"Meet Amanda Lee, the first woman pilot to ever fly on the Blue Angels, a United States Navy demonstration team for the famous Fleet Week in San Francisco."--Charlotte Mills, 6th grade
Meet Amanda Lee, the first woman pilot to ever fly on the Blue Angels, a United States Navy demonstration team for the famous Fleet Week in San Francisco.
The Blue Angels are a group of six F-18 fighters that entertain crowds all over the country with their dazzling maneuvers. They perform close wing flybys by flying so close to each other it seems like they’re touching! Sometimes, when doing these, they are only 18 inches from the other plane’s wingtip! Once a year, the Blue Angels come to San Francisco to perform. This event is called Fleet Week, and though the Blue Angels are the most famous group to perform during Fleet Week, other planes do demos, too. Some include the F-22 demo, the T-33 demo, and many more. These planes don’t fly in groups for their demos like the Blue Angels, instead it’s just one plane doing lots of flybys.
There is more to Fleet Week than fighter jets—you can also get tours on navy ships, go to the military career fair, and even watch a parade of Naval ships. Out of all the flight demonstrations, though, the Blue Angels are definitely the most popular and well known part of Fleet Week with fans.
“It is an opportunity for my family to have a planned day together,” says Kaliyah Smith, a longtime Fleet Week fan, regarding why she likes watching the Blue Angels. Smith also stated that, when asked about Lee, “It’s insane it took them this long to get a female pilot.”
And this is where our favorite pilot comes into the story. Lee joined this amazing demo team in 2022. She underwent their extensive training program with another hopeful pilot, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Zimmerman. In September, both Lee and Zimmerman were accepted. And with that, she made history, becoming the first woman to ever fly with the Blue Angels.
Being on the Blue Angels team isn’t easy. They travel all over the country in Fat Albert, their transport plane, and march through November every year. During that time they visit about thirty locations and perform up to sixty shows. One of these includes our very own dear San Francisco.
When Lee first joined the Blue Angels, she debuted as a #3 Left Wing pilot in the Blue Angel’s famous flying diamond. In this stunning maneuver, four of the six Blue Angels fly wingtip to wingtip to form a stunning and unbelievable diamond. This year, however, Lee performed as a #4 Slot Pilot in the diamond.
And that is the story of the amazing Amanda Lee, the first woman to ever be on the Blue Angels flight team.
The Blue Angels are a group of six F-18 fighters that entertain crowds all over the country with their dazzling maneuvers. They perform close wing flybys by flying so close to each other it seems like they’re touching! Sometimes, when doing these, they are only 18 inches from the other plane’s wingtip! Once a year, the Blue Angels come to San Francisco to perform. This event is called Fleet Week, and though the Blue Angels are the most famous group to perform during Fleet Week, other planes do demos, too. Some include the F-22 demo, the T-33 demo, and many more. These planes don’t fly in groups for their demos like the Blue Angels, instead it’s just one plane doing lots of flybys.
There is more to Fleet Week than fighter jets—you can also get tours on navy ships, go to the military career fair, and even watch a parade of Naval ships. Out of all the flight demonstrations, though, the Blue Angels are definitely the most popular and well known part of Fleet Week with fans.
“It is an opportunity for my family to have a planned day together,” says Kaliyah Smith, a longtime Fleet Week fan, regarding why she likes watching the Blue Angels. Smith also stated that, when asked about Lee, “It’s insane it took them this long to get a female pilot.”
And this is where our favorite pilot comes into the story. Lee joined this amazing demo team in 2022. She underwent their extensive training program with another hopeful pilot, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Zimmerman. In September, both Lee and Zimmerman were accepted. And with that, she made history, becoming the first woman to ever fly with the Blue Angels.
Being on the Blue Angels team isn’t easy. They travel all over the country in Fat Albert, their transport plane, and march through November every year. During that time they visit about thirty locations and perform up to sixty shows. One of these includes our very own dear San Francisco.
When Lee first joined the Blue Angels, she debuted as a #3 Left Wing pilot in the Blue Angel’s famous flying diamond. In this stunning maneuver, four of the six Blue Angels fly wingtip to wingtip to form a stunning and unbelievable diamond. This year, however, Lee performed as a #4 Slot Pilot in the diamond.
And that is the story of the amazing Amanda Lee, the first woman to ever be on the Blue Angels flight team.
