Blue Angels Fly In For Preseason Visit

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U.S. Navy Blue Angel #7 roared through the Vidalia skies on Thursday, November 20, as two of the team members visited the city in preparation for the 2026 Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show.

Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza and Lieutenant Commander Lilly Montana flew into the Vidalia Regional Airport on Thursday to meet with Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show officials to ensure that all parties – air show organizers, airfield representatives, community leaders, and the Blue Angels themselves – are on the same page about what to expect and prepare for prior to the show.

“So, Blue Angel 7 [Lieutenant Hafeza] and I are going to visit each one of our 32 show sites for the upcoming 2026 season. We're making stops at every location, meeting with air show organizers, airfield representatives, community leaders to kind of get on the same sheet of music for the upcoming show,” Lieutenant Commander Montana explained.

Lieutenant Hafeza discussed his excitement for the 2026 Flight Demonstration Season, as 2026 marks not only the 80th anniversary of the Blue Angels’ first show, but also the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. “So, what's especially cool is that not only is it the 80th anniversary of the team, it's also the 250th anniversary of our country. So, we're expecting a lot of potentially unscheduled and really cool events to happen, but in that we're going to continue flying around the country and just showing our excitement and representing the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,” he emphasized.

Both Hafeza and Montana shared that they have always been drawn to the Blue Angels, and flying and working with the team is truly a dream that has come true. “I was inspired by the team at a very young age. I remember seeing them back in 1996 performing in San Francisco, and I knew ever since then I wanted to be closer to that and what they stood for. Along a very lucky track, I wound up here, couldn't be happier,” Hafeza remarked.

Montana explained that the most recent Blue Angels application period marked the third time that she had applied for a position with the squad, as she even visited the Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show in 2024 as an applicant. “It was something that once I learned what a naval flight officer could do on the team and their role, that really attracted me to just the organization as a whole – everyone working at 110% to get the mission done,” she commented. “I was here in 2024 at the last air show as an applicant. I got to meet a lot of the team, got to see how the air show worked from kind of a little bit of a behindthe- scenes perspective, but now being a part of the planning and everything that goes into it, I'm looking forward to it even more.”

Hafeza and Montana stated that it is an honor to serve on the squad, and to work to accomplish the team’s mission, which is to display the professionalism and excellence that is embodied by the United States Military. “We don't necessarily need to go to big cities in order to accomplish our mission, and that's why I feel especially proud coming to a small town like Vidalia,” Hafeza added. “I love the the unique experience in promoting that outreach, reaching to crowds and in all different sectors of the United States, it's just such an incredibly rare and special opportunity to be able to inspire those.”

He continued, “So, while the crowd sees six jets fly, six jets go up, six jets come down, there's an entire maintenance team that backs that up, and that precision and that excellence that we see within the flight demonstration is backed by an entire team that emulates the values that we see throughout the United States Navy and Marine Corps.”

The duo said that they were most excited to visit all of the different stops on their 2026 Flight Demonstration Tour, as the events range from large city shows to small town festivals. “One of the unique things about our air show schedule is it's not just big cities or the shows that we do every single year. You get to explore 32 different facets of the United States and a small town in South Georgia like Vidalia. It just breaks out the hospitality, the warm welcome, the fans are fantastic, the crowds are huge, and who doesn't love Yumion?” Montana remarked.

The Vidalia Onion Festival Air Show is slated for April 25-26, 2026, at the Vidalia Regional Airport, and will feature a performance by a number of acts, including the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. For more information, visit vidaliaonionfestival. com.

ROARING THROUGH THE SKY – U.S. Navy Blue Angel #7 roared through the Vidalia skies on Thursday, November 20, as Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza and Lieutenant Commander Lilly Montana flew into the city for the preseason visit.Photo by Makaylee Randolph

GREETING THE ANGELS – Vidalia Mayor Doug Roper and Vidalia Regional Airport Manager Billy Ragan greet U.S. Blue Angels Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza and Lieutenant Commander Lilly Montana after the pilots’ arrival on Thursday, November 20.Photo by Makaylee Randolph

SHOWCASING PROFESSIONALISM AND EXCELLENCE – U.S. Navy Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza (right) and Lieutenant Commander Lilly Montana (left) said that they are honored to be able to showcase the professionalism and excellence embodied by the United States Armed Forces.Photo by Makaylee Randolph