This category has the following 6 subcategories, out of 6 total. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. John Saccomando, assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, signs autographs after their performance.jpg, US Navy 050202-N-3874J-002 Crew Chief Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Eric Velazquez of Ceiba, Puerto Rico, moves to a safe location, as his Blue Angel F-A-18A Hornet starts to taxi prior to take off.jpg, US Navy 050202-N-8977L-004 A crew coordinator for the Blue Angels prepares to taxi four of the Blue Angel's F-A-18A Hornets prior to launch for a morning training exercise during their annual winter training on board Naval Air.jpg, US Navy 050203-N-0962S-170 Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott climbs from the back seat after taking a flight in an F-A-18D Hornet while visiting the Blue Angels' winter training facility on board Naval.jpg, US Navy 050203-N-0962S-204 After receiving a flight in a Blue Angel F-A-18D Hornet, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott speaks to the pilots and maintenance team at the Blue Angels' winter training facili.jpg, US Navy 050203-N-0962S-209 After receiving a flight in a Blue Angel F-A-18D Hornet, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry Scott speaks to the pilots and maintenance team at the Blue Angels' winter training facil.jpg, US Navy 050203-N-1539M-006 Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Terry D. Scott answers questions from members of the Blue Angels maintenance team.jpg, US Navy 050203-N-8977L-003 Sailors of the Blue Angels Power Plants Department remove the engines from an F-A-18A Hornet for maintenance during their annual winter training on board Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, Calif.jpg, US Navy 050401-N-2360K-013 Dallas Cowboy football legend, Roger Starbach, presents the members of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, Blue Angels, with autographed footballs.jpg, US Navy 050401-N-2360K-014 James Reagan and Rebecca Bennet receive signed lithographs from the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, Blue Angels, as congratulations for their achievements.jpg, US Navy 050401-N-8110K-058 U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team Blue Angels Maintenance Master Chief, William Casttilla, left, and Command Master Chief, Kevin Harris, center, greet retired Tuskegee Airman Dick Macon.jpg, US Navy 050402-N-1328C-631 F-A-18A Hornet Slot Pilot, Lt. Cmdr. The number 7 pilot narrates for a year, and then typically flies Opposing and then Lead Solo the following two years, respectively. Two new pilots, a new assistantmaintenance officer, a new events coordinator and a new flight surgeon will join the team ahead of 2021. Greg McWherter, the commanding officer of the U.S Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and Lt. Jim.jpg, US Navy 101023-N-1776T-136 Al Taddeo, the oldest living former pilot of the U.S Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, gives a thumbs.jpg, US Navy 101122-N-0092J-002 Lt. Todd Royles, events coordinator of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and Lt. Dave Tickle.jpg, US Navy 101122-N-0092J-010 Lt. Todd Royles, the events coordinator before leaving for preseason visits. Greg McWherter, flight leader and commanding officer of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Ange.jpg, US Navy 110702-N-VO219-002 Lt. C.J. Donnie L. Cochran is a former United States Navy naval aviator and was the first African-American aviator to be selected to the Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels in 1986. Cochran led the team for 16 months until May 1996. in May 1996, Cochran made the decision to step down as flight leader[This quote needs a citation] to minimize the safety risks to the team and spectators. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Schumaker). Higgins flew the teams C-130 Fat Albert transport plane from 2014 to 2016. Team members vote in secret on the next year's members, with no accountability to the higher Navy authority why an applicant was or was not selected. -Marine Corps Maj. Joshua Soltan, of Spokane, Washington, is a C-130 Hercules pilot currently assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252. F/A-18 Demonstration Pilots: They also represent the US Marine Corps. The "Blue Angels" currently fly a total of 11 jets: 9 single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet, two 2-seat F/A-18F. Only six are used during demonstration flights (normally single-seat versions) and the rest are used as spares, if one of main aircraft is unserviceable and cannot be repaired before the show begins. 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The Blue Angels select finalists to interview at the teams home base of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, during the week of the Pensacola Beach Air Show each year. Lt. Amanda Lee will soon train for the 2023 air show season. WebMembers of the 2013 U.S. Navy Blue Angels are: Flying Blue Angel No.1, Commander Thomas Frosch, USN (Commanding Officer/Flight Leader) Flying Blue Angel No.2, -LT Christopher Kapuschansky, of Yorktown, Virginia, is an F/A-18 pilot currently assigned to the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106. In 2019, Lee was one of nine female naval aviators who honored one of the first military pilots, the later Rosemary Mariner, with an all-women flyover at her funeral services. Anthony W. Walley signs autographs for fans at Sherman Field.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Blue_Angels_(pilots_and_team)&oldid=44588716, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The number 3 pilot moves to the number 4 (slot) position for his second year. Erich Hartmann: Best fighter pilot of all time? To his German countrymen, he was known as the Blond Knight of Germany.. His Soviet enemies referred to him as the Black Devil of the South.. German fighter pilot Erich Alfred Bubi Hartmann flew approximately 1,456 missions during World War II. He is said to have engaged in aerial Brian Kesselring, commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. Applicants "rush" the team at one or more airshows, paid out of their own finances, and sit in on team briefs and post-show activities and social events. 