The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Ble Angels, made its annual deployment to Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, Calif., to prepare for the 2006 show season.
The 10-week winter training concludes in early March after the team completes a minimum of 120 flights during a rigorous six-days-a-week, three-flights-per-day schedule.

The team performed there first public flight demonstration of 2006 at the El Centro base March 12, 2006. The Blue Angels performed 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the United States and Europe during the 2006 season.

The United States Navy´s Blue Angels (or Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron), formed in 1946, ist the world´s first officially sanctioned military aerial demonstration team. The United States Air Force has its own demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds, whin began operations in 1953.

"Home of the Blue Angels" is Pensacola, Florida.

The team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the show season. However, the squadron spends january through march training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly 66 air shows at 35 air show sites in the United States during the 2007 season, as the team celebrates 20 years of flying the F/A-18 Hornet. Last season, more than 15 million spectators watched the Blue Angels perform. Since its inception in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million fans.
On March 6, 2006 I had the privelege to get a flight in the backseat with Blue Angel #7.

After months of planning, Emails and phone calls we arrived safetly in El Centro.
My aim was to get many nice action shots form the legendary USN Blue Angels team, and to make my wedding proposal to my wife Tanja (we are married now since June 2006!) after the flight. So I got my "go" from the team to fly with "Kojak", LCDR Davis in his #7 jet F/A-18B Hornet for one hour of High G-forces, acceleration and inverted flying etc. above the dunes where George Lucas filmed his famous "Star Wars" movies - what a sight!

After one hour of pure high performance flight it was already over and we were after a smooth douchdown back @ NAF El Centro.
And this was the ride of my life, which I thoroughly enjoyed every second of my flight. When the engines where shut down, I made my wedding proposal to Tanja and luckily she said "yes"! She hat no really choice, when so many people of the team and cameras where around us ;-)

Thanks to "Ghost" for all his help and support and "Kojak" for the flight of my life........ And to our friend Guido Schmidtke of N24, who made a nice story on TV about our marriage proposal too - thanks Guido!

Acknowledgements
I would like like to thank LCDR "Ghost" Kasper, Public Affairs Officer and his whole team for their great support and making the visit possible, especially I appreciate there help for arranging my wedding proposal after my flight - thanks Ghost!
Further I would like to thank, LCDR "Kojak" Davis Opposing Solo for the flight with #7 - what a ride, the best flight I have ever had - thanks Kojak!
Without all their support, this article could not have been written.