Jeff Kuss (Opposing Solo, #6) 2 June 2016: died just after takeoff while performing the Split-S maneuver in his F/A-18 Hornet during a practice run for The Great Tennessee Air Show in, Lt. John R. Dewenter 2 August 1958: landed wheels up at, Lt. Ernie Christensen 30 August 1970: belly-landed his F-4J Phantom at, Cmdr. Dan Martin signs an F-14 Tomcat toy, for a child.jpg, US Navy 031017-N-6213R-030 Ground crews stand by as the United States Navy's precision flight demonstration team Blue Angels perform.jpg, US Navy 040320-N-6060O-361 During Naval Air Station Lemoore's annual air show, pilots assigned to the U.S. Navy's flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, give a final salute ending their show.jpg, US Navy 040320-N-6060O-378 Lt. Craig Olson, a pilot assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, signs autographs for excited fans after the annual air show on board Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.jpg, US Navy 040320-N-6060O-379 Lt. Craig Olson, a pilot assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, signs autographs for excited fans after the annual air show aboard Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.jpg, US Navy 040327-N-7559C-001 The Commanding Officer for the U.S. Navy's flight demonstration team Blue Angels, CDR Russ Boss Bartlett, of Nantucket, Mass., talks to his crew chief.jpg, US Navy 040514-N-0295M-045 Draftsman 2nd Class Jeffrey Ballge photographs one of the Blue Angel's six F-A-18A Hornets.jpg, US Navy 040606-N-7559C-001 Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Mario Delacruz, from El Paso, Texas, wipes brake dust from the tire rim of a Blue Angels F-A-18A Hornet.jpg, US Navy 041024-N-8253M-010 Pilots assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, march down the ramp following their performance at the 2004 N'Awlins Air Show.jpg, US Navy 041106-N-4779D-045 A crew chief assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, salutes the pilot of his F-A-18A Hornet as he prepare for takeoff.jpg, US Navy 041107-N-8683B-110 Lt. Cmdr. Plane cost: $21 million each. The aircraft silhouettes change as the team changes aircraft. The Blue Angels' first public demonstration also netted the team its first trophy, which sits on display at the team's current home at NAS Pensacola. [86], In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Blue Angels flew over multiple US cities as a tribute to healthcare and front line workers. The Blue Angels have performed at military and civilian air shows across the country since 1946. You bring pride, hope and a promise for tomorrow's Navy and Marine Corps in the smiles and handshakes of today's youth. On 7 June at Birmingham, Alabama, four F8F-1 Bearcats (numbered 14) flew in diamond formation for the first time which is now considered the Blue Angels' trademark. An estimated 11 million spectators view the squadron during air shows from March through November each year. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. It is a thread. Lt. Amanda Lee. [citation needed]. Lt. Anton M. Campanella (#3 Left Wing) 14 June 1960: killed flying a, Lt. George L. Neale 15 March 1964: killed during an attempted emergency landing at Apalach Airport near, Lt. Cmdr. In 1968, the C-54 Skymaster transport aircraft was replaced with a Lockheed VC-121J Constellation. Average pilot age: 33 years old. Anthony Walley, talks with Jimmie White I, father of fallen Arkansas State Trooper Jimmie White II prior to the dedication of the Jimmie White II Memorial Park in Jacksonville, Ar.jpg, US Navy 060428-N-7517M-012 Naval Recruiting District Atlanta Sailors recite the oath of enlistment led by Blue Angels pilot, Lt. Anthony Walley.jpg, US Navy 070831-N-3271W-002 Lt. Cmdr. [1], The Blue Angels transitioned from propeller-driven aircraft to blue and gold jet aircraft (Grumman F9F-2B Panther) in August 1949. [33] The Blue Angels were disbanded,[34] and its pilots were reassigned to a carrier. Control sticks are tensioned with 40 pounds (18kg) of force to allow the pilot minimal room for non-commanded movement of the aircraft. Lt. Larry Watters 14 February 1972: killed when his F-4J Phantom II struck the ground, upright, while practicing inverted flight, during winter training at NAF El Centro. 7, a two-seat F/A-18F Hornet, to show sites. Behind them in the photo, kneeling down and pointing the boys toward the camera was Lt. David Anderson, a Blue Angels Pilot. These lithographs are given to individuals . In 1958, the first Six-Plane Delta Maneuvers were added that season. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Kuss' body was recovered just yards away from the crash site. Who are the current Blue Angels pilots? Every year, 3 tactical jet pilots, 2 support officers, and 1 Marine Corps pilot join the Blue Angels team. The team flies a "practice" airshow at the show site on Friday. The team then returns to their home base in Pensacola, Florida, in March, and continues to practice throughout the show season. 