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. For this reason, Cochran was reassigned to Fighter Squadron 111 (VF-111) Sundowners for 29 days as XO before assuming command of the squadron as CO. Navy Cmdr. Captain Cochran retired from the U.S. Navy with over 24 years of leadership and aviation expertise. With these fantastic new additions to the Blue Angels team for 2022, we are all well equipped to head into our next show season.. 66 PENSACOLA, Florida (NNS) The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels, announced officers selected for the 2022 air show season Image: 071014-N-5476H-721: The Blue Angels perform their Delta Formation at the Bay Air Show at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, October 14, 2007. What this meant for the 1986 team, they would get an extra year on the team. Make sure you meet the minimum Blue Angels requirements In order to be a Blue Angels applicant, you must be Pilots serve two to three years, and position assignments are made according to team needs, pilot experience levels, and career considerations for members. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Heinz asks fans to help find sailor who survived weeks at sea on ketchup so they can buy him new boat, Chinese military orders US Navy plane to stay away from its airspace, Decorated Navy SEAL killed in free-fall parachute training accident, Pitcher set to join Phillies after Navy service change. DVIDS/US Navy. A second plaque was later added which bears the inscription: |IN HONOR OF COMMANDER DONNIE COCHRAN, U.S. NAVY THE FIRST BLACK NAVAL AVIATOR TO COMMAND THE BLUE ANGELS FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION TEAM. She previously worked with the House Foreign Affairs Committee as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and spent four years as a general assignment reporter for The Record newspaper in New Jersey and the USA Today Network. The most recent minority Blue Angel pilot was LCDR Keith Hoskins on the 2000 team. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach while inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country. "And because of that, we're going to retain a little more experience going into the 2021 season, just to make sure that we have a good pass-down within the team, and we retain that high level of excellence we've come to enjoy.". In 1958, the Back-to-Back Pass and the first six-plane Delta maneuvers were added to the performance. He graduated from George Washington University in 2010. This month, Marine Katie Higgins piloted for the Blue Angels Aviation Team for the last time. Higgins was the first (and so far, only) female pilot for the second oldest aerobatic team in the world. I think, no matter what your gender is, just to be selected to be on this team is an honor, she told Fox 13 News. The teams new flight surgeon will be Lt. Philippe Warren of Williamsburg, Va., a flight surgeon for the Fighting Griffins of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266. Brian Kesselring, commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. (U.S. Navy photoby Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cody Hendrix). [citation needed] He was assigned to VFP-63 based at NAS Miramar in San Diego, California. 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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. Because of this, Cochran transitioned to the F-14A at VF-124 at NAS Miramar. Photo courtesy of Savannah State University, NROTC. Captain Cochran made one deployment on board the USS Ranger (CV-61). Samuel Petko of Osceola, Ind. Please check our Hours of Operation page before planning your visit. Following Air War College, Captain Cochran reported for duty as the executive officer (XO) at Fighter Squadron 1 (VF-1) Wolfpack. Lt. Amanda Lee, the first female to join the US Navy Blue Angel's as a fighter pilot. Deo Harrypersaud, before taking a ride in a Blue Angel.jpg, US Navy 080203-N-9641C-002 Members of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, The Blue Angels, are on the field during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLII (cropped).jpg, US Navy 080203-N-9641C-002 Members of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, The Blue Angels, are on the field during the third quarter of Super Bowl XLII.jpg, US Navy 080808-N-3271W-037 Lt. Cmdr. Plan. This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 21:38. The squadron selected two F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots, an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer, and a flight In November 1994, Cochran assumed command as the first African American commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels at a ceremony at National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Benjamin Walborn, was added to the squad recently to take the fifth spot in the Blue Angels' flight pattern. Brian Kesselring, commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. Captain Cochran was directly responsible for developing and grooming over 100 future naval officers for the navy and United States Marine Corps. With its sleek lines and afterburner, the F11F Tiger proved one of the most popular show aircraft flown by the Blue Angels. She graduated from Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois in 2007, according to the U.S. Navy. Navy). Navy Blue Angels flying F-4J Phantom II aircraft, they exhibit their maneuvering skills over Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, 23 March 1970. