SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Great Tennessee Air Show will return to the Smyrna Airport this weekend, featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, whose jet #1 crew chief is from Nashville.

While the Blue Angels are among the several military and civilian aviation performers meant to entertain the crowd, their main goal is to promote Naval aviation and the U.S. Marine Corps in hopes of inspiring young men and women to enlist.

It worked for the crew chief for Blue Angels jet #1, AM1 (AW) Jeremy Bluhm, who grew up watching the Great Tennessee Air Show with his father.

“I saw the show when I was, like, four-years-old,” Bluhm said. “That was my first time seeing it, and me and my dad would go out to Percy Priest Lake and go fish and watch them fly over.”

Later in life, Bluhm enlisted in the Navy and eventually became a Blue Angel himself. This weekend, his family will watch him perform at the Smyrna event.

“My dad…one of these runways, he’s got a big Blue Angels sign; he’s super proud about that,” Bluhm said. “My mom’s going to come down, my grandmother; I’ve got aunts, uncles, like everybody.”

The Blue Angels’ performance has been months in the making. The pilots and crew chiefs have been training since last November, and they have logged more than 120 flight hours after practicing six days a week during the preseason.

Lt. Scott Goossens, the Blue Angels jet #4 slot pilot, told News 2 all the hard work pays off when they get up in the air for a show.

“A moment where you kind of have to pinch yourself, and that feeling doesn’t go away,” Goossens said. “I have that feeling every single day, every time I walk into our squadron spaces, every time I get into the jet. I just feel incredibly fortunate and lucky to be here.”

The Great Tennessee Air Show will take place on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11. Gates at the Smyrna Airport open at 8 a.m. and the show will end at 4:30 p.m. The show schedule is expected to be the same for both days.

Follow these links for more information about the Great Tennessee Air Show, including road closures and how to buy tickets