PENSACOLA (NNS) -- The commanding officer of the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron was relieved of command by chief of naval air training May 27.
Cmdr. Dave Koss requested that Rear Adm. Bill Sizemore relieve him of his command following a lower-than-normal maneuver during the team's last performance at the Lynchburg Regional Air Show May 22.
"With deep personal regret I shared with my command today that I will be voluntarily leaving the greatest flight demonstration team," said Koss. "I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude. This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down. I have the utmost respect for the Sailors and Marines of the Blue Angels organization and all that they embody. The reason this team is so successful, brings thrills to millions of fans across America, and represents the U.S. Navy so superbly, is because of the absolute commitment to safety and perfection by every member of the team. I am honored to have been a part of this organization, and I look forward to watching its success in the future."
Koss will be replaced by the previous Blue Angels' commanding officer, Capt. Greg McWherter, for the duration of the season.
This move requires the cancellation of the Blue Angels' scheduled performances at the Rockford Airfest June 4-5, and the Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show June 11-12. The Blue Angels will remain in Pensacola for additional training and air show demonstration practice. Any potential changes to the team's future schedule will be announced at a later date.
The Blue Angels regret any inconvenience and look forward to continuing to represent the Navy and Marine Corps service members serving around the world.
For more news from Commander, Naval Air Forces, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/airpac/.
Cmdr. Dave Koss requested that Rear Adm. Bill Sizemore relieve him of his command following a lower-than-normal maneuver during the team's last performance at the Lynchburg Regional Air Show May 22.
"With deep personal regret I shared with my command today that I will be voluntarily leaving the greatest flight demonstration team," said Koss. "I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude. This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down. I have the utmost respect for the Sailors and Marines of the Blue Angels organization and all that they embody. The reason this team is so successful, brings thrills to millions of fans across America, and represents the U.S. Navy so superbly, is because of the absolute commitment to safety and perfection by every member of the team. I am honored to have been a part of this organization, and I look forward to watching its success in the future."
Koss will be replaced by the previous Blue Angels' commanding officer, Capt. Greg McWherter, for the duration of the season.
This move requires the cancellation of the Blue Angels' scheduled performances at the Rockford Airfest June 4-5, and the Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show June 11-12. The Blue Angels will remain in Pensacola for additional training and air show demonstration practice. Any potential changes to the team's future schedule will be announced at a later date.
The Blue Angels regret any inconvenience and look forward to continuing to represent the Navy and Marine Corps service members serving around the world.
For more news from Commander, Naval Air Forces, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/airpac/.
3 comments:
I saw the Blues in Pensacola when they preformed for the Cenntinel of Naval Aviation week. They didn't look as sharp as they normally do, timing was off with the announcer, one of the jets dropped out of the diamond formation for several of the passes (might have been a maintenance problem). The PA system went down for awhile.
Get back in the grove guys and I hope to see you later this year. Be Safe.
I have watched the Angels and T-Birds for several years at Quonset Airshow. And it is very hurtful and painful to think that due to the boss being relieved of his duty, would cause them to have to cancel this years airshow at Quonset.
I saw them in Indy a few weeks ago and they looked loose to me. It wasn't one of their best shows. I listen to them during the show and heard one of them ask if everything was alright. He said that it wasn't the plane and that it was him. I hope they iron out the bugs and stay safe.
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