BELLE CHASSE, La. (WGNO) — The famous U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in town for the 2024 New Orleans Air Show and that means a very special rider will get to fly along.
It’s something Heather West never imagined she would get to experience.
West is this year’s Key Influencer Blue Angels rider, meaning while the crew is in town for the 2024 airshow, she gets a 40-minute acrobatic flight with the Blue Angels.
It’s time for takeoff.
BA: “Ready? Hit it. Nice Work All done!”
HW: “That was pretty darn cool.”
BA: Departure of Blue Angel seven Passenger 3504. 8000.”
HW: “Well, there’s a new view of the river. Never seen it from that angle before.”
“This is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and absolutely met with disbelief,” said West.
She was chosen for the work she does in the community. West is the executive director at Loop NOLA, spending most of her days providing positive experiences and educating people of all ages on the outdoors.
“A lot of kids don’t get that, especially kids from marginalized backgrounds in an urban area like New Orleans. And, so, we try to provide both the mental and physical health benefits that the outdoors offer that the outdoors offers,” said West.
She said she is used to guiding others through scary situations.
“When it comes to our high ropes course, um, that has a lot of physical elements that kind of test your limits a little bit. We get a lot of kids who at first are like, ‘No, I’m not doing that. I’m not doing it.’ And then eventually, they do the biggest, tallest thing. Like, I don’t think I could do any of that. And it’s just awesome because really, that’s what carries you into life, is being able to do things that you think you can’t do,” said West.
But on March 20, West said she had to follow her advice as she was being guided through every loop, turn, and flip.
“I loved that. That was my favorite part, was just hanging upside down, inverted. That was awesome,” said West.
Her husband stood below in support, creating memories that will last a lifetime and quite the story to take home.
“I will be telling all the youngsters about this. I will be telling people about this forever,” said West.
The 2024 New Orleans Air Show is Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans located in Belle Chasse. Admission is free. Gates open at 8 a.m.
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