Editing Blue Angels (section)

===2010–2019===
[[File:Blue Angels flying in formation1.jpg|thumb|F/A-18 Hornets performing in San Francisco]]

On 22 May 2011, the Blue Angels were performing at the Lynchburg Regional Airshow in [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]], Virginia, when the Diamond formation flew the Barrel Roll Break maneuver at an altitude lower than the required minimum.<ref name="Blue_Angels_Comparison">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUWQlXQB20 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/dlUWQlXQB20 |archive-date=2021-11-03 |url-status=live|title=Blue Angels Lynchburg Va. 2011 was this the problem formation?|last=horsemoney|date=25 May 2011|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The maneuver was aborted, the remainder of the demonstration canceled and all aircraft landed safely. The next day, the Blue Angels announced that they were initiating a safety stand-down, canceling their upcoming Naval Academy Airshow and returning to their home base in [[Pensacola]], [[Florida]], for additional training and airshow practice.<ref>[http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/media/news/20110523_001.pdf Blue Angels Cancel Naval Academy Airshow] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716094617/http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/media/news/20110523_001.pdf |date=16 July 2011}}. United States Navy.</ref> On 26 May, the Blue Angels announced they would not be flying their traditional fly-over of the [[Naval Academy Graduation Ceremony]] and that they were canceling their 28–29 May 2011 performances at the Millville Wings and Wheels Airshow in [[Millville, New Jersey|Millville]], New Jersey.

[[File:Stephen Foley_CO_Blue_Angels.jpg|thumb|Legion of Merit awarded to Flight Leader Stephen Foley]]
On 27 May 2011, the Blue Angels announced that Commander Dave Koss, the squadron's commanding officer, would be stepping down. He was replaced by Captain Greg McWherter, the team's previous commanding officer.<ref name="cnn2011">{{cite news |title= Blue Angels commander steps down after subpar performance |url= http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/05/27/virginia.blue.angels/ |date= 27 May 2011 |publisher=CNN |access-date=28 May 2011}}</ref> The squadron canceled performances at the [[Rockford, Illinois|Rockford]], Illinois Airfest 4–5 June and the [[Evansville, Indiana|Evansville]], Indiana Freedom Festival Air Show 11–12 June to allow additional practice and demonstration training under McWherter's leadership.<ref name="cnn2011" />

On 29 July 2011, a new Blue Angels Mustang GT was auctioned off for $400,000 at the [[EAA AirVenture Oshkosh|Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture Oshkosh (Oshkosh Air Show)]] annual summer gathering of aviation enthusiasts from 25 to 31 July in [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]] which had an attendance of 541,000 persons and 2,522 show planes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/home/press-release/10389551/eaa-airventure-oshkosh-2011-facts-and-figures |title=EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2011 Facts and Figures |publisher=AviationPros |date=2 August 2011 |access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carscoops.com/2011/08/one-off-blue-angels-ford-mustang/ |title=One-Off "Blue Angels" Ford Mustang Auctioned at Air Show |publisher=Carscoops |date=1 August 2011 |access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

Between 2 and 4 September 2011 on Labor Day weekend, the Blue Angels flew for the first time with a fifty-fifty blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a [[camelina]]-based biofuel at [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River]], Maryland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=ea4cc087-409e-4c72-8e2c-78c3a42d491b |title=Blue Angels Use Biofuel at Patuxent Air Show |publisher=Aero-news.net |date=6 September 2011 |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> McWherter flew an F/A-18 test flight on 17 August and stated there were no noticeable differences in performance from inside the cockpit.<ref>{{cite web|last=Austell |first=Jason |url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/128900393.html |title=Blue Angels Go Green |work=[[KNSD]] News |date=1 September 2011 |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.military.com/news/article/navy-news/blue-angels-use-biofuel-at-patuxent-air-show.html |title=Blue Angels Use Biofuel at Patuxent Air Show |publisher=Military.com |date=7 September 2011 |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref>

