If you have ever seen the Navy “Blue Angels” fly at an airshow, it is one of the most spectacular sights an aviation enthusiast can watch. The precision maneuvers, split-second timing, and high speed aerobatics that the team performs are proof that they are the finest aerial demonstration team in the world. It is estimated more than 11 million people watch the “Blue Angels” each year during an average of 70 shows across the United States. But what looks so effortless from the ground requires tremendous amounts of skill and hours of practice by the Navy and Marine Corps pilots who make up the team. And unfortunately, sometimes something goes wrong. At those high speeds, there is little room for error and usually the results are catastrophic. During the 70 year history of the unit, 27 pilots have lost their lives in such accidents. Lt. Commander Stuart “Stu” Powrie was a member of the team from Akron. He graduated from Firestone High School in 1966 and attended the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis where he graduated in 1970 with a degree in engineering. At Firestone, he was an All-American swimmer, which caught the eye of the Annapolis recruiter. At the [...]