Blue Angel #1
Capt. Gil Rud (USN Ret.)
The “Boss”.
Flight Leader and Commanding Officer
November 1986- November 1988
Explains how an LSO Landing Signal Officer performs its “Safe and Expeditious Recovery Operations”
Commander Rud served as the last
A-4 Skyhawk Flight Leader of the Blue Angels in 1986, and then led the team’s transition to the F/A-18 Hornet, where he served an additional two years as Boss.
Following his first combat deployment, Rud served as the Junior CAG LSO for the first cruise of the F-14A Tomcat and the first West Coast Cruise of the S-3A Viking . He would qualify to fly the F-14 prior to leaving for the cruise in order to do the job more effectively.
Gil Rud, CAPT USN (Ret.)
“Duster”
Date of Designation:
December 1968
Dates of Active Duty:
May 1967 - July 1995
Total Flight Hours:
5,600
Carrier/Ship Landings:
Fixed wing: 789
Approximate Flight Hours:
Jet: 5,200
Prop: 400
VA: 3,400
VT: 300
Other: Flight demonstration:
1,500
Combat Tours:
Place: USS Oriskany,
May 1971-December 1971,
USS Enterprise April 1975
Aviation Commands:
CO VA-192,
June 1983-August l984
CO Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels)
November 1986- November 1988
CO USS Wabash,
August 1989-July 1991
CO USS Constellation (CVA-64)
May 1993-December 1994
Combat Awards:
5 Strike Flight Air Medals