Milwaukee Air and Water show doubles as a homecoming for a U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot from Madison

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Dressed head-to-toe in bright blue, Griffin Stangel stands proudly on the tarmac outside of the 128th Air Refueling Wing in Milwaukee.

Behind him is a gleaming navy-blue plane with golden accents that shine in the summer sun.

Stangel is a Lieutenant Commander with the U.S. Navy -- but this weekend, he will take on a different title.

“I'm Blue Angel #6," Lt. Cmdr. Stangel told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. "The opposing solo."

It's a dream come true for the Madison-native, who has been in the Navy for 11 years.

"I went to West High School, my parents used to live by Camp Randall Stadium," Lt. Cmdr. Stangel said. “Even on the flight down here from Duluth, I was kind of looking around like, oh, there’s the lakeshore, and there’s Madison. It’s very special to be able to fly over your home state.”

When asked what it takes to fly an F-18 fighter jet like the one he will fly in the show, Lt. Cmdr. Stangel said it's "a workout."

"The G-forces combined with the focus, it can be very challenging at times, so we’re very focused every time we fly," Lt. Cmdr. Stangel said. “You hear it, you feel it, you can smell it. It’s a different experience, but the flying for the air show is very unique and [I'm] very fortunate to help showcase that, but it’s a lot of work.” 

Stangel said he took around 150 flights between December and March to prepare, plus his years of training.

“When you’re a part of such an awesome team, it is pretty phenomenal and for the people who’ve gone in before you to establish that legacy you definitely don’t want to let them down," Lt. Cmdr. Stangel said.

And for younger boys and girls who may want to follow in his footsteps one day?

“Find something you’re passionate about, whatever it may be, and just try to be a little bit better at that thing every day," Lt. Cmdr. Stangel said. "I had this spark, this fascination with aviation and it started with watching Med Flight fly over my house in Madison. I’d always just look up and be fascinated with that, and that grew, my parents used to take me to the airport just so I could watch the airplanes fly. Further down the road, I kind of just explored options and it was always that little inspiration or fascination with flight inside of me, don’t know where it came from, but I knew it was going to be a passion of mine and I decided I was going to try to be the best pilot I could be.”

The Milwaukee Air and Water Show will take to the skies over Lake Michigan July 22 and 23.

Tickets and more information can be found here.

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