Air Force Heritage Flight Pilots.ĭale "Snort" Snodgrass accumulated over 13,000 hours in tactical aircraft during his career and is amongst the greatest fighter pilots of all time. Dale was also notably recognized as one of only ten authorized U.S. and co-founded Draken International serving as Chief Pilot, Lead for the Draken Black Diamond Flight Team and Director of Operations for Draken's Adversarial Combat Training. His personal awards include two Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, two Air Medals, three Strike/Flight Air Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V, three Navy Commendation Medals, and two Navy Achievement Medals.Īfter military retirement, Snodgrass founded DS Airshows Inc. as head of the House Liaison Office for the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs where he served until his retirement from the Navy in June 1999. In February 1997, he returned to Washington, D.C. In April 1994 Captain Snodgrass became commodore of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic based at NAS Oceana. A year later he was promoted to Captain (CAPT) and selected for a major command. In April 1993 he began service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as section head of OPNAV N88, Aviation Training Resources. After serving as the executive officer of Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) in 1988, he was selected for command of Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33. A remarkable airman, he was selected as the 1985 Fighter Pilot of the Year and 1986 Grumman Aerospace TOPCAT of the Year. Then Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Snodgrass was selected in 1983 to be the operations officer of the Atlantic Fleet adversary squadron (VF-43) at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia (NAS Oceana). As a Lieutenant (LT) he earned his Landing Signal Officer (LSO) qualification for all wing aircraft and was later selected as the Air Wing LSO for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Eight. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at NAS Miramar, California and then served as a weapons training officer. He was selected to attend and graduated from U.S. Selected for jets, he completed his Navy flight training in December 1973 and was one of the first fighter pilots to fly the F-14 Tomcat. He graduated in August 1972 and was commissioned an Ensign. The Florida resident was 72.ĭale was raised in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York and attended the University of Minnesota as an NROTC Midshipman setting records as an All-American swimmer.
"Snort" Snodgrass CAPT USN (Ret.) a celebrated naval officer and aviator for 27 years, talented demonstration pilot, and dedicated chief pilot died tragically in his SIAI-Marchetti taking off from the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Idaho on 24 July 2021. "Snort" Snodgrass CAPT USN (Ret.) embodied the Navy motto of Semper Fortis – Always Courageousĭale O.
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