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, 160511-N-II118-003 160511-N-II118-003.jpg, Blue Angels - 2010 Joint Service Open House and Airshow.jpg, Blue Angels activity 131023-N-SH953-220.jpg, Blue Angels announce 2015 team members 140709-N-WJ386-082.jpg, Blue Angels announce 2015 team members 140709-N-WJ386-086.jpg, Blue Angels Captain Katie Higgins and Major Mark Hamilton.JPG, Blue Angels crew chief washes aircraft 130514-N-SN160-033.jpg, Blue Angels crew chief washes aircraft 130514-N-SN160-206.jpg, Blue Angels crew chiefs wash aircraft 130514-N-SN160-108.jpg, Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team 2014 (13194011724).jpg, Blue Angels flight leaders 46-55 NAN8-55.jpg, Blue Angels LCdr- HarleyHHall NAN3-70.jpg, Blue Angels Lockheed C-130 Hercules Fat Albert 1.jpg, Blue Angels Newton-John Travolta cropped.jpg, Blue Angels program 131108-N-SH953-178.jpg, Blue Angels program 131108-N-SH953-285.jpg, Blue Angels roster 1946-1961 NAN12-61.jpg, Grim Blues after photo shoot in inclement weather Pensacola FL.jpg, Joint Service Open House 2012 120518-N-FJ200-330.jpg, Joint Service Open House 2012 120518-N-FJ200-336.jpg, Joint Service Open House 2012 120518-N-FJ200-342.jpg, MAGTF Aviation Combat Element (26490416299).jpg, Marines assist Blue Angels, follow their dreams 120504-M-OT671-139.jpg, Medal of Honor jet departs 3rd MAW 131114-M-XW721-004.jpg, Medal of Honor recipient speaks to Blue Angels 130806-N-SH953-033.jpg, Seattle Fleet Week 150729-N-OP638-083.jpg, Seattle Fleet Week 150729-N-OP638-084.jpg, Thunderbirds and Blue Angels 120301-N-BA418-007.jpg, US Navy (USN) Lieutenant (LT) Craig Olson (foreground left), a pilot assigned to the USN Blue Angels, flight demonstration team, signs autographs for excited fans during the annual - DPLA - 5387dd71ee83c32be93ad60db9451431.jpeg, US Navy 030905-N-4459K-020 Lt. Cmdr. Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. He graduated from George Washington University in 2010. Arranged by the number on the jet they fly. The Blue Angels, the Navys flight demonstration team, announced six new officers for the 2023 air show season on Monday, including the first woman demonstration pilot to fly the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Four of the five were announced by the Blue Angels in July, and the newest member,F/A-18 demonstration pilot and Navy Cmdr. Introduced in 1962, the Double Farvel maneuver had both the flight leader They serve three to four years in the squadron. There have been female and racial minority staff officers as official Blue Angel members, in support of the Blue Angels recruiting for the Navy and Marine Corps. The famed squadron selected two F/A-18E/F demonstration pilots, an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon to replace outgoing team members, according to the unit. With World War II fresh in the memories of the public when the Navy established the Blue Angels in 1946, the first flight leader Lieutenant Commander Roy Butch Voris created a show segment in which the teams F6F Hellcats pursued an airplane playing the role of a Japanese fighter and shot it down. The first plane to fill this role was an SNJ Texan advanced trainer nicknamed Beetle Bomb., North American SNJ Texan "Beetle Bomb" (National Naval Aviation Museum). read more, Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody Hendrix | The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels, announced officers selected for the 2022 air show season July 10. WebList of Current Pilots. 2023 Stars and Stripes. [1] He is a 2022 inductee to the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Her relief on Monday raised eyebrows because the Air Force had announced only two weeks earlier that Kotnick would take command of the Vipers. His first assignment after training in the F-14 was with the Blacklions of Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213), where he made two deployments on board the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. 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. Max McCoy, assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, signs autographs for fans during the Texas Thunder 2005 Air Show.jpg, US Navy 050402-N-1328C-641 F-A-18A Hornet Slot Pilot, Lt. Cmdr. It was during this tour that Captain Cochran applied for, completed an interview process, and was selected as commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. Each year, the Blue Angels selects finalists from an applicant pool and interviews them during the week of the Pensacola Beach Air Show. The new C-130 demonstration pilot will be Marine Corps Capt. Greg McWherter presents Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus an autographed memento of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team in flight.jpg, US Navy 100625-N-0092J-029 Members of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, rest on the vertical stabs of an F-A-18 Hornet after performing at The Great Minnesota Air Show.jpg, US Navy 101022-N-8102J-044 Retired Cmdr. There are 25 women on the team now. The team makes selections at the conclusion of that week. Watch What Happens! Lee is one of six new officers to join the Blue Angels team for the 2023 air show season. Cochran at the dedication ceremony for the A-4 static display on the Campus of Savannah State University on May 10, 1991. Greg McWherter, commanding officer and flight leader of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Ange.jpg, US Navy 111015-N-IR859-047 Members of the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, prepare to recover six F-A-18 Hornets.jpg, US Navy 111015-N-IR859-049 Capt. July 18, 2022 11:50 AM. The only aircraft operated concurrently by both the Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the F-4 was the platform the team took to the far corners of the globe, touring South America, Asia, and Europe during the four years the Blue Angels operated the powerful aircraft. The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, The