MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (KGTV) - A Poway middle school assistant principal had a once-in-a-lifetime experience ahead of the Miramar Air Show: a flight with the Blue Angels.
The elite flying squad gives civilians a chance at a ride at each stop around the United States.
“It's pretty surreal, and a couple times going supersonic."
Peter McKee, Assistant Principal of Black Mountain Middle School, was invited to fly because of his service to our community and his students.
What made the experience even more memorable was doing it with his dad, Retired Major Denny McKee. He was a pilot who once flew with Marine Helicopter Squadron One, which transports the president.
"I was there during the administrations of President Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, but I also flew President Eisenhower after he retired,” said Maj. McKee. He also did two tours in Vietnam.
Although there are a handful of pilots, dozens more people work behind the scenes to get the flight demonstration squadron off the ground.
“They do a lot of amazing things, but they’re on ships at sea, they’re deployed in remote places. We’re humbled and honored just to be able to show a little bit of what the Navy and Marine Corps does," said Commander Eric Doyle, Commanding Officer and Flight Leader of the Blue Angels.
