The Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron was formed in 1946 by the United States Navy and is the second oldest formal aerobatic team in the world. The Blue Angels typically perform aerial displays annually in at least 60 shows at 30 locations throughout the United States.

The F/A-18 was designed to be a highly versatile aircraft due to its avionics, cockpit displays, and excellent aerodynamic characteristics, with the ability to carry a wide variety of weapons. This multi-mission warplane was designed and developed as both an attack aircraft and a fighter. F-18s flew over 9,000 missions during Operation Desrt Storm. The F/A-18A is the single-seat variant and the F/A-18B is the two-seat variant.