Six Takeaways I Noted from The Blue Angels Documentary

I watched The Blue Angels documentary (released May 23, 2024) and I’m happy to share that I loved it and was inspired by it. I felt the same as I do every time I’m privileged enough to see The Blue Angels fly over or perform a show – excited, inspired, nervous and awestruck.

I encourage everyone to see it. The documentary is suitable for all ages.

Here were notes I took and then turned into six takeaways that can be applied to life, in a career, in your personal life and in any endeavor you take.

1. Working together is key.
Captain Brian “G” Kesselring said, “To make six jets fly as one, that’s the Blue Angels magic.” His words reminded me that when individuals work together as a team, that’s when greatness can be achieved. The solo pilots can’t create the same excitement that seeing all six pilots can.

In our careers, we don’t get ahead or achieve success by doing it alone. We can’t create a family, a village or a support system by being alone.

Teamwork is everything. We create a team, a family, by blood or by choice, by coming together, listening, working through mistakes, empowering and encouraging each other.

2. The right person must have three things – talent, passion and personality.
When selecting a new Blue Angel candidate, Captain Kesselring said it ultimately comes down to three things – talent, passion and personality.

This made me think of job selections, friend selections and all the choices we make. At some point, we are looking at people for their skills, for what drives them and for who they are at the core.

We should strive to surround ourselves with the people who fuel us and help us continue to grow, those who encourage us and those who understand or at least appreciate us.

3. What really matters is trust – that you trust the people you’re with.
In the documentary, we meet Lt. Amanda Lee and see her path as she’s the first female pilot to join the Blue Angels. Captain Kesselring commented how the media likes to “make a big deal out of firsts” with her being the first female pilot but that can sometimes downplay the work that pilots like Lee put in to get there.

From his words, I noted that he and others on the team saw her as the best person for the role, and as someone that could be trusted. It didn’t matter that she happens to also be a woman. She earned the job because of her talent, passion and personality.

4. Always be “Glad to be here.”
Several members and former members of The Blue Angels talked about the phrase, “I’m glad to be here.” For them, this is a reset, a reminder about forgetting the kind of day you’re having and focusing on gratitude.

Three-time boss leader of Blue Angels, Greg “BOSS” Wooldridge said that when you’re glad to be among the people you’re with, then they understand and “trust you because you won’t hold anything back. And when you have that kind of effort, it raises the outcome for each and every person.”

I interpreted this to mean that having gratitude and staying humble will keep you on a great path and with the best attitude. Do not focus on what you “have” to do; focus on being grateful for what you “get” to do.

5. Perfection happens in moments but Excellence can be realized more often.
Throughout the documentary, Blue Angel members talked about chasing perfection even though perfection is not possible to sustain. They talked about seeing perfection in moments while flying but never for an entire show, event or weekend.

This was a good reminder to me about letting go of the idea of ongoing perfection. It’s not possible, not even for the best of the best team, The Blue Angels. We should chase it but remember that it’s the chase, the consistency of hard work and determination that leads to excellence.

I think about my professional as well as my personal life. There have been a few rare perfectly executed communication pieces or speeches I have written; but in most cases, there have been back and forth edits, rewrites and rethinking that took place. In the workplace it takes a team to reach excellence and it’s nearly impossible to have perfection; or if you do, it does not last.

Personally, there are even less perfect moments in relationships and circumstances. If you’re lucky, you may have minutes of those “perfect feeling” bonds between spouses and partners, between parents and children but they don’t last. We forget about all the work that went into those moments — the stress, the rushing around and the anxiety that led to that perfect party, photo, near-perfect performance or excellent achievement.

I hope to remember that perfection is always fleeting but I can always keep trying. Excellence over time is more attainable.

6. All the parts (all the people) put something great together. Teamwork is what makes it possible.
Point number six leads back to point number one, and it’s all about teamwork.

People are not islands nor do we want to live on one forever alone. Because with others, we can achieve and do so much.

The documentary started and ended with the importance of a team and working together.

I realize how lucky I am with my team of people in my life. I cherish them and hope to help make us a stronger unit.

Did you watch the documentary? What did you think?

What were some of your takeaways?

We are so blessed to live in our community with The Blue Angels. Thank you to everyone who made this documentary possible as I know it will inspire others as it did for me.