See Sacramento-area teacher suit up for flight in Blue Angels F/A-18 fighter jet
It was no ordinary school day for Jason McKnight and his students on Tuesday.
A science teacher at Mills Middle School in Rancho Cordova, McKnight was selected for the California Capital Airshow’s key influencer program — which put him in the cockpit of a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 and his students on the tarmac at Mather Airport.
McKnight hoped that the experience, and his recording of the flight, might ignite an interest in science for his students.
“We can watch it and maybe learn a little bit about how airplanes fly and maneuver and maybe inspire them to do a little bit of STEM career-type stuff,” he said.
“My dad was in the Navy for 20 years, and down in San Diego we’d go to the Miramar Air Show every summer. I loved it.”
The Blue Angels are at the airport for this weekend’s airshow on Saturday and Sunday, where they perform each day. Other performing aircraft include the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper and the Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, which can take off vertically.
“My inner child is coming back out here right now,” said McKnight before the 45-minute flight.
Gates for the show are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the aerial performances scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. General admission single-day tickets, which include parking, are $55. Children age 15 and under are free.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 1:27 PM.