[124][125], Four former Blue Angels pilots have been killed in action or died after being captured, all having been downed by anti-aircraft fire.[136]. [70] The maneuver was aborted, the remainder of the demonstration canceled and all aircraft landed safely. Raymond Kayea Support Pilot 1960-1961 Capt. The main airshows are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays, with the team returning home to NAS Pensacola on Sunday evenings after the show. He was replaced by Captain Greg McWherter, the team's previous commanding officer. There have been female and minority staff officers as Blue Angel members,[17] including minority Blue Angel pilot Lt. Andre Webb on the 2018 team. The 83 litho features the Blues in the A-4 Skyhawk flying past Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii. [87], The Blues officially transitioned to Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets on 4 November 2020. The Blue Angels' first female pilot September 1, 2016 By Jill W. Tallman U.S. Marine Corps Capt. The Blue . 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. In 1965, the Blue Angels conducted a Caribbean island tour, flying at five sites. [68], In 2009, the Blue Angels were inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[69]. Below are some of the more notable members of the Blue Angels squadron: A total of 26 Blue Angels pilots and one crew member have died in Blue Angels history. This ODU alumna is making history as the first woman to be chosen as a demonstration pilot for the Blue Angels flying . [33] The Blue Angels were disbanded,[34] and its pilots were reassigned to a carrier. That same year, on October 25, the Blue Angels were reactivated and resumed demonstrations in the newer F9F-5 Panther. The Blue Angels appointed its first female jet pilot to join the squadron on Monday. ", "Blue Angels commander steps down after subpar performance", "EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2011 Facts and Figures", "One-Off "Blue Angels" Ford Mustang Auctioned at Air Show", "Blue Angels Use Biofuel at Patuxent Air Show", "Blue Angels to Soar on Biofuel During Labor Day Weekend Air Show", U.S. Navy Cancels Blue Angels 2013 Performances, "U.S. Navy Cancels Blue Angels 2013 Performances", "Thunderbirds, Blue Angels to Resume Air Shows", "Wearing Gold: The Blue Angels Return To The Skies (March 16, 2014)", "The Blue Angels' New 'Fat Albert' C-130J Probably Has Dual Citizenship", "Get To Know the Blue Angels Pilots Flying Across Dallas-Fort Worth Wednesday", "New in 2021: Blue Angels to start flying F/A-18 Super Hornets", "Blue Angels to make final flight in the legacy F/A/-18 Hornet as they transition to Super Hornets", "Navy's Blue Angels to get 1st female demonstration team pilot: Lt. Amanda Lee will soon train for the 2023 air show season", "Blue Angels: Historical Aircraft - 60+ Years of Aviation Excellence", "Fat Albert C-130 Gives You A Buzz Cut In This Crazy Head-On Takeoff Video", "Richard Cormier; War Hero, Blue Angels Leader", "Robert F. Aumack, Commander, USN (Ret. A typical week during the season has practices at NAS Pensacola on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. [33] On 13 July, the team acquired, and began flying the straight-wing Grumman F9F-2B Panther between demonstration shows. Lt. Cmdr Stu Powrie (Lead Solo) 22 February 1982: killed when his Skyhawk struck the ground during winter training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, just after a dirty loop. Mike Murphy, and ADJ1 Ron Thomas (Crew Chief) 26 July 1973: all three were killed in a mid-air collision between two Phantoms over Lakehurst, New Jersey, during an arrival practice. [47] The Blue Angels began relocating to their current home at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida that winter,[48] and it was here they progressed to the swept-wing Grumman F9F-8 Cougar. The most recent Blue Angels fatal accident was in 2007 at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in . For 73+ years, the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron has flown air shows in front of millions of people around the world. [66] The names of the two members involved were later released on the Pensacola News Journal website/forum as pilot No. In 1972, the Blue Angels were awarded the Navy's Meritorious Unit Commendation for the two-year period from 1 March 1970 to 31 December 1971. Brian Kesselring said. 1. In 1974, the Blue Angels transitioned to the new Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II. 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. Blue Angels Association Based out of Pensacola, Florida Once a Blue Angel, Always a Blue Angel! The demonstration team (with added Angel 6) wore gold flight suits during the first air show that season. Commander Raleigh "Dusty" Rhodes, their third Flight Leader and first jet fighter leader. . Naval Air Forces, is strapped into an F-A-18 Hornet, assigned to the U.S. Na.jpg, US Navy 110215-N-IR859-069 Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers, commander of U.S. The current shades of blue and yellow were adopted when the first demonstration aircraft were transitioned from the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat to the Grumman F8F-1 Bearcat in August 1946; the aircraft wore an all-yellow scheme with blue markings during the 1949 show season. All of the Blue Angels pilots volunteered for combat duty and the demonstration squadron was disbanded. [28][29][30][31], The Navy Flight Exhibition Team was reorganized and commissioned the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron on 10 December 1973. 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. Now hear from the pilots & crew that were a part of this incredible history as they share their stories. Navy Commander Anthony Less became the squadron's first "commanding officer" and "flight leader". Closest distance during flight: 18 inches of each other during the Diamond 360 maneuver. [35], In 1949, the team acquired a Douglas R4D Skytrain for logistics to and from show sites. 