Thanks for sharing that. You sure do have some good reception there
Great clip, thanks for posting
. Sounds like BA 7 is doing the Media/Key Influencer rides today.
The Blue Angel Support Manual has this guidance for selection of Key Influencers and Media Riders:
13. KEY INFLUENCER FLIGHTS: The Blue Angels will conduct one Key Influencer flight at each show
site, normally on the day of Blue Angel #7’s arrival, but not always. The Key Influencer program is directly
managed by the Blue Angels Events Office.
a. A Key Influencer, or “KI,” is defined by CNATRA as people who help to shape attitudes and
opinions of recruiting age youth in their communities. The ultimate goal of the Blue Angels Key Influencer
Program is to promote a culture of excellence within the community and inspire youth to work hard towards
achieving their goals. Deserving candidates, in cooperation with media presence, will promote the Navy and
Marine Corps as professional and exciting organizations with which to serve.
b. SELECTION PROCESS: When considering KI nominees, it is important to include specific
examples of their merit, such as service to the community or youth involvement that will help a candidate
stand out amongst other nominees in the write up. These people should currently have regular interaction with
youth within their community, which means the influence they provide in a youth’s life will have a lasting and
significant impact. It cannot be over stated that nominees must currently be doing these great things. They
are not always people who work at the top of an organization but are standouts based on their strong impacts
on the community. Great candidates are people that go above and beyond their usual roles to reach the youth
within their community.
(1) Good examples of Key Influencers who have flown in the past:
i. A Teacher of the Year (community or state level).
ii. Teacher or administrator who has been recognized for going above and beyond.
iii. Police officer, Firefighter, or First Responder who has received community recognition for
their service, impact on young people, or been awarded for heroism.
iv. Locally recognized and impactful youth sports coach or extracurricular activity leader.
v. Standout service in the Boys and Girls clubs, Big Brother & Big Sisters, Police explorers, etc.
vi. Community leader or volunteer positively impacting young children, disadvantaged children,
or disabled children.
(2) Poor examples of KIs who are commonly submitted and rejected:
i. Individuals without direct connection to youth.
ii. Individuals with a personal connection with air show or recruit district staff.
iii. Anyone involved in the air show whose flight could be perceived as “quid pro quo”.
iv. Elected officials, clergy, freelance reporters and photographers are NOT eligible.
14. MEDIA FLIGHTS: The Blue Angels will conduct one media flight at each show site, normally on the day of the Blue Angel #7’s arrival, but not always. The media rider program is directly managed by the Blue Angels Public Affairs Office.
a. Media nominations should be from a main-stream, well-known, accredited organization and cannot be associated with the air show as a sponsor. The selected media rider is required to report on their experience in the aircraft, as well as tell the story of the Key Influencer rider. Media will be scheduled to fly second, so reporting can be done on Key Influencer rider that precedes the reporter. Additional media coverage of all Blue Angels riders is welcome and highly encouraged and is to be set up by the air show staff.
b. Media flight nominations that include a one-page written proposal of how the outlet intends to cover the both Key Influencer Rides and their own flight will be weighted favorably in the selection process.
c. No later than 60 days prior to Blue Angel #7’s arrival, two media flight nominations and medical 35 questionnaire, Appendix (P) are due to the Public Affairs Office from the air show Publicity Coordinator, using Appendix (J).
(1) It is important that all people who are being nominated, know they are being nominated. This way the rider will have an opportunity to decline due to personal preference, medical reasons, schedule, or even legal reasons if applicable. Some media outlets have a complex legal approval process that must begin early.