Probably like you, I read about it on facebook or twitter yesterday that Navy had to cancel the Annapolis show.  The official letter announcing their cancellation (BLue Angels canx 23 May 2011) quickly circulated through the digital ranks within the city of Annapolis.  And although we all want to protect their safety above our own joy, I felt as though there was a silent sigh amongst the Annapolis community.

Having grown up in the Annapolis area for 20 years, the Blue Angels are a spring to summer rite of passage: a day when families take their kids out of school to witness this amazing spectacle; a day when teenagers may happen to skip class; when businesses in Annapolis climb to their rooftops to enjoy the amazing show that the Blue Angels perform; when the Severn River is bustling with boats.   As locals, we embrace the US Naval Academy as part of our own.

But truly, those who are most forlorn are the men and women who have been committed the last 4 years to reach this pinnacle moment, with the vision of the Blue Angels as part of their send off from Annapolis.   So as residents & businesses in town, let’s do our best to rally the spirit of the Blue Angels and ensure that the final days for the Class of 2011 are met with enthusiasm, appreciation and thankfulness for their commitment to not only their own excellence, but for our country.

Thank you graduating Class of 2011.  We salute you.

Celebrating with Food, Fun & Beer in your honor ~
Erin

Thank you to JimBooking’s You Tube channels for these videos.

Since 1989, the Rams Head “offices” have been located in downtown Historic Annapolis.  For our lunch breaks, we can enjoy the cobblestone streets, the speciality shops & and even salute the meter maids.  Week-to-week that is a bonus to our jobs.  But, one of the most exciting weeks to work in Annapolis is the USNA Commissioning Week. 

Yes, you do have to deal with some extra traffic & have your yearly duty as a “official direction giver”, but it’s all in the name of our US Naval Academy grads, which we as a community beam as proud parents.  That graduation is called “Commissioning Week”, and one of the locals favorite traditions includes a visit from the Blue Angels, in the form of a flight demonstration.

Official word from the Blue Angels website says:

A Blue Angels flight demonstration exhibits choreographed refinements of skills possessed by all naval aviators. It includes the graceful aerobatic maneuvers of the four-plane Diamond Formation, in concert with the fast-paced, high-performance maneuvers of its two Solo Pilots. Finally, the team illustrates the pinnacle of precision flying, performing maneuvers locked as a unit in the renowned, six-jet Delta Formation.

 It is cool to watch from the ground, as demonstrated by the slew of boats that arrive in the harbor, the picnics that are set up and the people who watch from the rooftops.   But, by far the most ridiculously amazing account of this event is this raw footage from WITHIN THE COCKPIT:

We salute you Class of 2009!  We thank you and your families for being a part of our community and we look forward to your return visits as Alumni.  Congratulations…

Blue and Gold
Now colleges from sea to sea may sing of colors true,
But who has better right than we, to hoist a symbol hue?
For sailors brave in battle fair, since fighting days of old,
Have proved the sailor’s right to wear, the Navy Blue and Gold!
“Beat Army!”