Spectators Watch the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Perform at the Punta Gorda Airport, March 22, 2012
If ya live in Southwest Florida then you certainly know the 32nd Annual Florida International Air Show took place last weekend at the Punta Gorda Airport. The show dazzled attendees with amazing aerobatics, military jet demonstrations, historic displays and other exhibits.
Thursday before the show, not only did I have an incredible flight experience with Team RV, the world’s largest air show team, but I had the honor of seeing the U.S. Navy Blue Angels team arrive AND interview Capt. Benjamin Blanton USMC, although I’m pretty sure I unintentionally insulted him. Well, he was very cool about it and it’s a story for another time, as well as my interview with him.
Did you miss the Florida International Air Show but still want to catch the Blues? View their schedule on the Blue Angels’ website (www.blueangels.navy.mil).
Enjoy these Blue Angels snapshots taken before the start of the Florida International Air Show.
The Blues Have Landed! Punta Gorda Airport, Fla., March 22, 2012Blues Crew Gets Debriefed About their On-Ground Assignments, Something Like "Turn Right, then Left, then Right, then Left..." Punta Gorda Airport, Fla., March 22, 2012Up Close with Blue Angels Jet #7, Punta Gorda Airport, March 22, 2012No Skycap Here!Blues' F/A-18 Hornet's Get in Position (Yeah, I don't know the official military term for this), Punta Gorda Airport, Fla., March 22, 2012Capt. Benjamin Blanton U.S. Marine Corp. He Pilots the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules Cargo Plane Known as Fat Albert Airlines.
Jennifer A. Huber is an award-winning travel and outdoor blogger and writer in Southwest Florida. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., a hiking trail led her to a career path in the tourism industry for more than 30 years. She spent a decade with a park management company in Yellowstone, Death Valley, and Everglades National Parks. She founded the travel blog, SoloTravelGirl.com with the goal of inspiring others to travel alone, not lonely.
The unexpected death of her former husband in 2008 reminded her how short life is. His passing was a catalyst for sharing her experiences with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to travel solo.
Jennifer holds a Travel Marketing Professional certification from the Southeast Tourism Society, is a certified food judge, member of the NASA Social community, and alum of the FBI Citizens Academy. When not traveling, she is either in the kitchen, practicing her photography skills, or road tripping with her dog, Radcliff.
Step into another world to learn about Florida’s sea life during a nighttime seagrass wading trip into Lemon Bay with the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center in Englewood, Fla.
Some people choose to run with the bulls. I chose to swim with the bull sharks! My experience with Florida Shark Diving out of Jupiter, Fla., was JAWESOME! I needed a little adrenaline rush in my life and this trip on April 1, 2023, yes, April Fool’s Day, was perfect.