5 flies a "horizontal loop" pulling seven Gs to maintain a tight radius.). In 1954, the first Marine Corps pilot, Captain Chuck Hiett, joined the Navy flight demonstration team. Some of the maneuvers include both solo aircraft performing at once, such as opposing passes (toward each other in what appears to be a collision course) and mirror formations (back-to-back, belly-to-belly, or wingtip-to-wingtip, with one jet flying inverted). Naval Air Forces, is strapped into an F-A-18 Hornet, assigned to the U.S. Na.jpg, US Navy 110215-N-IR859-015 Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers, commander of U.S. [citation needed], In July 2016, Boeing was awarded a $12 million contract to begin an engineering proposal for converting the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for Blue Angels use, with the proposal to be completed by September 2017. Line-Abreast Loop the most difficult formation maneuver to do well (No. Only six are used during demonstration flights (normally single-seat versions) and the rest are used as spares, if one of . Before the Blue Angels perform at an air sh.jpg, US Navy 101122-N-0092J-018 Lt. Dave Tickle, narrator for the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and Lt. Todd Royles, events.jpg, US Navy 101122-N-0092J-025 Before the Blue Angels perform at an air show site, the team's narrator and events coordinator fly to each proposed show.jpg, US Navy 101203-N-0092J-196 Sailors and Marines assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, carry bags of toys to Nava.jpg, US Navy 110215-N-IR859-005 Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers, commander of U.S. They do not wear G-suits because the air bladders inside repeatedly deflate and inflate, interfering with that stability. The pilots of the F/A-18 Hornet were not required to wear and do not wear g-suits. [46] The Blue Angels also received special colored flight suits. The USAF Thunderbird Association promotes a shared purpose to create a welcoming community for all past, current and future Thunderbirds and help preserve our history for generations to come. The Solos join the Diamond Formation near the end of the show for a number of maneuvers in the Delta Formation. Also, they fly some of the oldest Hornets in the inventory. Jeff Kuss Opposing Solo died just after takeoff while performing the Split-S maneuver in his Hornet during a practice run for The Great Tennessee Air Show in Smyrna, Tennessee. Lt. Cmdr. 3 A-4F fighter, and returned to command the Blue Angels in 1995 and 1996. Lt. Ross "Robby" Robinson 29 September 1946: killed during a performance when a wingtip broke off his F8F-1 Bearcat, sending him into an unrecoverable spin. The pilots signatures appear below the photo. 1. In 1961-1963 the Blue Angels performed for the first time formation landing of six planes in a Delta formation. Knobby-kneed in their shorts and polo shirts, clutching toy Blue Angel jet replicas, they posed for the picture. If we did that, we'd get all the other side issues. In 1992, the Blue Angels deployed for a month-long European tour, their first in 19 years, conducting shows in Sweden, Finland, Russia (first foreign flight demonstration team to perform there), Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The Blue Angels' first female pilot September 1, 2016 By Jill W. Tallman U.S. Marine Corps Capt. [1] The team employed a North American SNJ Texan, painted and configured to simulate a Japanese Zero, to simulate aerial combat. Jeff Kuss was replaced by Cmdr. The main airshows are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays, with the team returning home to NAS Pensacola on Sunday evenings after the show. The team flew the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet for 34 years from 1986 through 2020. 15 episodes. Blue Angel Solos perform an opposing pass. The Blues transitioned to the two-seat McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II in 1969, nearly always keeping the back seat empty for flight demonstrations. It was formed in 1946, [1] making it the second oldest formal flying aerobatic team (flying under the same name) in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. Governor of Indiana presents a certificate declaring the Blue Angels as Honorary Hoosiers.jpg, US Navy 070908-N-9134V-044 Cmdr. This category has the following 6 subcategories, out of 6 total. . LAKELAND - For the past 75 years, the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron has been bringing skilled maneuvers to thousands of onlookers. The first female Blue Angel flight surgeon was Lt. Tamara Schnurr, who was a member of the 2001 team. Capt. The most recent Blue Angels fatal accident was in 2007 at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in . Kieron O'Connor and Lt. Kevin Colling 28 October 1999: flying in the back seat and front seat of a Hornet, both were killed after striking the ground during circle and arrival maneuvers in. [64] At the next performance at Lackland Air Force Base following the announcement the No. [32], The Blue Angels were established as a Navy flight exhibition team on 24 April 1946 by order of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester Nimitz to generate greater public support of naval aviation. Kevin J. Davis 21 April 2007: Capt. )", "Navy Relieves Commander of Miramar Air Station: Military: Capt. [88][89], In July 2022, Lt. Amanda Lee was announced as the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels. On 27 May 2011, the Blue Angels announced that Commander Dave Koss, the squadron's commanding officer, would be stepping down. The Blues use these jets for backups, and to give demonstration rides to VIP (civilians). [53][54] The Blues mission was more on Navy recruiting. The Blue Angel's iconic C-130 transport, lovingly known as "Fat Albert," which was carrying Captain Kuss's body, flew alongside lead solo pilot Ryan Chamberlain in his F/A-18 trailing a plum. [72] The squadron canceled performances at the Rockford, Illinois Airfest 45 June and the Evansville, Indiana Freedom Festival Air Show 1112 June to allow additional practice and demonstration training under McWherter's leadership. 