Make New York Post a Preferred Source A Blue Angel pilot’s ouster from the elite flying team only came to light when eagle-eyed spectators spotted a plane missing from its formation during a recent performance.
The mystery surrounding Marine Maj. Scott Laux’s dismissal from the Navy’s premier stunt squadron took flight after only five planes participated in the first day of a homecoming air show celebrating the 200th anniversary of Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida on Nov. 6, according to the Pensacola News Journal.
The team famously touts a standard six-jet formation.
Marine Maj. Scott Laux’s removal from the Blue Angels only came to light after eagle-eyed spectators spotted a plane missing from the team’s typical six-plane formation during a recent performance. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect The Navy later confirmed to the outlet that Laux, 37, had been ousted “for failing to uphold the standards expected of members of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron” – and that he would not participate in any of the team’s remaining performances this season.
Military officials still have not publicly disclosed exactly when or why the second-year Blue Angel was dismissed. His photo and biographical page appear to have only recently been scrubbed from the Blue Angels’ official website.
Only more questions about the situation surfaced when the profile page for another Blue Angels officer, Marine Capt. Danielle Cribb, the squadron’s public-affairs head, was discovered to have been taken down, The Aviationist reported.
Laux and Cribb, 34, were photographed together in April at a minor-league baseball game in Pensacola, where the Blue Angels are based.
The Navy did not immediately respond to inquiries about Cribb’s employment status and Laux.
Family members of Cribb denied that her removal from the website had any connection to Laux when reached by The Post on Monday.
Laux was ousted from the Blue Angels “for failing to uphold the standards expected of members of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron,” according to the Navy. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Laux – who married a fellow US Naval Academy cadet in 2013 – previously spoke out in support of the Blue Angels’ low-flying displays after a controversial performance over Pensacola Beach in July.
During the team’s annual “Breakfast with the Blues” flyover, Navy jets flew at extremely low altitude over the shoreline, sending tents, beach chairs and umbrellas flying amid clouds of sand.
“We appreciate the trust in support, and it’s our privilege to be able to perform in that way. We’re gonna keep bringing the heat and continue doing it safely,” Laux told Rolling with Madrina when asked about the incident.
Laux, who hails from Chantilly, Va., graduated from the Naval Academy in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese before completing Marine officer training and an extensive flight-training program.
He earned his wings in 2015 and went on to fly F/A-18 Hornets, later transitioning to the F-35C Lightning II. His military career included deployments to Japan and aboard the USS Nimitz.
