The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are scheduled to fly over McMinnville again Sunday, bringing the 2026 Oregon International Air Show to a close after a weekend that has placed Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft on the same Oregon flight program. Saturday’s performance by the Blue Angels drew much of the weekend attention, but the three-day show continues today with another schedule of military demonstrations, civilian aerobatics, historic aircraft and ground exhibits at McMinnville Municipal Airport.
The Aug. 14 through Aug. 16 event has given Oregon aviation enthusiasts a particularly strong military lineup this year. The Blue Angels are joined by the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team and a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey demonstration, bringing together three aircraft programs with very different roles in American military aviation. Oregon Air National Guard participation has provided an additional connection to military aviation based within the state.
Sunday’s Blue Angels performance comes one day after the team put its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets through its demonstration program Saturday. The Navy squadron is marking its 80th anniversary this year, adding a historical distinction to its return to McMinnville. The team was created in 1946 and flew its first public demonstration that June in F6F Hellcats, beginning a history that has followed the development of naval aviation from propeller-driven fighters through several generations of jet aircraft.
The Super Hornet represents the latest chapter in that history. The Blue Angels began flying the F/A-18E/F for demonstrations in 2021 after more than three decades with earlier versions of the F/A-18 Hornet. The current program combines the team’s well-known close formations with solo demonstrations, supported by approximately 160 Navy and Marine Corps personnel responsible for flying, maintaining and moving the operation through its national schedule.
McMinnville is one stop on that schedule, but the Blue Angels are not annual visitors to this edition of the Oregon International Air Show. Their previous McMinnville appearance came in 2023, making this weekend one of the relatively limited opportunities for Oregon residents to see the squadron perform within the state.
The Air Force has brought a considerably different fighter to the weekend. The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation aircraft incorporating advanced sensors, avionics and low-observable technology, and its demonstration is built around the performance of a single fighter rather than the coordinated formations associated with the Blue Angels. Its inclusion alongside the Super Hornets gives the McMinnville program both current Navy and Air Force fighter demonstrations.
The Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey adds an aircraft that operates differently from either. Its large engine nacelles rotate to allow vertical takeoffs and landings before moving forward for fixed-wing flight. The Marine Corps uses the Osprey to transport troops, equipment and supplies, combining access to locations without conventional runways with greater speed and range than traditional helicopters.
Those modern aircraft share the weekend with historic warbirds and civilian performers, preserving the broader air show format that has attracted generations of spectators to aviation events. Aerobatic demonstrations, specialty aircraft and ground displays give visitors more than a succession of military performances, while families can view aircraft at closer range and learn about the people and technical work behind aviation.
That educational side of the Blue Angels’ visit began before the weekend performances. On Friday, team personnel met with members of the Oregon Civil Air Patrol at Portland Air National Guard Base. Blue Angels pilots and maintenance personnel participated in the aviation outreach program before the squadron’s Saturday and Sunday appearances in McMinnville.
The setting also places the air show in an Oregon community with an established aviation identity. McMinnville is home to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and its extensive collection of aircraft, most famously the Hughes H-4 Hercules, commonly known as the Spruce Goose. The museum’s presence has made McMinnville an aviation destination independent of the air show, while this weekend brings operating military and civilian aircraft into the same community.
The Oregon International Air Show organization has its own long history in the state. Its first Hillsboro show was held in 1988, and the event developed over subsequent decades before McMinnville became another host location. Major military demonstration teams have remained among its biggest attractions, supplemented by civilian performers, historic aircraft and aviation programs intended for spectators of all ages.
The weekend has also brought visitors into McMinnville from communities throughout Oregon, adding to activity at area restaurants, hotels, shops and other businesses. For families making the trip Sunday, the final day offers the complete air show program rather than a shortened closing-day schedule.
Gates are scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Sunday, with flying beginning later in the morning and continuing through the afternoon. The Blue Angels are scheduled to perform during the final day, although individual performance times remain subject to weather, aircraft readiness and operational requirements.
With Saturday’s Blue Angels performance completed, Sunday now carries the remainder of the 2026 McMinnville event. The Blue Angels, F-35A Lightning II, MV-22 Osprey and supporting military, historic and civilian aviation program are scheduled for one more day before the Oregon International Air Show closes Sunday afternoon.