Amanda Lee (pilot)
Amanda Lee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Stalin" |
| Born | c. 1986 (age 37–38) Mounds View, Minnesota, US |
| Service/ | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2007–present |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Unit | Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 |
| Known for | Blue Angels demonstration pilot |
| Battles/wars | Operation Inherent Resolve |
| Awards | Four Navy Achievement Medals |
| Alma mater | Old Dominion University |
Amanda Lee (born c. 1986) is a naval aviator in the United States Navy. She was selected in June 2022 as the first female pilot in the elite Blue Angels fighter jet flight demonstration squadron. Lee made her debut as the Left Wing demo pilot in the number three jet on March 11, 2023, in El Centro, California. She uses the call sign "Stalin".
Early life
Lee is from Mounds View, Minnesota, and in 2004 graduated from Irondale High School in Minnesota. She competed in many sports while in high school: ice hockey, soccer, and swimming. She attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and enlisted in the United States Navy. In 2007 she graduated from Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois. In 2013 she graduated from Old Dominion University with a B.S. in biochemistry.
Career
After enlisting in the U.S. Navy, Lee served as an aviation electronics technician. In 2013, she became a commissioned officer and started training as a naval pilot at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. In 2016 she became a naval aviator. She was then assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman to support Operation Inherent Resolve. As part of her training she successfully completed 225 carrier-arrested landings and 1,400 flight hours. She has four Navy Achievement Medals and other personal and unit awards.
Blue Angels
In July 2022, Lieutenant Lee was announced as the first woman to join the Blue Angels as a demonstration pilot. In September 2022 she was assigned to the "Gladiators" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. She flies the F/A-18E and the F/A-18F Super Hornet.
Lee's first performance as the Left Wing demo pilot with the Blue Angels took place on March 11, 2023, in El Centro, California. She also performed before an estimated 100,000 people at the MCAS Beaufort Airshow on May 22 and 23, 2023. She was cheered at the show on both days as she climbed into the cockpit of her number three aircraft.
Gallery
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Amanda Lee and the Blue Angels in formation over Lake Michigan July 23, 2023
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Amanda "Stalin" Lee flies in formation 2022 -
Lt. Amanda Lee performing on the Rhino Demo Team 2022 -
Amanda Lee waves from the cockpit of her Super Hornet 2023 -
Amanda Lee ready for takeoff 2023 -
Lt. Amanda Lee prepares for takeoff prior to a training flight over Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro (March 2023)
