McLain native pens children’s book about the Blue Angels
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McLain native Dianna Hayden is shown talking to first graders at McLain Attendance Center last Friday. Hayden went to the school to read her new children’s book, “Thach and the Blues”, to the students and to talk to them about the Blue Angels, the United States Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. Shown (Background) is Hayden’s mother, Margaret Cobb, a former educator who once taught at McLain.
Photo by MALLORY STRICKLAND | Herald Contributor
By MALLORY STRICKLAND | Herald Contributor
Squeals of excitement filled a first-grade classroom at McLain Elementary School on Friday as “Thach and the Blues,” a children’s book inspired by the thrill of Blue Angels airshows, came to life.
McLain native, Dianna Hayden, director of education at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., shared the book with students as part of a special visit that blended literacy, aviation and deep personal ties to the McLain community.
“It was a special day,” Hayden said.
Hayden wrote “Thach and the Blues” to help young readers and their families relive the magic of Blue Angels airshows and practice flights long after the jets leave the sky.
“I wrote the book to give young readers and their families a way to remember the fun they had at Blue Angels airshows and practices,” she said.
Having worked at the National Naval Aviation Museum for nearly 18 years, Hayden said she has watched how the airshows have a lasting impact on spectators, particularly children.
“During that time, I’ve seen thousands of children experience an airshow for the first time,” she said. “Their excitement and joy are contagious, and I wanted to try to capture that feeling.”
The book was brought to life visually with the help of art director Humberto Amaro, whom Hayden credited with making the project possible. “Thach and the Blues” has been available since April 2025 and is sold through the National Naval Aviation Museum.
The visit to McLain Elementary carried special meaning for Hayden, whose family history is closely tied to the school. Her father, Johnny Cobb, came from a family that attended McLain, and her mother, Margaret Cobb, taught at McLain High School for 19 years. Several relatives also worked in the McLain school system, and many family members and friends remain connected to the campus today.
“MAC is dear to my heart,” Hayden said.
Returning to classrooms she once sat in herself, Hayden said the experience stirred childhood memories and gratitude for the teachers who shaped her love of reading.
“I loved being back in my old classrooms reading to children because I loved being read to when I was in first and second grade,” she said. “I had really wonderful teachers at MAC, too.”
Hayden thanked McLain educators for welcoming her into their classrooms and allowing her to share the book with students.
In her role as director of education, Hayden oversees a wide range of museum programs, including the Flight Adventure Deck field trip program for local middle schools, summer camps, Homeschool Academy, JROTC leadership programs, scouting initiatives and Girls in Aviation Gulf Coast. She also announced the museum will soon release information about its National Museum Masterpieces Art and Essay Contest, which will honor the 80th anniversary of the Blue Angels.
Hayden has read “Thach and the Blues” to children in Pensacola, at the USO and at the National Naval Aviation Museum but said returning to McLain Elementary was especially meaningful.
In a classroom filled with eager listeners, Hayden’s story found its most fitting runway, right back where her own journey began.
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