircraft. It's a little bigger, little faster, little louder than the legacy hornet which we had for 34 show seasons," explained Lieutenant Commander Brian Vaught. "It's very reliable, it's going to put on a great air show. If you haven't seen it before, come on out and we think you'll be very impressed."

The show allows the pilots to showcase their abilities and the abilities of the aircraft they are flying.

"The solos are going to demonstrate some of the maximum performance capability of the aircraft. You'll see a lot of high G, some slow flight, some really exciting things to bring you," LCDR Zimmerman said. "You'll see some of that traditional Blue Angel formations that we've had in our 77 years of history."

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will return to the skies of Milwaukee for the Milwaukee Air and Water Show July 22 and 23, 2023.