DeBrincat takes ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ flight with Blue Angels

BELLEVILLE, Mich. -- Receiving an unforgettable offseason experience, Alex DeBrincat flew with Major Scott Laux of the Blue Angels, an elite flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy, at Willow Run Airport on Saturday morning.

“That was wild,” DeBrincat, with a big grin, told DetroitRedWings.com shortly after disembarking the backseat of the Blue Angels’ No. 7 F/A – 18 Super Hornet. “I feel like you can look online and see all the stuff, but you don’t really get the full thing until you’re out there. It was pretty fun.”

As part of this weekend’s 2025 Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, the Detroit Red Wings forward, alongside Ann Arbor Pioneer High School swim coach Stefanie Kersha, both were selected by the Blue Angels as “Key Influencer” riders. Kersha took to the skies on Tuesday afternoon, while DeBrincat’s flight was rescheduled to later in the week.

However, the pair completed the pre-flight safety briefing together, learning the proper breathing techniques and layout of the cockpit with U.S. Navy Aviation Support Equipment Technician First Class Crew Chief Tamara Perez, so DeBrincat was all set when he returned to the two-runway airport on Saturday.

But according to DeBrincat, nothing could have prepared him for when the Super Hornet roared down the runway and ascended into the air at a stomach-turning 45-degree angle.

“That got me pretty nervous for the rest of the flight honestly,” DeBrincat said. “That was pretty crazy. I would say I’m not a huge fan of heights in general or being up there and doing all that stuff, but I definitely got more comfortable as we went through.”

Laux performed several maneuvers during the 45-minute flight, including some of his personal favorites.

“We have two that I really like to do with riders,” Laux said. “One of them is the Loop. It’s a very simple maneuver -- we pull into the vertical and then when you’re upside down at 10,000 feet, you tilt your head up and can see the whole world come into view. It’s a surreal maneuver and kind of the first time that the rider gets to appreciate the experience that they’re having.”

Laux, call sign “Goldie,” said the jet hit a top speed of 650 miles per hour and reached 7 Gs multiple times, even peaking at 7.5 Gs. He praised DeBrincat for making it through the flight, adding that the Red Wings forward “absolutely crushed it.”

“Not everybody does, but [DeBrincat] did a really, really good job,” Laux said. “I would expect somebody, an athlete like that, to handle the G-force and be up for anything. That’s what I kept telling him, ‘Be an athlete.’”

DeBrincat’s family members were also in attendance, cheering him on and waving at the jet from the spectator area on the ground while it soared above them before it made an impressive smoke trail on the return trip.

“Archie was probably more pumped for me to come here than I was,” DeBrincat said. “He was having a good time.”

After landing, DeBrincat was gifted a personalized framed photo of the Blue Angels from Laux, and gave the Major a custom Red Wings jersey.

All in all, the thrill of the entire morning is something DeBrincat will cherish forever.

“It’s such a cool experience, a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” DeBrincat said. “Definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m happy I got to come here and do it.”