Navy and Marine Corps pilots meeting the basic requirements submit an application directly to the team via the Officer Selection Officer, the number six pilot. Applicants visit the squadron at scheduled show sites early in the show season to observe the team firsthand. Finalists are selected mid-season and interviewed at the Blue Angels squadron in Pensacola, Florida. The new demonstration pilots are selected by unanimous vote. A Marine pilot flies the Right Wing, number two, position to maintain continuity throughout the team.
Safety is paramount for every demonstration.
Each pilot is responsible for good health and safety, however, the Blue Angels Flight Surgeon will medically down a pilot if one should become ill or injured. With the number of practice hours required to safely fly a demonstration a spare pilot would not utilized. Each pilot must complete 120 training flights during winter training in order to perform a public demonstration safely. Unlike combat flying, the Blue Angels demonstration pilots know the maneuvers they will fly prior to execution, each pilot knows when one will be pulling gravitational forces. Knowing and anticipating the changes in gravitational forces allows the Blue Angels demonstration pilots to combat the G-forces with muscle contractions.