"Since 1946 when the first Blue Angels flight demonstration team took to the air, more than 156 million people have been thrilled by their heart-stopping aerial artistry. As part of the U.S. Navy, the Blue Angels are carrier qualified pilots, but, as the title of this work implies, they spend most of their time near the shore. Since 1973, the Blue Angels have flown the lightweight McDonald Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, a small, highly maneuverable machine." - William Phillips