ccheese
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Blue Angels Saluting Fallen Pilot In Virginia Beach
Cutting through Thursday's clear Hampton Roads' skies were the high-flying, precision performers of this year's Oceana Air Show. The biggest show stoppers are the Navy's Blue Angels and they practiced for their weekend performance with amazing skills and jaw-dropping thrills.
This is their first performance in Virginia Beach since they lost a team member in a fiery crash this Spring. The team says it has been a tough year since the death of 32-year-old Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis. They say that basically every practice and every air show across the country is dedicated to him.
"I consider him a great friend and a great American and we miss him," said Lt. Cmdr. Craig Olson, who now flies the #6 plane.
It was the same plane Davis flew as one of the teams "opposing solos." in April, Davis was performing the final manuever of the show in Beaufort, South Carolina when he crashed into a neighborhood and was killed. Several people on the ground were injured.
Both Olson an Davis were pilots at Oceana, so the Virginia Beach air show is a homecoming. When in formation, the Blues fly nearly 400 mph just 18 inches apart. But they're not only close in the skies, they're like a family on the ground. And this weekend the family is saluting a friend.
"Kevin was from here and he has a lot of friends here, so I think this weekend will. I don't want to say bring closure to it all, but it will be good to have Oceana see the Blues flying again with 6 airplanes and be able to see our friends. We honor Kevin every time we go flying and we miss him."
The Navy's investigation into the crash was completed in June, but the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, texas, has now delayed the public release of the report for a second time with no real explanation.
You can catch the team flying for Kevin this weekend. The Saturday and Sunday performances should be around 3 p.m. Admission to the Oceana Air Show is free.
I'll be there Sunday.... hope to have some good pic's...
Charles
Cutting through Thursday's clear Hampton Roads' skies were the high-flying, precision performers of this year's Oceana Air Show. The biggest show stoppers are the Navy's Blue Angels and they practiced for their weekend performance with amazing skills and jaw-dropping thrills.
This is their first performance in Virginia Beach since they lost a team member in a fiery crash this Spring. The team says it has been a tough year since the death of 32-year-old Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis. They say that basically every practice and every air show across the country is dedicated to him.
"I consider him a great friend and a great American and we miss him," said Lt. Cmdr. Craig Olson, who now flies the #6 plane.
It was the same plane Davis flew as one of the teams "opposing solos." in April, Davis was performing the final manuever of the show in Beaufort, South Carolina when he crashed into a neighborhood and was killed. Several people on the ground were injured.
Both Olson an Davis were pilots at Oceana, so the Virginia Beach air show is a homecoming. When in formation, the Blues fly nearly 400 mph just 18 inches apart. But they're not only close in the skies, they're like a family on the ground. And this weekend the family is saluting a friend.
"Kevin was from here and he has a lot of friends here, so I think this weekend will. I don't want to say bring closure to it all, but it will be good to have Oceana see the Blues flying again with 6 airplanes and be able to see our friends. We honor Kevin every time we go flying and we miss him."
The Navy's investigation into the crash was completed in June, but the Chief of Naval Air Training in Corpus Christi, texas, has now delayed the public release of the report for a second time with no real explanation.
You can catch the team flying for Kevin this weekend. The Saturday and Sunday performances should be around 3 p.m. Admission to the Oceana Air Show is free.
I'll be there Sunday.... hope to have some good pic's...
Charles
