Escambia County Shares Safety Tips for Blue Angels Weekend

With the Blue Angels ready to take to the skies for the Pensacola Beach Air Show, Escambia County encourages the public to follow these tips for a safe and fun air show experience:

Traffic

• Leave early. Traffic will be heavy, and parking is limited on Pensacola Beach. To view live traffic cameras, visit MyEscambia.com/pensacolabeach.
• The Casino Beach and Pensacola Beach Boardwalk parking lots will close once they reach capacity.
• If parking is full in the core areas, take advantage of the free Pensacola Beach Trolleys offered by the Santa Rosa Island Authority. Buses and trolleys will transport passengers between Park East, Park West and Casino Beach, the air show's show center. Click here for more information about Pensacola Beach trolley service.
• Remember that access into and exiting the Casino Beach parking lot along Via De Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road functions in a circular configuration, with one way in and one way out. The only entrance into the parking lot is along Via De Luna Drive next to Sidelines Sports Bar & Restaurant and across the street from Flounder's Chowder House. The only exit from the parking lot is along Fort Pickens Road near the public restrooms/Public Safety Building.
• Parking is not allowed along Fort Pickens Road.

Pedestrian Safety

• Pedestrians should cross the street at marked crosswalks and always watch for traffic when crossing.
• Follow pedestrian signs and signals. Pedestrians should yield right of way to vehicles if the crosswalk signal is red or "Don't Walk."
• Drivers should use extra caution and be mindful of pedestrians in the area.

Drone Restrictions

• Flying drones or kites during the air show is strictly prohibited.
• Please help keep everyone safe and the show running smoothly by following all drone rules and guidelines.
• Once aircraft demonstrations begin, all drones and kites must be grounded until the U.S. Navy Blue Angels have completed their performance. This also includes the civilian flight demonstrations. Any drone detected within a five-mile radius of the restricted flight zone will result in an immediate pause of the air show until the airspace is clear.
• Click here for more information about drone regulations and restrictions.

Water Safety

• Swim in lifeguarded areas, and be sure to follow all lifeguard instructions. Swimmers will not be allowed in the Gulf during the air show.
• Check before you go and follow the posted beach condition flag warnings. Beach conditions can be checked at PensacolaBeachLifeguards.com and on the Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Facebook page.
• Rip currents are the leading water hazard and account for more than 80% of lifeguard rescues. Even on green flag days, rip currents can be present. If you are caught in a rip current:
  • Stay calm.
  • Swim parallel to shore.
  • If you are unable to swim out immediately, float with the current until it weakens, then swim back to shore at an angle.

Heat Safety

• Wear and reapply sunscreen often.
• Avoid strenuous activities and wear light clothing.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Click here for an infographic with more information.
• Never leave people or pets in a vehicle.

Weather Safety

• Escambia County Emergency Management will be closely monitoring the weather and sharing updates with the public throughout the air show.
• Air show attendees are reminded to heed any warnings about severe weather and lightning in the area, and to follow any announcements and instructions regarding potential weather delays.
• For the latest weather updates, follow Escambia County Emergency Management or Meteorologist Scottlin Williams on Facebook, or follow @EscambiaBeReady on Instagram.

Pensacola Beach Rules

• Glass containers are not allowed on the beach.
• The west side of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier is an alcohol-free zone.
• Open containers are not allowed off the boardwalk or outside any establishment.
• No alcohol can be consumed in any parking lot on Santa Rosa Island.
• No grills are allowed on the beach.
• Dogs other than service animals are not permitted on the any of the beaches except in designated dog parks. Click here to view complete rules and boundaries for Pensacola Beach dog parks.
• Remember to "leave no trace" and keep Pensacola Beach sea turtle friendly. Properly dispose of trash, fill in any holes in the sand and remove belongings from the beach at the end of the day. This includes not leaving any personal property unattended on the sandy Gulf beach from sunset until sunrise like umbrellas, tents, beach toys and chairs. Click here to view the Leave No Trace ordinance.

Water and First Aid Stations

• A water station will be available at the Pensacola Beach Visitors Information Center, located in the Casino Beach parking lot near the corner of Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road.
• A first aid medical tent will be located in the parking lot of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office substation at Casino Beach to provide assistance to any air show attendees in need of medical care.
• An emergency cooling station will also be available next to the medical tent.

Vessel Exclusion Zone

• Escambia County Emergency Management has deployed buoys and signage in the sound side of Pensacola Beach to create a vessel exclusion zone for the Pensacola Beach Air Show, which will provide an access point for first responders entering and exiting the water when responding to calls.
• The vessel exclusion zone will begin from the shoreline between the Santa Rosa Island Authority Administrative Building and the ferry channel.
• Boaters are prohibited from anchoring their boats within the vessel exclusion zone, which is marked by red buoys. However, boaters may cross through the vessel exclusion zone while traveling to their destination.

Click here to view a full schedule for the Pensacola Beach Air Show.

Click the map to enlarge.