Blue Angel fans are asking why the No. 3 jet didn’t fly at the July 16 and 17 rehearsals for the Pensacola Beach Airshow. The No. 3 jet was the jet that made a thrilling low pass over the crowd during Wednesday’s “Breakfast with the Blues.”
The incident, which drew national attention from a short ABC News segment and other national news outlets, prompted the Navy to perform a safety review. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao confirmed on Thursday that the “flight debrief” had been completed and that the pilot would not be reprimanded.
The same day, Blue Angels Commander and No. 1 pilot Navy Capt. Adam Bryan told the News Journal and other reporters that the flyover was deemed unsafe and they never intend to fly that low over the crowd at the beach.
It’s not unheard of for the Blues to fly without the full six-plane squadron if a pilot is sick or there are mechanical issues, though the team has several backup planes. The absence of No. 3 from the formation since the July 15 flyover has led fans of the Blues to take to social media with calls to “free #3.”
The News Journal has reached out to the Blue Angels but has not received a response on whether the No. 3 jet will join the rest of the team for Saturday’s show.
The No. 3 jet is piloted by Navy Lt. Chris Houben, a native of Geneva, Illinois. This is Houben’s first year serving with the team.
While there’s been no indication from the team whether Houben would fly in Saturday’s show, he was at the reception held for the team on July 17 at the Pensacola Beach Hilton.
Pensacola Rep. Michelle Salzman posted a photo of herself with Houben at the reception, along with a lengthy post about her conversation with him.
While Salzman, who’s been among the chorus of officials cheering the flyover, doesn’t say whether he’ll fly today, she said that Houben told her “he was shaken” by what had happened on Wednesday.
“What I expected was a conversation about aviation. What I found was something much more human,” Salzman wrote. “He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t try to shift blame. He simply talked about the miscalculated a turn, something no pilot ever wants to experience, especially one who has dedicated his life to flying at the highest level of precision. More than anything, he talked about the weight he’s been carrying since that moment.
“He shared that he was shaken by what happened and needed time to process it. You could see the disappointment on his face. This wasn’t someone brushing off a mistake, it was someone who holds himself to an incredibly high standard and was deeply affected by falling short of it.”
Salzman said she was impressed by “humility, accountability, and professionalism” Houben has in his response to the incident.
“We often celebrate people for flawless performances, but character is revealed when things don’t go according to plan. I saw character today,” Salzman wrote. “Please continue to keep him, his teammates, and all of our military aviators in your thoughts and prayers. They carry an incredible responsibility every time they climb into the cockpit, and they deserve both our respect and our grace.
“Pensacola is proud to be the home of the Blue Angels. That hasn’t changed.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Angels fans call to ‘Free #3’ who has not flown since ‘low pass’
Reporting by Jim Little and Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Little and Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
