Wars and lechery-nothing else holds the fashion…………
Pensacola News Journal
October 31, 2008
Blues Angels Pilot, Other Grounded
Final 3 shows will fly a plane short as team members face investigation
By Troy Moon
Two members of the Navy’s Blue Angels have been “removed from duty”
with the team over an alleged inappropriate relationship, the team spokesman
said Thursday.
As a result of the removals, the Pensacola-based team will only fly five
jets during its remaining shows instead of the standard six, Marine Corps
Capt. Tyson Dunkelberger said.
Dunkelberger would not say whether either of the team members, removed
“pending further administrative action,” is a Blue Angels’
pilot. The Military Times reported Thursday that one of the individuals is
an aviator.
The allegations involve a male and female team member. There are 133 current
Blue Angel team members, 23 of whom are women, Dunkelberger said.
He said the investigation is under review by Rear Adm. Mark Guadagnini,
chief of Naval air training. The case is being handled as an administrative
issue rather than a judicial matter, Dunkelberger added.
The two team members were removed from the team by commanding officer and
flight leader Capt. Kevin Mannix on Sunday.
The Blue Angels currently are in San Antonio, where the squadron will
perform this weekend. The Blue Angels then perform Nov. 8-9 at Kennedy Space
Center and finish up the 2008 season with the Nov. 14-
15 homecoming show at Pensacola Naval Air Station.
The Blue Angels will still fly their regularly scheduled practice shows at
Pensacola Naval Air Station on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by an
autograph-signing session at the National Naval Aviation Museum. Practice
performances begin at 8:30 a.m.
According to the Blue Angels’ Web site, the team does not maintain a “spare”
pilot who could fill in when another member can’t fly.
“With the number of practice hours required to safely fly a demonstration a
spare pilot could not be utilized effectively. Each pilot must complete 120
training flights during winter training in order to perform a public
demonstration safely,” the Web site states. “The teamwork required for the
high speed, low-altitude flying in the tight Blue Angel formation takes
hundreds of hours to develop. A substitute pilot would not have enough time
in the formation to do this safely.”
Two aircraft did not fly with the team during Wednesday’s practice.
One solo aircraft and one member of the diamond formation were absent.
A volunteer announcer at the practice pointed out the absence of the
aircraft but said he didn’t know why they weren’t present.
The Military Times contributed to this report.