LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana — The U.S. Navy’s famous Blue Angels will headline the Chennault International Airshow in 2025.

The jet team will be the centerpiece of the event, which will take place Oct. 24-26, 2025, at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles.

Airshow Executive Director Mary Jo Bayles made the announcement Tuesday while honoring local STEM teachers who have been awarded classroom educational grants funded by the not-for-profit airshow’s proceeds.

“We’re beyond thrilled for our next show in 2025,” Bayles said. “Mark your calendars early for it.”

It’s a return visit to Lake Charles for the Blue Angels after appearing in 2021 and earning live national TV coverage for the airshow on “Good Morning America.”

The Blue Angels, the Navy’s aerial demonstration team, does more than just fly their breathtaking precision routines.

“When they visit, they go out in the public and they visit schools,” Bayles said. “The first thing they asked about was what they can do in the community. They’ve heard so much about the hospitality in Southwest Louisiana. They’re excited to be coming — and so are we.”

The Airshow has been held biennially — in odd-numbered years — since the longtime local tradition was revived in 2013. There was no show in 2020.

“The airshow is a great community event and well worth the time and energy by a great team of volunteers who help plan and execute it,” said Bruce Beard, airshow president.

TEACHERS AWARDED $21,00 IN GRANTS

Proceeds from each airshow fund STEMulate Learning Grants to area teachers in science, technology and engineering fields.

This year, grants have been distributed to five local schools in various amounts totaling $21,031.38.

Each school from the five-parish area that applied was awarded funding for their STEM education programs.

Life Christian Academy was awarded $2,999 for a “collaborative and dynamic” STEM project, Brainy Builders, that uses LEGO sets to help students in third and fifth grade to develop their skills in coding, designing, and engineering.

St. Louis Catholic School, having recently instituted an engineering and robotics program, was given a $4,994 grant to support  Project Lead the Way.

The Barbe High School robotics team received a grant of $3,490 to help fund its preparation for the 2023-24 VEX Robotics Competition.

A $9,000 grant was awarded to the Lake Charles-Boston Academy Virtual Instruction Program (VIP) for a virtual reality headset library for high school students who participate in VIP.

Also, seventh- and eighth-graders at Our Lady Queen of Heaven School, which was awarded a $546.73 grant,  are creating a model windmill based on the novel “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba.

 

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For B-roll:
https://www.facebook.com/USNavyBlueAngels/videos/707895939693751/

 

For additional photos and background:
https://www.blueangels.navy.mil/media/

For local information and interviews:
Brett Downer, O’Carroll Group — brett@ocarroll.com, 337-515-0942 direct