US NAVY Flight Demonstration Squadron the Blue Angels, selected 2012 team members. Three F/A-18 Hornet pilots, a C-130 pilot, administrative officer and supply officer to join the team in September. The maintenance officer was previously selected for the 2012 team.
F/A-18 Demonstration Pilots:
Navy Lt. Mark Tedrow, 29, of Charleroi, Penn., is currently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Calif. He is a 2004 graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
Navy Lt. John Hiltz, 31, of Park Hill, Ky., is currently assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 (VMFAT-101) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, Calif. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Marine Capt. Brandon Cordill, 31, of Hemet, Calif., is currently assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) at MCAS Beaufort, S.C. He is a 2002 graduate of St. Louis University.
The vacant demonstration pilots' positions for the 2012 show season are: #2 Right Wing, #4 Slot and #6 Opposing Solo. The Blue Angels Leader Navy Capt. Greg McWherter remains the commander and leader for the 2012 after he was returned to this position after Cmdr. Dave Koss relieves position as a leader following the Lynchburg Regional Air Show incident on May 22. McWherter will set a record for been a Blue Angels Leader for four consecutive seasons. He became a Blue Angels leader in November 2008 and led the team for 2009 and 2010. After he was recalled again in May 2011, hi will remains a leader for 2012.
The present #2 Lieutenant Commander Jim Tomaszeski, #4 LT Rob Kurrle and #5 LT Ben Walborn will quits the squadron after the end of 2011 season. The present Blue Angel #6 LT C.J. Simonsen will take the position of the #5 Lead Solo.
C-130 Aircraft Commander:
Marine Capt. Aaron Harrell, 31, of Frederick, Md., is currently assigned to Expeditionary Warfare School at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Quantico, Va. He is a 2002 graduate of Anderson University.
Maintenance Officer:
Navy Lt. Richard Mercado, 40, of Torrance, Calif., is currently assigned to Fleet Readiness Center Southeast at NAS Jacksonville, Fla. He is a 2001 graduate of Excelsior College. He was selected to join the 2012 team in 2010.
Administrative Officer:
Navy Lt. Holly Taylor, 36, of Simsboro, La., is currently assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 49 (HSL-49) in NAS North Island, Calif., and is a 2008 graduate of the University of Alabama.
Supply Officer:
Navy Lt. Scott Adams, 28, of Omaha, Neb., is currently assigned to USS Nimitz (CVN-68) at Naval Station (NS) Everett, Wash. He is a 2005 graduate of Hastings College.
"Nearly 50 highly qualified Navy and Marine Corps' officers applied for these positions. Over the last four months, the team had the chance to get to know each member at various air show events and social functions, giving us the opportunity to get to know them personally before selecting finalists. The finalists then came down to Pensacola for an extensive interview process designed to select the best officers for the 2012 Blue Angels' team," said LCDR Jim Tomaszeski, #2 pilot and applicants officer.