Blue Angels, announced officers Cochran believes his lessons learned on leadership, team dynamics and individual performance are vital to anyone in a leadership role or a member of a high-performance team: This quote captures the essence why leaders must hold those reporting to them accountable for their performance, attitude, behaviors and actions. see less (Chris Williamson/U.S. The History of Blue Angels Aircraft: A Photo Essay. Selections must be unanimous. Flown by the Blue Angels for over three decades, longer than any other demonstration platform, the F/A-18 logged the first ever flight demonstrations in Russia, Romania, and Bulgaria during the 1992 show season. Lt. Amanda Lee will be the first female demonstration pilot for the Blue Angels, the Navy announced Monday. Cochran earned a civil engineering degree from Savannah State College, now known as Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia, in 1976, where he was a member of the NROTC program. The new team members will officially begin their training for the 2022 show season following the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Nov. 6. Those are the six aviators currently five from the Navy and one from the Marine Corps who perform in the airshows. On May 10, 1991, Savannah State University dedicated a static display A-4 aircraft on the university's campus in honor of Cochran's achievements. You must take actions and hold offenders accountable. Three months after establishment in April 1946, the flight exhibition team's first performance took place on June 15. The team operated both the short-nose and long-nose versions, and when the F-4 Phantom II replaced the Tiger after the 1968 show season, the F11F Tiger marked the end of an era as the last Grumman-built aircraft flown by the team. The 2021 show season, which also marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Blue Angels in 1946, introduced the F/A-18 Super Hornet to air show crowds. (Paul Archer/U.S. During the Korean War, the Blue Angels were disbanded in 1950 but returned a year later. Alternating crews of about 45 team members travel to each airshow, according to the Navy. With these fantastic new additions to the Blue Angels team for 2022, we are all well equipped to head into our next show season. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 demonstration pilots and naval flight officers are required to have a minimum of 1,250 tactical jet hours and be carrier-qualified. until 0400 est. Captain Cochran flew over 24 missions and earned an Air Medal. Enlisted members range from E-4 to E-9, and perform all maintenance, administrative, and support functions. Supply Officer: At the time, she credited Mariner for pioneering the way for women like herself in the air forces. from around the world. Through the 2006 season there have been 262 pilots in the squadron's history, giving the job a 10% fatality rate. That means that they have been, and are, fighter pilots. WebUS 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 They are seriously some of the coolest people you will ever meet because being a blue angel is more than just being a bad ass pilot, its about being a bad ass person. Hundreds of women representing the Navy and Marine Corps have served with the Blue Angels during the last 55 years, according to the 76-year-old unit. From 1952 to 1954, the Blue Angels flew a single TV-2 Shooting Star. Pilots of numbers 27 are Navy Lieutenants or Lieutenant Commanders, or Marine Corps Captains or Majors. Tom Winkler signs autographs for Virginia Beach resident Matt and his son.jpg, US Navy 061025-N-5060B-100 Mass Communication Specialist Heather Ewton interviews Blue Angel's pilot Lt. Kevin Davis after giving a media ride to local VIP personnel prior to the 2006 Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) Sh.jpg, US Navy 061027-N-1810F-039 Raleigh Dusty Rhodes, one of the first pilots and commanders of the Blue Angels, autographs a poster for Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Olivares before the practice air show aboard Nav.jpg, US Navy 070203-N-6652A-074 Blue Angels Public Affairs Chief Brabble holds a meet and greet with local law enforcement agencies and their families before an air performance.jpg, US Navy 070422-N-0000X-001 Navy file photo of U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration pilot, Lcdr. ", "Former Blue Angels pilot tells what inspired him to fly", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donnie_Cochran&oldid=1137292325, African-American United States Navy personnel, BLP articles lacking sources from November 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron We had an overwhelming number of applicants from all over the globe this year, Capt. Official Navy photo of Commander Donnie Cochran, USN, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "This is why you don't mess with the U.S.! When team members lose sight of their purpose and values, they often engage in hidden agendas, deception, and narrow-minded pettiness. Lt. Cmdr. Lee is assigned to the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron 106. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Shortly after arriving at VF-124 in 1985, Captain Cochran applied for and was selected as a Blue Angels pilot. The famed squadron selected two F/A-18E/F demonstration pilots, an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight He was the first African American pilot to fly with the Blue Angels and flew for three seasons (1986-87-88). Allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously by the Navy but it would be inappropriate at this time to comment on an ongoing investigation, Tucker said. Most, but not all, pilots and officers originally announced for the 2020 and 2021 seasons in July 2019 will be retained. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach while inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country.