The Blue Angels have been part and parcel of air shows for as long as most aviation fans can remember. Established in 1946, the Blue Angels have been providing fans with wondrous aerial displays at sporting events, air shows, and other demonstrations throughout the country as part of an effort to recruit for the United States Navy.
Throughout the history of the Blue Angels’ flying demonstrations, they’ve never held a female pilot as one of their core members – this all changed with the introduction of Lt. Amanda Lee.
Let’s take a closer look at the newest member of the squadron as well as the latest efforts by the Blue Angels.
Introducing Lt. Amanda Lee
Lt. Amanda Lee will be joining the Blue Angels after doing a stint with the Strike Fighter Squadron 106, otherwise known as the Gladiators. Lee’s time with the Gladiators will be spent at the Naval Air Station Oceana located in Virginia Beach, VA. After spending time training with the Gladiators, Angel is expected to report to the Blue Angels to begin her training in earnest.
Lee has long been a name associated with ‘firsts’ in the Air Force. In 2019, Lee would join an all-female flyover team for the funeral of Rosemary Mariner, a retired captain as well as one of the first-ever female pilots in the Navy. Mariner was also the first woman to ever command a naval aviation squadron, but that isn’t something Lee is thinking too much about.
Lee said in an interview released through the Navy, “I’m a pilot first, a person second, and my gender really isn’t an issue.”
In the Naval interview, Lee would go on to cite Rosemary Mariner as being an inspiration and a motivator. Lee said at the time, “It’s people like Capt. Mariner that have paved that way for us, so it’s really a huge honor.”
Amanda Lee will join the Blue Angels roster as it currently consists of 17 members. Among the 17 officers serving with the Blue Angels, there are only three women on the team: a public affairs professional, an events coordinator, and a flight surgeon. Lee will become the first female pilot to ever join the team.
Members of the Blue Angels typically serve on the roster for two years but they first must have acquired a minimum of 1,250 tactical jet flight hours. At the time of this writing, the Blue Angels are flying F/A-18 Super Hornet Jets.
The post The Blue Angels Select FIRST Female Pilot: Lt. Amanda Lee Joins the Squadron appeared first on SoGoodly.
from SoGoodly https://ift.tt/LcEetm5
from Digital Marketer https://ift.tt/7Lk6Qro