IMAX film 'The Blue Angels' features sailor from Naval Air Station Point Mugu

Dave Mason, Ventura County Star
·4 min read

Kevin Hill recalled he almost passed out in the back of a Blue Angels' jet accelerating so fast it produced high gravitational forces.

“Are you still with me, Kevin?” Navy pilot Lt. Cmdr. James Cox asked Hill, then a petty officer 1st class who was one of the two crew chiefs maintaining Cox's plane. Hill reopened his eyes despite the high G-force.

He said Monday he loved the thrill of it all during a practice flight at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. A perk was crew members got one ride with their pilot.

The Camarillo resident, who now works as a chief petty officer and aviation structural mechanic at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, and other members of the elite flying team's crew share the thrills in "The Blue Angels.” The new IMAX documentary is scheduled for wide release Friday with some screenings Thursday evening.

The 93-minute film covers a year with the storied Blue Angels and includes the Navy and Marine Corps demonstration squadron's shows, training and selection of pilots and crew members.

Hill, 38, said he hasn’t seen the movie. Although he doesn't know how much of him made the final cut, he's excited about the release. Hill said he was filmed during his work as a crew chief for a Blue Angels' F/A-18 Super Hornet. His work included pre-flight inspections of the aircraft and performing engine tuneups.

Kevin Hill, now a chief petty officer at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, works as a ground crew chief and petty officer 1st class with the Blue Angels. Hill, who was with the demonstration squadron from 2019 to 2022, is featured in the new IMAX documentary "The Blue Angels."
Kevin Hill, now a chief petty officer at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, works as a ground crew chief and petty officer 1st class with the Blue Angels. Hill, who was with the demonstration squadron from 2019 to 2022, is featured in the new IMAX documentary "The Blue Angels."

Hill added he provided the filmmakers with video of him doing his side gig as a DJ playing reggae and more for team members on Saturday nights in their common eating area or at events. He said he doesn't know whether the documentary will include that.

During training in El Centro in Southern California’s Imperial Valley, Hill said he and others worked hard to ensure the jets were ready to soar into a diamond formation at 8 every morning as a recording of the National Anthem played.

Hill, a Jamaica native, joined the Navy in 2007 and served on aircraft carriers and at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, until he applied for a role with the Blue Angels. He went to Pensacola for interviews, which required him to demonstrate his skills by working on planes. He showed his eagerness by volunteering for any and all work.

Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Hill works with Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, a Blue Angels pilot and the squadron's commanding officer during Hill's 2019-22 tenure with the demonstration squadron.
Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Hill works with Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, a Blue Angels pilot and the squadron's commanding officer during Hill's 2019-22 tenure with the demonstration squadron.

“If I saw someone with a tool box, I would come over and take it away from them,” Hill said, chuckling.

Hill, who served from October 2019 to December 2022 with the Blue Angels before coming to Point Mugu, said the pilots are in great shape as they withstand forces as high as 7 gs. They do that without wearing g-suits, which Hill said would inflate and hinder the pilots' movements inside the cockpit during precise maneuvers.

Blue Angels' jets fly as close as 18 inches from each other, Hill said. The stress on the planes is so intense screws start to come loose during the flight, he said. Ground crews tighten them afterward.

Hill eventually got to be the ground crew chief for the jet flown by the Blue Angels’ commanding officer, Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, who's now a captain.

Kesselring knew Hill was from Jamaica. Hill said Kesselring asked him how he was doing, but used the Jamaican language.

“I started laughing and said, ‘You know my language!’” Hill said.

After that, Kesselring and Hill always exchanged pleasantries in Jamaican every time they saw each other, Hill said.

“He tried to make sure we were all happy,” Hill said.

Those vibes should carry over to the big screen. Fifty-eight people attended an advance screening Saturday for local military personnel at Naval Base Ventura County's Needham Theater. The audience liked the movie, its depiction of the preparations and views from inside the cockpit during the flights, said Sean Haley, civilian theater manager.

As of early this week, the nearest showings appeared to be at AMC Topanga 12 & IMAX, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park, and the Regal Edwards theater at 24435 Town Center Drive, Valencia, have announced they will show the movie. The film will also stream on Amazon Prime, starting May 23. Find more about the film at www.imax.com/movie/blue-angels.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: IMAX film 'The Blue Angels' features crew chief now at Point Mugu