7 aircraft in Friday's "practice" so that pilots from the fleet and future team members can experience the show. Another European tour followed in 1973, including air shows in Iran, England, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. [citation needed]. First held in 1981, the event has become . Mark Lambert, flight surgeon for the Navy flight demonstration squadron Blue Angels, visits with a resident of the nursing home care center at Spokane Veterans Administration Hospital.jpg, US Navy 080907-N-0411D-021 Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Alisha Raper, plane captain for U.S. Navy flight demonstration team aircraft Blue Angel Five, gives final confirmation to her pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Personal biography. 4 or slot pilot, was absent from the formation. [67], On 21 April 2007, pilot Kevin "Kojak" Davis was killed and eight people on the ground were injured when Davis lost control of the No. Tragically, the Blue Angels Commander/Flight Leader Lt. Cmdr. They are stripped down and only good for putting on the amazing display. Robert Nicholls Glasgow 14 October 1958: died during an orientation flight just days after reporting for duty as the new Blue Angels leader. The first four pilots and those after them, were and are some of the best and most experienced aviators in the Navy.[33]. Governor of Indiana, presents a certificate declaring the Blue Angels as Honorary Hoosiers.jpg, US Navy 070823-N-3271W-002 The Honorable Becky Skillman, Lt. The Navy said one of the individuals was a man and the other a woman, one a Marine and the other from the Navy, and that Rear Admiral Mark Guadagnini, chief of Naval air training, was reviewing the situation. Rear Admiral Ralph Davison personally selected Lieutenant Commander Roy Marlin "Butch" Voris, a World War II fighter ace, to assemble and train a flight demonstration team, naming him Officer-in-Charge and Flight Leader. Team headquarters shifted from NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, to NAAS Whiting Field, Florida, on 10 September 1949, announced 14 July 1949. Voris was again tasked with assembling the team (he was the first of only two commanding officers to lead them twice). On 25 June, the Korean War started, and all Blue Angels pilots[40] volunteered for combat duty. Commander John Magda 8 March 1951: Blue Angels (1949, 1950; Commander/Flight Leader 1950): Magda was killed after his F9F-2B Panther was hit by anti aircraft fire while leading a low-level strike mission against North Korean and Chinese communist positions at, Commander Herbert P. Hunter 19 July 1967: Blue Angels (19571959; Lead Solo pilot): Hunter was hit by antiaircraft fire in North Vietnam and crashed in his, Captain Clarence O. Tolbert 6 November 1972: Blue Angels (1968): Tolbert was flying a, Captain Harley H. Hall 27 January 1973: Blue Angels (19701971; Commander/Team Leader 1971): Hall and his co-pilot were shot down by antiaircraft fire in South Vietnam flying their F-4J Phantom II on the last day of the Vietnam War, and they both were officially listed as. The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. 4 serves as the demonstration safety officer, due largely to the perspective they are afforded from the slot position within the formation, as well as their status as a second-year demonstration pilot. NORTH DAKOTA -- An Allegiant Airlines pilot declared a fuel emergency and had to land at a North Dakota airport even though the airport was closed for the Blue Angels practicing for their weekend . The Blue Angels performed their first public flight demonstration from their first training base and team headquarters at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida, on 15 and 16 June 1946,[33] with three F6F-5 Hellcats (a fourth F6F-5 was held in reserve). The Blue Angels base their selection of officers on their professional ability, military bearing and communication skills. The Blue Angels began this season in mid-April, at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Fla., which was held with some pandemic-related protocols in place, Huckeba said. Extensive aircraft maintenance is performed on Sunday evening and Monday by maintenance team members. Greg McWherter, the commanding officer of the U.S Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and Lt. Jim Tomaszeski sign autographs after performing at the 2010 NAS Jax Air Show. [33] In 1953, the team traded its Sky Train for a Curtiss R5C Commando. Katie Higgins knew about the military from growing up as the daughter of a Navy FA-18 pilot, moving with her family every 2-3 years and spending her first two years of high school in Yokosuka, Japan. Subscribe to the Blue Angel Phantoms podcast and YouTube channel for the latest interviews. Marine Corps C-130 demonstration pilots are required to have 1,200 flight hours and be an aircraft commander. Robert Janca Left Wing 1959-1961 Capt. As of the 2020 season[update], there have been 272 demonstration pilots in the Blue Angels since their inception.