Generations of pilots watch Blue Angels documentary premiere in Pensacola

The new Blue Angels documentary has finally launched and premiered Thursday night during an exclusive red-carpet event at AMC Bayou 15 in Pensacola, putting fans in the cockpit of the renowned F/A-18 Super Hornets.

"The Blue Angels," a feature length documentary directed by Paul Crowder and produced by Glenn Powell and J.J. Abrams, filmed during the 2022 air show season and featured "newbie" pilots learning the ropes and the selection process of new Blue Angels pilots.

"This is a dream to be able to have the premiere here in Pensacola with the Blue Angels, the crew and everyone we got to hang out with," Crowder told the News Journal during the event. "I couldn't wish for it to be any better."

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During the hour-and-30-minute run time, the film focuses on the 2022 Blue Angels as they integrate Lt. Cdr. Chris "Cheese" Kapuschansky and Lt. Scott "Jamammy" Goosssens into their new roles as pilots for the elite flight demonstration squadron.

As the film progresses, it turns to the crew helping train the next show season's pilots Cdr. Thomas Zimmerman, the current No. 6 opposing solo pilot; Lt. Cdr. Amanda Lee, current No. 4 slot pilot; and the current No. 1 Cdr. Alexander Armatas.

Lee made history as the first woman to fly as a demonstration pilot with the Blue Angels.

Zimmerman, who had to go through the lengthy and stressful interview phase of becoming a Blue Angels pilot, told the News Journal during Thursday's premiere that the process seemed even more nerve-racking as the IMAX cameras captured their every move during the process.

"It's stressful enough as it is, and then just imagine having an IMAX camera just following you around as you wait in the hallway waiting for your interview or while you're strength testing," he said. "Then once we were selected, now they're following us through the training.

"It's enough pressure as it is, but with the legacy that this team has — to live up to that — and to have that captured on film is a whole other level," Zimmerman added.

Among the various Blue Angels crew members attending the premiere also stood a Blue Angels veteran, retired Capt. Greg Wooldridge who helmed the Flying Blues as No. 1 during the 1991, 1993 and 1996 air show seasons before retiring from the Navy in 1997.

Wooldridge, who is heavily featured in the film and was one of the executive producers, told the News Journal he's anxious for the film's debut to the community but feels it will be well received in the Blue Angels' hometown.

"I'm excited, thrilled," Wooldridge said. "I'm hoping everybody here feels as good about it as I do."

Throughout the movie, everyone who is a part of the Blue Angels team will frequently say, "Glad to be here," a phrase the squadron's pilots have been saying for decades. In a US. Naval Institute article written by Lt. Cdr. Mark Provo, a former Blue Angels pilot who flew under Wooldridge's leadership in 1996, says the phrase is a reminder of the opportunity to represent the Navy.

"It doesn't matter whether he has flown a good demo or has made mistakes on several of the maneuvers — he still says, 'Glad to be here,'" Provo wrote. "The reason for this team custom is because no matter how bad a show you flew, no matter who called you names in the crowd, it is a privilege to be on the Blue Angels team and represent the Navy."

The film is in theaters from May 17 through May 23 exclusively in IMAX, meaning the only theater in Pensacola you can see the documentary is AMC Bayou 15 at 5149 Bayou Blvd. After it's theatrical run, the documentary will be available to stream on Prime Video beginning May 23, the subscription-based on-demand streaming service owned by Amazon MGM Studios.