Lieutenant Commander Amanda Lee’s focus wasn’t on breaking barriers, it was on being the best. Still, her dedication led to her becoming the first female fighter jet pilot in the elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron. She and the rest of the team flew into Owensboro on Thursday, spending the afternoon preparing for this weekend’s Air Show.
Although periods of rain are in the weekend forecast, Air Show organizers are still moving forward with plans to host all scheduled activities for Friday-Sunday.
Friday’s activities will be held at the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport. A static display of many of the participating aircraft will begin at 4 p.m., and a meet and greet with the Blue Angels begins at 5:30. A night show begins at 6:15, featuring a handful of the performers (not including the Blue Angels). The evening will end with a fireworks finale. Admission for Friday’s event is $5 per person, with children 12 and under admitted free.
Saturday will begin with the Bridge Walk from 7:30 a.m. to noon, followed by the Air Show over the Ohio River from 12:30-4 p.m. Sunday’s performance will also run from 12:30-4 p.m. Admission is free, with spectators able to sit along the riverfront.
This will be Lee’s first time performing in Owensboro and Kentucky.
“One of my favorite things about traveling around the country is being able to see some of the states that I typically would never be able to get to,” she said. “I’m excited to see what Owensboro is about. We’re doing the performance right over a river, so that’s gonna be really cool and something I’ve never done before.”
Lee said the Blue Angels go to 32 show sites each year, and they currently have eight shows left this season.
In July 2022, Lieutenant Lee was announced as the first woman to join the Blue Angels as a demonstration pilot. She was the second woman to join the team, after USMC Captain Katie Higgins Cook who joined in 2015, flying the C-130 Fat Albert transport plane.
“Overall, just being a member of the Blue Angels is absolutely incredible,” Lee said. “Being a member of a team at this level is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m honored to be able to represent all 800,000 Navy and Marine Corps up there.”
When asked if she was motivated to be the first female demonstration pilot with the squadron, Lee said that was not her focus.
“I never set out to be a first, I set out to be the best and kind of found myself here,” she said. “I would say for anybody out there kind of wanting to pursue something, try to be the best at whatever you’re doing at that moment in time. It will open up doors for incredible opportunities.”
