Blue Angel LtCMD Kevin Davis Soars to Heaven
Lieutenant Commander
Kevin Davis
United States Navy
Opposing Solo
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis is a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Reading Memorial High School in 1992 where he played football and was active with the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science with honors in 1996.
Kevin reported to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, for Officer Candidate School and aviation indoctrination in September 1996. He completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, and transferred to NAS Meridian, Mississippi, for intermediate and advanced flight training. While there, he flew the T-2C Buckeye and TA-4J Skyhawk, and received his wings of gold in June 1999.
Kevin reported to Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) at NAS Oceana, Virginia, for training in the F-14 Tomcat and was the “Top Stick” in his class. In July 2000 he reported to the VF-11 “Red Rippers” where he completed deployments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67). While with the “Red Rippers,” Kevin served as the airframes/corrosion branch officer, air-to-ground training officer and head landing signals officer. His deployments included extended operations in the North Arabian Sea and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In July 2003, Kevin transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet through Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) at NAS Lemoore, California, and then reported to the Fighter Composite Squadron (VFC-12) “Omars,” stationed at NAS Oceana, Virginia. While at VFC-12, Kevin served as a Navy adversary pilot providing valuable air-to-air training for fleet squadrons. In December of 2004, Kevin graduated from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) as an adversary pilot. During his tour at VFC-12, Kevin worked as the schedules officer, legal officer, FRS/SFARP officer and assistant operations officer.
Kevin joined the Blue Angels in September 2005. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 200 carrier arrested landings. His decorations include the Air Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and various personal and unit awards.
Biography from the Blue Angels Official Website.
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Davis was killed April 21, 2007 during a Blue Angels performance in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Farewell, and Walk with God, Kevin Davis. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends and your team at this most difficult time.
Blue Angels Tributes continue below.
13 comments:
My thoughts and prayers are with LCDR Davis, his family, friends and fellow aviators. I am the mother of an FA-18C pilot. This poem gets me through the days when worry is at the forefront - it helps us earthbound mortals understand the calling of so many brave young men and women:
A tribute - High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
- by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
such a sad thing, these guys are all heros...........
I had a small post about this, I have added your video, great post
Anonymous - thank you for the visit and sharing with us. The poem is posted below this one here, too.
Sarge - thanks.
My heart is with his family and friends. Thank you for sharing.
Those guys represent so much to this country and our freedom. My prayers are with his family.
He's flying high with Heaven's Angels now.
It was a sad event, sadder still that it took place just a few miles from where I live.
I keep forgetting to go see the Blue Angels when they are at MCAS in Beaufort. But I'm glad I forgot this time around. It would have been even sadder.
Even worse was his family was there to watch the show. That has to be as horrible a thing as I can imagine.
Ron~ It truly is a horrible thing. The only solace would be that he was doing what he loved. Still, I can not imagine..
This guy was a total class act. As an Apache pilot in the airshow, I met Kevin during Thunder Over Louisville, 2006 after the airshow. And again during the Chicago Air and Water Show, 2006. He remembered me and went out of his way to come up to me and ask how I was. He was a genuine good person. God Bless You Kevin!
My thoughts and prayers goes out to the Davis family, the Navy and our nation. I was friends with Kevin in college and remember when he found out he got his AOCS slot.
I knew that he would be a man that would live his dreams of flying navy fighters. Even with all of his cabilities and talents, he was one of the most down to earth, nicest pilots I've ever met.
He and I had various conversations concerning our dreams and where we wanted to be in 10 years. It breaks my heart to think that I have to write this 10 years later, but at least he was doing something he so loved.
He is a hero to all.......
Melissa (Nagurny) Hildebrandt
ERAU Class of 1997
I've seen these guys perform on several occasions and always walk away highly impressed. You gotta love a guy who died doing exactly what he wanted to do. Godspeed.
I am impressed that so many people that either barely knew him or knew him in the past have such good things to say about him. It shows a character that many people in our society are lacking.
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