The Blue Angels blessed the skies of Seattle this past Seafair weekend, but some Seattleites are praying they go away forever.
Every year, the first week of August, Seattle’s Sea Fair event is accompanied by a fancy, flying Navy airshow. The specially trained pilots fly their jets as a celebration of U.S. military strength and as a military recruiting tool. This prodigious team was first established in 1946, and every year since, they have loudly and proudly flown each month over most major U.S. cities.
This year, a billboard has been positioned along Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, displaying the phrase, “Say no to Blue Angels!” and stating “Too Loud! War Trauma! Pollution! Paid for by the Airshow Climate Action Coalition”.
The 2026 Blue Angels schedule is already released, and it looks like the Seattle residents and climate activists calling for the Blue Angels ban have lost once again.
Many citizens agree with the Veterans for Peace’s advocacy, one of the groups behind the campaign for change. This struggle has been ongoing for many years. Thousands have already signed the petition to end the Blue Angels air show in Washington State. They argue that the jets glorify violence and don’t belong in a family-friendly event, and that the sounds of military aircraft can trigger PTSD in veterans, immigrants and refugees, among other claims.
Climate change activists are also on the hunt for revolution. They claim that the Blue Angels do nothing but make things worse, citing that many Seattle residents already bear the burden of poor air quality from highways, sea-ports and airports.
The Blue Angels’ pollution and fossil fuel consumption are astounding. The jets are burning more than 1,200 gallons per hour. That’s $72,000 an hour just for fuel, for six Blue Angel jets. For those concerned about what comes out of their own pockets, the Navy budget calculates that the Blue Angels, each year, cost the US taxpayers $35.5 million.
The Blue Angels airshow has been entertaining spectators since 1946. The jets zooming and booming make many people’s chests swell with patriotism. Yet, many things have changed since 1946. From the invention of the microwave to artificial intelligence, 2025 is a different era. Maybe the Blue Angels should be something the U.S. considers changing. Fossil fuels are an unsustainable resource. Burning 1,200 gallons of jet fuel per hour is a gross waste of supplies and is polluting the environment we live in.
Our values as a country should be considered as we move forward into the future. Do we need vain, boisterous, militarized displays of power to show our worth? Or can we be worthy quietly, while protecting our Earth and being environmentally conscious of our use of resources? Surely, there are better things to spend $35.5 million worth of taxpayer money on.
