09/09/2025
Thunder Over NH Blue Angels 2025 A Stormy September Sunday Afternoon: #5 Solo in the Clouds
I had looked forward to seeing the Blue Angels perform in the New Hampshire skies since I purchased my ticket for the Sunday performance in 2024.I was not able to see the practice flights where the skies were perfect for the full Blue Angel performance. Saturday weather was iffy and the show times were amended to try to get in some of the events. Hearing that the Saturday show was cut short I was hopeful I had picked the better day and would get to see the Blues soar and put on their full show.
On the afternoon of September 7, 2025, thunderstorms had painted the skies above Pease Air National Guard Base with brooding gray tones. Despite the shifting weather, the crowds at Thunder Over New Hampshire clung to their seats and jockeyed for position along the flightline, eyes fixed skyward, hoping the Blue Angels might still perform.
Silver clouds lay low, a heavy blanket less than 4,500 feet above, making the conditions unsuitable for the full “flat show.” Weather reports from the local weather team confirmed the presence of an unsafe cloud ceiling, leading to the cancellation of the complete demonstration. Yet as the afternoon unfolded, a crack in the overcast opened a fleeting window—and with it, the promise of something extraordinary.
The full team of roaring jets proceed down the taxiway and sea of blue and gold, yet only one soared: the #5 Solo pilot. In a rare single-ship sortie, the F/A-18 Super Hornet danced beneath the brooding canopy, offering a sliver of the magic the full formation would have brought.
That single-ship performance was shorter than usual, yet intense—packed with blazing speed passes, a billowing v***r cone streaking across the storm-dark sky. It was a snapshot of precision and power, performed by one pilot against nature’s dramatic backdrop
As the photographer on the ground, my disappointment at the truncated show was tempered by both relief and elation. I trained my lens on that lone jet, anticipating its appearance through the shifting clouds.
What I felt:
Disappointment, knowing the full choreography—Diamond formation, solos, and sweeping maneuvers—would not grace the skies.
Surprise and admiration, watching #5 pilot courageously elevate the solo act, weaving speed and precision under such daunting conditions.
Joy, as I captured vivid frames of the jet’s blue-and-yellow fuselage slicing through darkness, condensation trailing like brushstrokes against a storm-swept canvas.
Some shots captured the jet enveloped in v***r, its silhouette framed by low-hanging clouds—classic Blue Angels drama, distilled into a single, bold moments.
As the sky attempted to clear slowly and the flight window closed, the Blue Angels grounded themselves, heading to the crowd to meet and sign.
Capturing Beauty in the Storm, with my camera—is something more than precision flight: it’s resilience. In the unavoidable constraints imposed by weather, a single pilot’s brilliance shone through. And even in the face of cancellation, the spirit of the Blue Angels—the fearless push, the artistry amid adversity—found a way to reveal itself.
Here’s to those singular moments of beauty—when dark skies and daring flight converge, and the camera becomes both witness and storyteller. While not the show or the images I had hoped to capture I was thankful for the opportunity to be on the flight line and witness the event.
