Budget cuts end Blue Angels' 2013 season
Budget cuts force Navy's Blue Angels stunt pilots to cancel performances for the rest of 2013
PENSACOLA NAVAL AIR STATION, Fla. (AP) -- The U.S. Navy has canceled the remainder of the elite Blue Angels demonstration team's 2013 season because of federal cuts.
The commander of Naval air forces announced the decision on Tuesday.
The Blue Angels have performed at air shows around the world for more than 60 years. The fighter pilots selected to serve a two-year tour with the team are among the world's best and are often graduates of the Navy's famed Top Gun air tactics school.
A spokesman for the Navy said team members would be allowed to fly minimal hours to maintain flight proficiency in the F/A 18 fighter jets, but the six-jet squadron would discontinue group practices for the remainder of the season.