On 1 March 2013, the U.S. Navy announced that it was cancelling remaining 2013 performances after 1 April 2013 due to [[Sequester (2013)|sequestration]] budget constraints.<ref>[http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73264 U.S. Navy Cancels Blue Angels 2013 Performances] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311094216/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=73264 |date=11 March 2014}} 10 April 2013, U.S. Navy</ref><ref name="Navy_Cancels">{{cite web |url=http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/media/news/20130409_001.pdf |title=U.S. Navy Cancels Blue Angels 2013 Performances |date=9 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417231601/http://blueangels.navy.mil/media/news/20130409_001.pdf |archive-date=17 April 2013}}</ref> In October 2013, Secretary of Defense [[Chuck Hagel]], stating that "community and public outreach is a crucial Departmental activity", announced that the Blue Angels (along with the U.S. Air Force's [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds|Thunderbirds]]) would resume appearing at air shows starting in 2014, although the number of flyovers will continue to be severely reduced.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/thunderbirds-and-blue-angels-to-resume-air-shows-but-no-more-flyovers/|title=Thunderbirds, Blue Angels to Resume Air Shows|work=ABC News}}</ref>

On 15 March 2014, the demonstration pilots numbered 1–7 wore gold flight suits to celebrate the team's "return to the skies" during their first air show of the season;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northescambia.com/2014/03/wearing-gold-the-blue-angels-return-to-the-skies |title=Wearing Gold: The Blue Angels Return To The Skies (March 16, 2014) |publisher=NorthEscabia.com |access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref> there were only three air shows in 2013.

In July 2014, Marine Corps C-130 pilot Capt. [[Katie Higgins Cook|Katie Higgins]], 27, became the first female pilot to join the Blue Angels, flying the support aircraft Fat Albert for the 2015 and 2016 show seasons.<ref name="pope2014">{{cite news |url=http://www.flyingmag.com/news/jdK7LcHf6g0emiTC.99 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140727001740/http://www.flyingmag.com/news/jdK7LcHf6g0emiTC.99 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 July 2014 |title=First Female Pilot Joins Blue Angels |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=9 May 2015 |author=Pope, Stephen |work=Flying |via=flyingmag.com}}</ref>

In July 2015, Cmdr. Bob Flynn became the Blue Angels' first executive officer.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-blue-angels-mcwherter-groupme-texts-frosch-2014aug01-htmlstory.html |title=Porn, texts bring Blue Angels overhaul |newspaper=[[San Diego Union Tribune]] |date=2014-09-01 |access-date=2020-12-03}}</ref>

[[File:Blue Angels at Miami Beach memorial day.jpg|thumb|Blue Angels perform at Miami Beach on Memorial Day, 2019]]
On 2 June 2016, Capt. Jeff Kuss, an Opposing Solo, died just after takeoff while performing the Split-S maneuver in his Hornet during a practice run for The Great Tennessee Air Show in [[Smyrna, Tennessee]]. The Navy's investigation found that Capt. Kuss had performed the maneuver too low while failing to retard the throttle out of afterburner, causing him to fall too fast and recover too low above the ground. Capt. Kuss ejected, but his parachute was immediately engulfed in flames, causing him to fall to his death. Kuss' body was recovered just yards away from the crash site. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. The investigation also cited weather and pilot fatigue as additional causes of the crash. In a strange twist, Captain Kuss' fatal crash happened hours after the Blue Angels' fellow pilots in the [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds]] suffered a crash of their own, following the [[United States Air Force Academy]] graduation ceremony earlier that day. Capt. Jeff Kuss was replaced by Cmdr. Frank Weisser to finish out the 2016 and 2017 seasons.{{citation needed|reason=Details in paragraph need cite(s)|date=July 2022}}

In July 2016, Boeing was awarded a $12 million contract to begin an engineering proposal for converting the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for Blue Angels use, with the proposal to be completed by September 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/855424 |title=Contracts for July 25, 2016 |publisher= U.S. Department of Defense |date= 25 July 2016 |access-date=26 July 2016}}</ref>

The Fat Albert (BUNO 164763) was retired from service in May 2019 with 30,000 flight hours. The Blue Angels replaced it with a [[Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules|C-130J Super Hercules]] acquired from the [[Royal Air Force]] (BUNO 170000).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tegler|first=Eric|title=The Blue Angels' New 'Fat Albert' C-130J Probably Has Dual Citizenship|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erictegler/2020/08/16/the-blue-angels-new-fat-albert-c-130j-probably-has-dual-citizenship/|access-date=2021-01-04|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>