Navy Petty Officer George Thiess of Bel Air Serves with Blue Angels

From the Navy Office of Community Outreach:

Petty Officer 3rd Class George Thiess, from Bel Air, Maryland, is a 2004 graduate of Harford Technical High School and has been an aviation electronics technician in the Navy for 5 years. Thiess currently serves with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.

As a aviation electronics technician, Thiess is responsible for maintaining and fixing electrical, communication, and radar systems of the aircraft.

A total of 17 officers and nearly 110 enlisted men and women serve with the Blue Angels. The team consists of both active-duty and full-time support Sailors and Marines, with each team member serving a two- or three-year tour of duty. Based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, the team travels an average of 300 days a year, performing flight demonstrations across the country. The demonstration includes precision flying of six F/A-18 Hornets, as well as display of the tactical transport capabilities of the team’s C-130 Hercules, affectionately known as “Fat Albert.”

Since the establishment of the team in 1946, the Blue Angels have performed for more than 495 million fans. The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly 65 performances at 36 locations in North America during the 2015 season, making this the team’s 69th performance year.