A Blue Angels pilot has been removed from the Navy’s flight demonstration team for not meeting its standards. The decision left the squadron to perform with five jets at its Friday show.
The move comes months after a low flyover over Pensacola Beach in July sent sand, tents, chairs and umbrellas flying, prompting concerns about public safety.
Maj. Scott Laux, a second-year team member known as Blue Angel No. 6, was dismissed Friday, the Chief of Naval Air Training said. He will not take part in the team’s remaining performance this season, according to a statement from the office.
Laux had defended the team’s low-flying displays after the beach incident, saying the pilots appreciated the public’s trust and would keep performing safely.
Navy and War Department leaders also defended the flyover at the time. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the flight debrief had resulted in no reprimands or dismissals. War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote that the flyovers would continue, while the White House shared a meme about the incident with the caption, “It’s okay to love America.”
The Navy has not disclosed when Laux was removed or what prompted the decision. His photograph and biography have been taken off the Blue Angels’ team page, though his biography document remained accessible Sunday.
Laux did not appear at the squadron’s NAS Pensacola Homecoming Air Show on Friday or Saturday. The team performed with five aircraft rather than its usual six, adjusting its routines to account for his absence.
As the opposing solo, Laux typically flew alongside the lead solo during head-on passes and mirror-image maneuvers between the Diamond formation’s four-jet routines. The team’s 2026 narrator, Lt. Commander Ronny Hafeza, could potentially take his place on the 2027 team. Blue Angels officers serve three-year terms, including one year as narrator.
Laux grew up in Chantilly, Virginia, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2012 with a degree in Chinese. He earned his wings in 2015, flew F/A-18 Hornets with Marine Corps squadrons, and deployed to Japan and aboard the USS Nimitz. During a 2020 carrier deployment, he supported three operations: Resolute Support, Inherent Resolve and Octave Quartz.
He later transitioned to the F-35C Lightning II and worked as an instructor pilot before joining the Blue Angels in September 2024. Before becoming Blue Angel No. 6, he served as the team’s narrator.
Laux has logged more than 1,300 flight hours and 169 carrier landings. His awards include two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and several unit awards.
