--- title: "Blue Angels aviator removed from team before homecoming show" description: "Marine Maj. Scott Laux was pulled off the team for “failing to uphold the standards expected of members,” the Navy said." date: "2026-11-09" modified: "2026-11-09" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/blue-angels-pilot-laux-removed/" categories: - "Marine Corps" - "Military Branches" - "Navy" - "News" --- # Blue Angels aviator removed from team before homecoming show ![U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux, a pilot with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, prepares to narrate the Blue Angels perform aerobatic maneuvers for spectators at the 2025 Beaufort Airshow at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, April 13, 2025. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to the country through flight demonstrations and community outreach. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabella Renaud)]() *An April 13, 2025 photo showing Marine Maj. Scott Laux with the Blue Angels. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabella Renaud.* A member of the Blue Angels demonstration team was removed from its roster last week, a few days before their final show of the year. Marine Maj. Scott Laux, a Marine Corps aviator who has been with the team for two years and flew the #6 plane, is no longer with the Blue Angels, the Chief of Naval Air Training’s office confirmed. "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," the Navy said in a statement. The service did not elaborate on what led to that decision or what standards Laux failed to uphold. His name was removed from the roster, with no replacement for the #6 plane listed. His biography remains online, however. Only on rare occasions does the military provide specific reasons for why officers and senior enlisted leaders have been relieved, often using boilerplate language in statements like “loss of trust and confidence” when announcing a dismissal or relief. Typically, military leaders are fired for a variety of reasons ranging from [leadership failings]() to off-duty misconduct, such as [being arrested for drunken driving.]() Although media outlets can submit Freedom of Information Act requests to learn what prompted a commander to be relieved, the process can take months, if not longer. The Blue Angels, made up of Navy and Marine Corps aviators, are one of the military’s premier aerial demonstration teams, flying F/A-18 Super Hornets. [Pensacola News Journal first reported]() on Laux's removal. Laux was removed shortly before the team performed at the Naval Air Station Pensacola Homecoming Air Show. The event, held Nov. 6-7, was the final show for the team, at the city where they’ve been based since the 1950s. It was also meant to celebrate 80 years of the demonstration team. Only five of the usual six jets flew. According to his Blue Angels team biography, Laux graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2012. He served with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323. His deployments included supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in the Middle East. Laux has been with the Blue Angels since September 2024, where he flew as the opposing solo. The sudden dismissal of a team member is the latest incident with the Blue Angels in recent months. During a practice flight in July, [a different pilot on the team flew low over a Pensacola beach](), hitting the ground with jet blast. Pentagon social media accounts responded with image memes and video defending the move, although the Blue Angels' commander admitted the low pass was "unsafe" and that the team never intends to fly so close to a crowd. ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]() ## More - [Navy Blue Angels had to change their show after jet caused $180,000 in building damage]() - [A pair of Blue Angels jets got a little too close for comfort during training in Florida]() - [Blue Angels commander calls beach flyover ‘unsafe’]() - [Blue Angels fly missing man formation in honor of Pensacola shooting victims]() - [Watch the Blue Angels’ legacy F/A-18 Hornets make their final sunset flight after 34 years]() - [Celebrate The Blue Angels’ Birthday With These Insane Secrets And Videos]() - [Blue Angels and Thunderbirds to fly over multiple cities to support health care workers battling COVID-19, Trump says]() - [Thunderbirds, Blue Angels flyovers to begin next week and continue into May]()