Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50
Interesting note, we have yet to see our first female Blue Angel.
This strikes me as odd.
We've had numerous jet/fighter pilot ladies for the past 30 years.
Numerous of these ladies have solid reps as very good sticks.
The question is, why have so few (or none?) applied to the Blues? Were one to apply, the pressure to select her would be pretty strong. One wonders at what the informal word is among junior officers on the pro and con of flying for the Blues.
First woman to wear Blue Angels number | UTSanDiego.com
First woman to wear Blue Angels number
By
Jeanette Steele 2:07 p.m. Sept. 30,
2010 Updated 7:47 p.m.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Amy Redditt Tomlinson, Blue Angels No. 8, grew up knowing how to pronounce Batiquitos Lagoon and where to find the best North County surf breaks.
She was a Carlsbad girl and a 1996 graduate of San Dieguito High School.
She’s also the first woman ever to wear a Blue Angels number, one of eight coveted positions on the Navy’s elite flying team.
“There are a lot of people who think, ‘I could never do what you do, I could never be in the military, I could never fly. How can you do that as a woman?’ ” said Tomlinson, 32, who,
as a weapons system officer does not pilot one of the Blue Angels jets during the show but serves as the team's events coordinator.
.....
The Blue Angels assign a number to the aviators who go up in the fancy blue-and-gold jets. Like other event coordinators before her, Tomlinson gets one, though, as a weapons system officer she would take the rear seat in one of the two-seater jets, if called for.
Tomlinson’s mom, Pat Redditt, said her daughter’s imperfect eyesight kept her from being a pilot.
But the kid from Carlsbad grew up with a Navy flyer father, retired Navy Capt. Richard Redditt, who piloted jets over Vietnam. His daughter, who used to run around in his flight gear, was determined to get wings.
In addition, there have been other females on the team in various positions.
But, it is true, none actually flying them.
The Thunderboreds got their first female pilot in 2005/6:
Thunderbirds' first female pilot announced with new 2006 pilots
June 17, 2005 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron,"Thunderbirds," have announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season which includes the first female demonstration pilot in the 52 year history of the Thunderbirds.
Joining the Thunderbirds in the no. 3 right wing position will be Capt. Nicole Malachowski, currently assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom.