EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012: Blue Angels Leader F/A-18C Hornet

By Fred Harl

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron leader's plane was on display early in the week near the "heavies," the C-17 and Orbis International DC-10.  The legacy McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet was at the time assigned to Captain Greg McWherter, leader of the 2009 and 2010 teams, who returned to lead the remainder of the 2011 and 2012 seasons after Commander Dave Koss resigned from the team lead position in May 2011 after performing a formation maneuver below minimum altitude at a Lynchburg, Va airshow.  The teams led by Captain McWherter have been featured in previous posts, including an appearance at the St. Louis Science Center at the dedication of a Blue Angels F/A-18B No. 7 display in 2010.  The 2012 team schedule can be seen at http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/show/.