GLAD TO BE HERE
How the Blue Angels mantra inspired a film
director's journey with team
The Blue Angels documentary director Paul Crowder on the set of The Blue Angels - IMAX.
The morning sun had barely crested the horizon when film director Paul Crowder and his IMAX crew descended upon California’s Naval Air Station El Centro in February 2022. They were there to begin filming a documentary about the U.S. Navy’s revered Blue Angels squadron.
"We were up at the crack of dawn on our first day,” Crowder said. “And then, bam, the morning reveille hits across the base and everyone freezes in their tracks facing the flag. A guy even stopped and jumped out of his car to salute."
"It completely walloped me,” he continued. “Suddenly I had this epiphany about what it truly means to honorably serve your country with gratitude. Then I thought, 'How on earth are we going to capture the power of this on film?’”
Fast forward to May 2024 and Crowder’s 90-minute documentary The Blue Angels, debuts on the giant IMAX screen, catapulting audiences into the heart-stopping world of high-performance precision aerobatics. But the film’s storyline goes much deeper than just the action of flying fast and tight. It also provides viewers with an unprecedented glimpse into the team’s inner workings, capturing the Blues ethos built on a foundation of unwavering trust, camaraderie and gratitude.
The filmmakers’ unparalleled level of access granted by the Navy allowed them to embed themselves within the fabric of the squadron, showcasing the Blues’ intense focus and determination in the relentless pursuit of excellence. They captured the intimate details of the teams’ grueling nine-month schedule criss-crossing the country filming air shows and practice sessions at their headquarters –− Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Beyond the synchronized aerial ballet and sky-shredding maneuvers, the film peels back more layers to reveal the enigmatic core of the entire team's ethos encapsulated by their iconic mantra, "Glad to be here." Far more than a mere catchphrase, it’s a mindset that embodies the team's secret formula for success year after year. The Blue Angels soar as a singular entity with a mindset rooted in shared gratitude and a belief that they’re part of something much larger than themselves.
“Six jets up and six jets down. That’s what Boss Kesselring told me it means," Crowder stated. "You make it back in one piece, and you’re glad to be here. It’s infectious. It becomes a part of you. My entire film crew was affected by this phrase.”
The filmmakers were able to seamlessly blend their shot list into the team’s regimented schedule without becoming a major distraction. “We were able to build trust with the team early on, and Boss Kesselring was so supportive, understanding the importance of our combined teamwork and representing the Blue Angels squadron with the precision they embody,” Crowder said.
The Blues live and die by the clock and every moment is a meticulously choreographed spectacle of punctuality. ”When they said they would start at 10:06 a.m., that’s exactly when they started,” Crowder said. “There was no ‘L.A. time’ during our shoot,” he continued now smiling. “No second takes − we had to seize the moment as it unfolded, capturing the raw authenticity of their day to day operations."
Navigating the many layers of the Blue Angels culture also required a delicate finesse and a deep amount of respect for the teams’ sacred rituals and traditions, including the pilots’ briefs and debriefs along with their mysterious chair flying ceremonies − a form of subconscious imprinting where pilots sit together with their eyes closed and vividly imagine themselves flying through their routines.
With eyes wide with the kind of fervor reserved for true believers, Crowder told me about a chat he had with the film’s executive producer − none other than three-time Blue Angels Commanding Officer, Boss Greg Wooldridge. It was a sacred moment during production when Crowder’s team was finally granted the gold ticket to film in the hallowed Blue Angels ready room, a place as cloaked in secrecy as the inner sanctum of the Vatican.
"It was like pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz," Crowder confessed, still riding the high.” He then said Wooldridge leaned in and told him, "You know, very few people have been allowed to witness this."
Recounting a poignant scene in the film that crystallized the essence of the Blue Angels, Crowder described a breathtaking shot that eluded him until the final days of the season. In the ethereal light of an early November morning in Pensacola, as the hangar door slowly rolled open to reveal the squadron's six blue jets bathed in a golden hue, the silhouette of a Blue Angel emerged, helmet in hand, etching an iconic scene against the dawn sky. “It was the shot I’d been chasing all year," he stated proudly.
They say, “Once a Blue, always a Blue.” Former team members carry the legacy of their time on the team with honor and humility. "Glad to be here" isn't just a slogan; it’s a daily reminder of their privilege to be part of this extraordinary organization past and present.
“It’s a constraint that pushes you to believe in yourself and your teammates,” Crowder told me, with a proud glint in his eye. “It truly changed my life. I’m glad to be here, mate.”
The Blue Angels feature documentary is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
Hear directly from director Paul Crowder and journalist Alan de Herrera during a one-hour podcast with former Blue Angel pilot John “Gucci” Foley at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51zhcXjHK7M.