Blue Angels pilot Scott Laux booted from elite Navy flight team for ‘failing to uphold standards’
A Blue Angels pilot has been booted from the Navy’s famed stunt-flying team for failing to meet its standards.
Maj. Scott Laux, a second-year member of the elite squadron, will not take part in any further performances this season, the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) confirmed to the Pensacola News Journal.
“Blue Angel #6 was removed from the team for failing to uphold the standards expected of members of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron and will not participate in the team’s remaining performance this season,” CNATRA’s public affairs office said Friday.
The Navy has not disclosed when Laux was dismissed or what led to the decision — while the unit has seemingly scrubbed Laux’s photo and biographical page from its official website.
Laux was absent from the squadron’s NAS Pensacola Homecoming Air Show in Florida on Friday and Saturday, which celebrated the naval air station’s 200th anniversary.
The team performed with five jets instead of its usual six, according to the outlet.
The pilot had previously spoken out in support of the squadron’s low-flying displays after a controversial performance over Pensacola Beach, Fla. 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 as clouds of sand swept across the beach.
“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 US 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.
Laux’s military honors include two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and multiple unit awards.
He joined the Blue Angels in September 2024 and served as the team’s narrator in 2025.
The Blue Angels, formed in 1946, are among the Navy’s best knowns flight demonstration teams, performing precision aerial shows across the country.
