Minnesota Woman First to Fly with Navy/Marine Corps Blue Angels
While Lieutenant Amanda Lee is not the first woman who has been a member of the famous Blue Angels team, she is the first female fighter jet demonstration pilot, chosen by them.
Lt. Lee, from Mounds View, Minnesota, has been a member of the "Gladiators" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 until now and she still needs to complete - -
an intensive five-month training program with the Blue Angels, which all new members are required to complete-- CNN
There are six jets that fly most of the Blue Angel's eye-popping demonstrations and Lt. Lee will be piloting one of them.
Lee is one of six new team members chosen- -
The other new members include an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon “to replace outgoing team members”..- -Blue Angels
If you've ever seen the Blue Angels perform, you know how amazing the stunts are and how exciting the atmosphere is. What we tend not to think about is the danger involved. And it is considerable.
This job takes an extraordinary amount of skill and a whole lot of intestinal fortitude. Congratulations to Lieutenant Lee!
The Blue Angels have been performing across the U.S. since 1946 and,
The Blue Angels’ mission is to “showcase the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach - - Blue Angels
Sources: Blue Angels and CNN