KOMO anchor Molly Shen got the full Seafair experience Friday, riding in the backseat of a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet and briefly losing consciousness during one of the jet’s most punishing maneuvers. The flight reached speeds of roughly 460 mph, climbed to 9,000 feet and subjected her to 6.5 Gs.
The ride came before the Blue Angels’ first Seafair show of the weekend, with Shen following stunt pilot Melissa Burns as one of two invited guests. In KOMO’s account, Shen described the flight as physically demanding but exhilarating after pilot Lt. Ronny Hafeza demonstrated several of the team’s signature moves.
One Maneuver Left Shen Briefly Unconscious
Barrel rolls and inverted flight were apparently manageable compared with the sneak-to-vertical roll, which pushed the jet to about 95% of the speed of sound. The maneuver made it difficult to keep blood flowing, and Shen lost consciousness for a few seconds before the flight continued.
The Blue Angels’ performance is built around precision flying, with the team’s jets sometimes passing as close as 18 inches apart. Their Seattle appearance is part of a broader mission to showcase Navy and Marine Corps teamwork while encouraging interest in aviation and military service, according to Seafair organizers.
Blue Angels Still Set To Dominate Seafair Weekend
Shen’s flight came as the Boeing Seafair Air Show returned over Lake Washington, where the Blue Angels are headlining a lineup that also includes military aircraft, civilian stunt pilots, vintage planes and parachute demonstrations. The U.S. Navy’s official 2026 show schedule lists Seattle performances on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday’s air-show lineup is scheduled to build toward the Blue Angels in the afternoon, with additional demonstrations from the Coast Guard, Army, Air Force and Washington National Guard earlier in the day. FOX 13 Seattle reported that the Blue Angels are scheduled to fly over Lake Washington at about 3:30 p.m.
For Shen, the spectacle viewed from below became a firsthand lesson in just how much force is packed into those few minutes over Seattle. Hafeza told KOMO News that air shows can help people find the spark to fly, work on aircraft or pursue other goals in aviation.
