Hayes, Cole, & Barron Take Flights of a Lifetime

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The U.S. Navy Blue Angels gave Toombs County High School Football Coach Nick Hayes, Bananas Foster Foundation Founder Emily Cole, and Outdoor Influencer Hannah Barron the flight of a lifetime, as they took to the Vidalia skies to get firsthand experience riding in an F-18 Super Hornet on Wednesday, April 22.

At each Air Show location, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels select one celebrity, one local key influencer, and one media representative to fly in the back seat of Blue Angel Jet #7 as it rips across the sky and performs several of the aerobatic maneuvers seen during the show. These individuals are nominated by their local Air Show representatives and are then confirmed by the Blue Angels crew.

Hayes was selected as the Key Influencer for the Vidalia stop on the Blue Angels show schedule, as he experienced around seven times the force of gravity while Blue Angel #7 Pilot Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza led him through inversions and other tricks. Hayes has spent over 14 years investing in youth in the community as a teacher and coach, through which he has mentored numerous young men. He is also an entrepreneur, owning two businesses in the area – 1st Down Lawn Care and Friday Night Christmas Lights, which donates an annual $1,000 installation of Christmas lights to a deserving local family.

“I am so grateful to everyone who made this experience possible. From the people who selected me, to my family and friends who came out to support me – it meant a lot to share that moment with them. I want to give a special thank you to my wife, Kacie, and my daughter, Landry — having them there meant everything to me,” Hayes emphasized. “It was also awesome getting to meet and go through it alongside celebrities, like Emily Cole. Being around people like that made the experience even more special.”

He also spoke about his experience with Lieutenant Hafeza and Hafeza’s Crew Chief Cody Farrell. “They were first class all the way. They were great guys and made the whole experience unforgettable,” Hayes added.

“Pulling 7.3 Gs without passing out was absolutely exhilarating—unlike anything I’ve ever done in my life. It gave me a whole new level of respect for what those pilots do and the kind of shape they have to be in to perform like that. This is something my family and I will never forget, and it made this year’s Onion Festival truly special. I am so proud to be from Toombs County!” he concluded.

In addition to Hayes, Bananas Foster Foundation Founder Emily Cole also soared through the air on a wild ride as a part of the location’s Blue Angels VIP Flight.

Cole is the co-owner of Fans First Entertainment and the wife of Savannah Bananas Creator Jesse Cole. She also founded the Bananas Foster Foundation, which supports foster families throughout the nation. “My husband, Jesse, and I are foster parents, and it's one of those things that I think is still a little taboo of a topic in society. It's not talked about a lot,” she explained. “When we're looking around at our games and the people at our games, it's made up of families, right? What foster care is – it is families supporting other families, really, at its root. We wanted to just shine a light on it and inspire other people to become foster parents or get involved in the foster care world in some capacity, whether that's mentoring, donating, or providing supplies. That's really what we try to do is just inspire people in the crowd every night by telling successful foster care stories, because those are out there.”

“It's not just the negative things that you hear about, and so we wanted to shine a positive light on it and try to get more people involved and have been very fortunate to do that over the last few years with Bananas Foster,” she added.

She also shared her excitement for the opportunity. “What a oncein- a-lifetime opportunity. People keep asking if I'm nervous. I don't think the nerves have set in yet. I think I'm just really excited. Maybe once I get in there, I'll get a little nervous, but something like this doesn't just happen every day, so I definitely had to accept it, work it into the schedule, and get here, and I’m very excited to be here,” Cole remarked before the flight, as she stated she enjoys adrenaline-pumping activities and adventures. “I've heard a lot of great things. We have a couple of players from near here, and they have talked up the Onion Festival and Vidalia for years, so I’m excited to be here.” Cole said that she and her family had watched the Blue Angels documentary that was produced in 2022 but had not watched what maneuvers would be done during the flight. “I haven't let myself watch any of the videos of the flying just because I didn't want to psych myself out at all, but I'm just excited for the opportunity. This is something that not a lot of people get to do, and I’m just so blessed and grateful that we're able to be here. I am just so proud and admire these pilots and what they accomplish, and really excited to be around people who are really great at their craft, and excited to chat with them about what they do every day,” she emphasized.

Cole’s children and parents watched her oncein- a-lifetime flight from right outside the Vidalia Regional Airport, while her husband Jesse witnessed the adventure virtually, as work required him to be in New York the morning of the flight. After exiting the plane, she stated that the flight was exhilarating, and that she enjoyed both the exciting maneuvers and beautiful views from the skies.

The last media flight of the day was for Outdoor Influencer Hannah Barron, who is most known for her videos of catfish noodling, or catching large catfish with her hands.

VIP FLIGHT – Bananas Foster Foundation Founder Emily Cole was selected to fly in Blue Angel Jet 7 with Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza as the Vidalia Show Site’s VIP Flight.

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE – Emily Cole’s children talk to Lieutenant Ronny Hafeza and ask him their questions about the plane and flying.Photo by Makaylee Randolph

WELCOMING HIM BACK – Nick Hayes’s daughter welcomes him back to the ground as the family greets him after his landing.Photo by Makaylee Randolph