Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis: Klled in Blue Angels air show

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From the article --

A somber crowd watched as six jets flew overhead in formation at an air show where a Navy Blue Angel pilot died in a crash the day before.

Smoke streamed behind one of the jets as it peeled away from the others to complete the “missing man formation,” the traditional salute for a lost military aviator.

Sunday’s air show at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort began with a tribute to the Navy Blue Angel pilot whose aircraft plunged to the ground Saturday as the elite aviators were coming together for their final formation.

“The spirit of the pilot is in the arms of a loving God,” said Rob Reider, a minister who was the announcer for the air show.

The Navy identified the pilot Sunday afternoon as Lt. Cmdr. Kevin J. Davis, 32, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Witnesses said metal and plastic wreckage — some of it on fire — hit homes in a neighborhood located about 35 miles northwest of Hilton Head Island. William Winn, the county emergency management director, said several homes were damaged. Eight people on the ground suffered injuries that were not life threatening, said Capt. Sarah Kansteiner of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

The Blue Angels fly F/A-18 Hornets at high speeds in close formations, and are considered the Navy’s elite. They don’t wear the traditional G-suits that most jet pilots use to avoid blacking out during maneuvers. The suits inflate around the lower body to keep blood in the brain, but they could cause a pilot to bump the control stick — a potentially deadly move when flying inches from other planes.

Instead, Blue Angels manage G-forces by tensing their abdominal muscles.

The last Blue Angel fatality was in 1999, when a pilot and crewmate were killed while practicing for air shows at a base in Georgia.


Full article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...lcrash_070421/


This board is for discussion on the crash at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the pilot, the Blue Angels and related topics.

God Speed Kojak.

I can not believe you are gone. You will not be forgotten. Your smile and positive attitude will forever be in our hearts. God bless you and your family.

[CommunityEditor]

Update: Bystanders’ help sought in Angels probe (http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/0...ngels_070424w/)

My heart goes out your family and to the Blue Angels. Spc. Williams, U.S. Army