The Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron, will be the featured attraction at a Robins Air Force Base air show and open house April 28-29 of next year.

The Blue Angels, flying the F/A-18 Hornet, are the Defense Department’s oldest formal aerobatic team, performing more than 70 shows throughout the country each year.

Robins spokesperson Christine Miner confirmed the Blue Angels participation in the coming event. She said Lt. Col. Dwayne Gray, deputy director of the 78th Operational Support Squadron at Robins, will serve as air show director. The first planning meeting is scheduled for October, Miner indicated.

The free Robins show typically draws up to 100,000 spectators each day to view aerial demonstrations from a host of performing teams and see, touch and feel a multitude of aircraft on static display. The complete lineup for the April event will be available later as plans become more firm.

The last Robins air show came in May of 2009 featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights. Other aerial demonstrations included two World War II-vintage B-25s, a Japanese Zero, an SBD Dauntless and many others.

The Blue Angel show features six Hornet aircraft split into a four-ship diamond formation together with lead and opposing solos. The diamond team flies loops, barrel rolls and other maneuvers while in formation. The solos execute high-speed passes, slow passes, fast rolls, slow rolls and very tight turns to demonstrate the capabilities of the F/A-18.