MILWAUKEE – Given the messy forecast for Thursday, it’s a good thing Major Scott “Goldie” Laux and Lieutenant Commander Lilly “Lunchbox” Montana flew in one of the Blue Angels’ F/A 18F Super Hornets to the 128th Air Refueling Wing at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport the day before.
The pair were in Milwaukee Wednesday to kick off the countdown to the 2025 Waterstone Bank Air & Water Show on July 19th and 20th, where the Blue Angels flight demonstration squad will be on display once again. The performance will be the group’s fourth time headlining the show since 2017.
Despite the past displays in Milwaukee, Major Laux and Lt. Commander Montana say the show will feature fresh maneuvers for fans old and young alike.
“Every winter, we’ll begin our winter training program. During that time, we assess every maneuver with Blue Angel #1 our flight leader “Boss” determining the path foward with our show sequence,” says Lt. Commander Montana.
Major Laux adds flying the Super Hornets comes with the increased challenge of a bigger jet; the Blue Angels switched from the F/A-18 Hornet C/D to the Super Hornet in 2021, and it can hit max speeds of 1,190 miles per hour.
The performances share the dual purpose of demonstrating the capabilities of the pilots and jets, while also introducting young aviation enthusiasts the opportunities that exist for show flights within the armed forces. Air National Guard Colonel Charles Merkel at the 128th said it was performances from the Blue Angels and the Air Force’s equivalent the Thunderbirds that pushed him towards a military career.
“I remember an open house that the 440th hosted when I was in high school, and seeing all the airplanes down there really made an impression on me,” Col. Merkel tells WTMJ. “Air shows, open houses, all these events are a great tool [not only] to educate them on what we’re doing at our home town air force here, but also maybe get them interested in joining the military.”
The 2025 Waterstone Bank Air & Water Show will also have less competition for attendees compared to 2024, when it shared the weekend with the Harley Homecoming. This year’s annual motorcycle event will be the weekend before, July 10th-13th.
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