[13][14]. This aircraft is said to have been inspired by one of the Spike Jones' Murdering the Classics series of musical satires, set to the tune (in part) of the William Tell Overture as a thoroughbred horse race scene, with "Beetle Bomb" being the "trailing horse" in the lyrics. [58], On 8 November 1986, the Blue Angels completed their 40th anniversary year during ceremonies unveiling what would be their aircraft through their 75th anniversary year, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. Anthony Walley, ^2 Pilot of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, speaks with students in the Omniplex theater at the St. Louis Science Center.jpg, US Navy 071110-N-5328N-910 Blue Angels No. U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot number-7, Lieutenant Griffin. As in year's past, the Museum is host the planes and pilots during their stay, but this year is different--the Blue Angels are in our very own parking lot, offering an up-close-and-personal view. This show is attended by invited guests but is often open to the general public. [18], The Flight Leader (No. LCDR Kieron O'Connor and LT Kevin Colling were returning from a practice flight before an air show when their F/A-18B crashed in a wooded area of south Georgia. The Blue Angels were formed in 1946, a couple of years after the end of World War II. [73][74], Between 2 and 4 September 2011 on Labor Day weekend, the Blue Angels flew for the first time with a fifty-fifty blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a camelina-based biofuel at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The Navy Times reported that Lt. Hontz said, "It is a testament to the training of the pilots that this incident remained very benign. On 10 December 1973, the Navy Flight Exhibition Team was reorganized and commissioned the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. Kevin Mannix, commanding officer of the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team, introduces the team during the Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show Beach Blast.jpg, US Navy 071031-N-8102J-019 Brian Schneider, catcher for the Washington Nationals baseball team, receives preflight instructions from the crew chief, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Most of the show alternates between maneuvers performed by the Diamond Formation and those performed by the Solos. In 1970, the Blues received their first U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130F Hercules, manned by an all-Marine crew. 5 Dirty Roll on Takeoff; No. Roy M. "Butch" Voris, ensured that the first pilots were . This ODU alumna is making history as the first woman to be chosen as a demonstration pilot for the Blue Angels flying . Remember today as the day you became a Blue Angel; look around at your teammates and commit this special bond to memory. 4 slot pilot often flies the No. As the Blue Angels' commanding officer, Cmdr. Support Pilot 1959-1961 Capt. The first woman named to the Blue Angels as F/A-18 demonstration pilot was Lt. Amanda Lee, who is a member of the 2023 team. The following 160 files are in this category, out of 160 total. Selections must be unanimous. Double Farvel diamond formation flat pass with No. The air shows on Saturday and Sunday will start at 12:15 p.m. and end around 4 p.m. Later that year, they embarked on a European tour to a dozen sites, including the Paris Air Show, where they were the only team to receive a standing ovation. [1] Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatic team in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. Only in the past decade has the Navy allowed women to fly fighter jets. [56][57] He served for two more years with the squadron flying the left wing-man position in the No. Once aboard the aircraft carrier USSPrinceton on 9 November, the group formed the core of Fighter Squadron 191 (VF-19), "Satan's Kittens", under the command of World War II fighter ace and 1950 Blue Angels Commander/Flight Leader, Lt. When the team formed in 1946, its first flight leader, Lt. Cmdr. For 73+ years, the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron has flown air shows in front of millions of people around the world. Capt. This page was last edited on 2 October 2010, at 13:33. The Diamond, in tight formation and usually at lower speeds (400mph), performs maneuvers such as formation loops, rolls, and transitions from one formation to another. A SNJ was used as a Japanese Zero for dogfights with the Bearcats in air shows. The high show requires at least an 8,000-foot (2,400m) ceiling and visibility of at least 3 nautical miles (6km) from the show's center point. Harley Hall 4 June 1971: safely ejected after his F-4J Phantom jet caught fire during practice over. Simonsen, the ^6 pilot and opposing solo for the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, give.jpg, US Navy 110706-N-DI587-095 Blue Angels plane captains strap William Gordon, executive director for Orange County public schools, into an F-A 18 Hor.jpg, US Navy 110716-N-IR859-007 Members of the U.S. Navy Fight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.jpg, US Navy 110716-N-IR859-039 Members of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.jpg, US Navy 110716-N-IR859-041 Members of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.jpg, US Navy 110716-N-NT881-144 Members of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, greets the public and signs autographs after a Blue.jpg, US Navy 110831-N-DI587-003 A Sailor applies a Navy Energy Security logo to a Blue Angels F-A-18.jpg, US Navy 110901-N-JM744-077 Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces conducting demonstration flights with a 50-50 mix of biofuel and JP-5 aviation.jpg, US Navy 110901-N-ZZ999-002 Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus speaks during a press conference at Naval Air Station Patuxent River about the.jpg, US Navy 110910-N-IR859-010 Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Nathaniel Stuart, crew chief for the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue An.jpg, US Navy 110910-N-IR859-012 Capt. 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