4 USMC Maj. Clint Harris and the administrative officer, Navy Lt. Gretchen Doane. The squadron selected three F/A-18 demonstration pilots, a C-130 demonstrat "Once a Blue Angel, always a Blue Angel," rings true for all those who wear the crest of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. [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. The team then flies to its show venue for the upcoming weekend on Thursday, conducting "circle and arrival" orientation maneuvers upon arrival. In 1968, the C-54 Skymaster transport aircraft was replaced with a Lockheed VC-121J Constellation. Tour of duty: 2-3 years. Gerald Larson Solo 1961-1962 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. Another European tour followed in 1973, including air shows in Iran, England, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Lt. Amanda Lee, the first female to join the US Navy Blue Angel's as a fighter pilot. He has accumulated more than 4,100 flight hours and 911 carrier-arrested landings. Lt. Dave Anderson (Lead solo) 12 February 1987: ejected from his Hornet after a dual engine flame-out during practice near El Centro, California. They perform aerial displays at public exhibitions throughout most of the year. 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. Jul 18, 2022. John Fogg, Lt. Marlin Wiita, and Lt. Cmdr. 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. Flight surgeons serve a two-year term. In 2004, a Blue Angels pilot ejected safely when his F/A-18 hit the water near Pensacola. Usually, two back seats rides are available at each air show; one goes to a member of the press, and the other to the "Key Influencer". The Blue Angels also produce a yearly Lithograph featuring a photo of the team flying in the 6-plane delta formation with a noted landmark in the background. Jeff Kuss, 32, is still ongoing, but a Blue Angels spokesman confirmed that the team will be flying. In May, the team went to the west coast on temporary duty so the pilots and the rest of the team could become familiar with jet aircraft. For the first time in 19 years, the Blue Angels, the cream of the U.S. Navy's crop of elite aviators, took to the skies above Loveland to impress a crowd of thousands on Saturday. For 76 years, the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron has flown air shows in front of millions of people around the world. A fifth Bearcat was also added that year. This page was last edited on 2 October 2010, at 13:33. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The rest of the season was cancelled after this incident. The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels, announced officers selected for the 2022 air show season July 10, just hours before they performed for their hometown crowd at the 2021 Pensacola Beach Air Show. Lt. Michael Curtin 8 November 1978: one of the solo Skyhawks struck the ground after low roll during arrival maneuvers at. 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. 1 Blue Angels pilot, was reprimanded last week for allowing, and even contributing to, a toxic work environment on the team from 2011-12. [1] The team employed a North American SNJ Texan, painted and configured to simulate a Japanese Zero, to simulate aerial combat. [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. Ronald Thompson 18 February 1967: killed when his F-11A Tiger struck the ground during a practice formation loop. Behind them in the photo, kneeling down and pointing the boys toward the camera was Lt. David Anderson, a Blue Angels Pilot. The team currently flies the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. The prestige of wearing the Blue Angels uniform carries with it an extraordinary honor one that reflects not only on you as an individual, but on your teammates and the entire squadron. Plane cost: $21 million each. At just 3 years old, twin brothers Matt and Johan Suyderhoud were attending their first airshow. Officer 1960-1962 Capt. Voris selected three fellow instructors to join him (Lt. Maurice "Wick" Wickendoll, Lt. Mel Cassidy, and Lt. Cmdr. Pat Moneymaker 23 January 1990: their Blue Angel Hornets suffered a mid-air collision during a practice at El Centro. Robert Cass Right Wing 1960-1962 Capt. 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. Harley Hall 4 June 1971: safely ejected after his F-4J Phantom jet caught fire during practice over. Lloyd Barnard, veterans of the War in the Pacific), and they spent countless hours developing the show. [27], The Blue Angels demonstration teams began wearing leather jackets and special colored flight suits with the Blue Angels insignia, in 1952. Here is a List of All Blue Angels Accidents 29 September 1946 Blue Angels crash Lt. Ross "Robby" Robinson was killed during a performance when a wingtip broke off his Bearcat, sending him into an unrecoverable spin. The Solos showcase the high performance capabilities of their individual aircraft through the execution of high-speed passes, slow passes, fast rolls, slow rolls, and very tight turns. The Blue Angels, the US Navy's elite flight demonstration squadron, has selected the first female fighter jet demonstration pilot for their upcoming season. On 25 October 1951, the Blues were ordered to re-activate as a flight demonstration team, and reported to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. ``It was an extremely demanding decision on Commander Cochran's part,'' said retired Vice Admiral Anthony A. Kuss' body was recovered just yards away from the crash site. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture, Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh (Oshkosh Air Show), List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons, "Show Information And Schedules, 2019 Show Schedule", "Blue Angels: Frequently Asked Questions", "Navy's Blue Angels Announce New Pilots, Officers for 2019", "Blue Angels fly into age of budget woes", "Boeing to convert F/A-18 E/Fs into Blue Angels", "Blue Angels transition to Super Hornets ahead of 75th anniversary", U.S. Navy Blue Angels |Frequently Asked Questions, #9, "Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Pilots, 2000 Season", "Blue Angels name first woman to serve as demonstration pilot", "Butch Voris and the Blue Angels", US Navy Blue Angels website, "Blue Angels fly over St. George, thunder over Dixie", "Wearing Gold: The Blue Angels Return To The Skies. First `` commanding officer struck the ground during a practice at El Centro his Tiger. 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