The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000

The Blue Angels made their annual visit to Seattle last weekend as apart of the Seafair festivities. Even though this is my fourth summer in the Emerald City, I’ve never actually made it down to Lake Washington to watch their show. While working at Boeing Field last year, I saw the squad come in and take their customary parking space at the south end of the runway. Blue Angel fans camped out along the airfield waiting for the F/A-18s to land in Seattle. After joining the crowd at the I-90 bridge this year, I understand the buzz that accompanies these daredevils. Watching the Blue Angels dip, dive and scream their Boeing jets along the water was exciting.

One of the most unique aspects of the show was watching the Blue Angels against an urban backdrop. You really get a sense for how devastating the Hornet could be in an actual conflict. Before you ever hear a sound, they come from behind a hill and are right over your head. If they wanted, Bellevue could be decimated within minutes.

The photographic conditions during this demonstration were about as bad as it can get. The Blue Angels air show started around 1 PM, and Seattle was experiencing a blazing hot, clear day. I used my longest lens, the 18-200mm VR, with a polarizing filter. Most of my shots were made with aperture priority dialed to f/8. I was surrounded by a sea of long, gray glass—I should have figured that the low flying jets would bring the Canon shooters out. For next year, I’ll be sure to bring along a 400mm lens, monopod and a backwards baseball hat—or not.

For a few more shots, watch the slideshow below or check out my Flickr set.