The U.S. Navy's iconic flying team, the Blue Angels, performed over the weekend for the first time in nearly a year after the team was grounded because of forced spending cuts. If you haven't had a chance to see them in person, watch them fly over the years in these photos from aerospace fans on CNN iReport. 
Aerospace journalist Charles Atkeison says the team's blue and gold jets are a familiar sight and sound along the northern Gulf Coast beaches, near their home at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. 
Atkeison had the opportunity to photograph the Blue Angels practicing at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola in September 2013. 
The Blue Angels' six demonstration pilots fly F/A 18 Hornets. "They can perform amazing aerobatic stunts," said Atkeison, who got to fly with the team in 2012. 
Blue Angels pilots and crew members greet show spectators in Pensacola. 
"A typical week may find all six Blue Angels in flight as they practice flying wing tip to wing tip, just 18 inches apart," he said. 
Two pilots converse at the Naval Air Station. 
Alabama dad Ditto Gorme visited the Naval Air Station in Pensacola to photograph the Blue Angels practicing in March 2013, shortly before the team was grounded. 
"Every year, we always go to the airshow here in Pensacola," Gorme said. When he learned the shows would be canceled, he said, he decided to go watch one of the remaining practice sessions. "It was packed with fans like it was a regular show." 
A total of 16 officers voluntarily serve with the Blue Angels, according to its website. Each team is composed of three tactical jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps pilot. 
The Blue Angels have been around since 1946. They have flown more than 10 different aircraft during their six-decade history. 
This was the second-to-last practice before the federal government canceled the 32 shows left last year. The Air Force said air shows can cost bases $100,000. 
Gorme plans to be watching the Blue Angels for their 2014 opening show. 
After practice flights, pilots go to the Naval Aviation Museum to meet the fans and sign autographs. 
A pilot signs a poster for a fan. 
Retired teacher Gej Jones has seen the Blue Angels fly several times. 
Jones last visited the Naval Air Station in April 2012. He says the atmosphere was electric. 
The first time he saw the Blue Angels fly, Jones said, "I was like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus. I was very excited. That same excitement has been with me each and every time since." 
The Blue Angels flight exhibition team was initially created with the intention of piquing the public's interest in naval aviation and boosting Navy morale. 
Jones says the airshow has certainly captivated him. "It's a terrific opportunity for the public, young and old alike, to get up close and personal with the Blue Angels," he said.
- The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels are back after being grounded last year
- Federal forced spending cuts led to cancellations
- Their first performance was on March 15 in California
Will you be watching the Blue Angels perform? Share your photos with CNN iReport.
(CNN) -- Clipped wings no more, the Blue Angels are soaring again. The blue and gold jets are returning to the sky after being grounded much of last year because of forced spending cuts.
The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron kicked off the 2014 air show season with its first show Saturday, March 15, at Naval Air Facility El Centro in California.
The nation's best military fliers halted their iconic aerobatic performances in April 2013.
But aerospace and military fans are rejoicing as the Blue Angels return this year for more dynamic aerial demonstrations. The team is scheduled for 68 performances at 35 locations between now and November 8.
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