"Merlin" Is Returning to the Blue Angels

[Renegade One]

LCDR Craig "Merlin" Olson, back from VFA-32, has returned to fill out the Team for the remainder of the 2007 season. He was #7 (Narrator) , #6 (Opposing) and #5 (Lead Solo) for the 2003-2005 seasons. He arrived last week and is flying a few times a day to get up to speed. Haven't heard yet when the schedule will resume.

All the best, Spike

 

[East]

Good news

Great to hear that, must be hard to fill in under these conditions...

 

[Ace_Austin]

Its good to see the team is moving on after this whole thing.

 

[Rubiks06]

I watched the team practice a few times last week and they were running a five man formation and the solo was practicing, just that, solo. It looked different to say the least. It'll be good to have all six back. There was a jet in the morning practicing by himself too. Makes me wonder if that was Merlin getting back into the swing of things.

 

[a_m]

I wouldn't be surprised. They've been practicing twice a day for the past week or so.

 

[Mumbles]

Is the blue angel lounge still open....(next to trader john's)....??? Is trader john's still open for that matter??

 

[HeyJoe]

Gypsy to return to Blues

LCDR Craig "Merlin" Olson, back from VFA-32, has returned to fill out the Team for the remainder of the 2007 season. He was #7 (Narrator) , #6 (Opposing) and #5 (Lead Solo) for the 2003-2005 seasons. He arrived last week and is flying a few times a day to get up to speed. Haven't heard yet when the schedule will resume.

All the best, Spike

Congrats to "Merlin"

 

[HeyJoe]

Is the blue angel lounge still open....(next to trader john's)....??? Is trader john's still open for that matter??

 

[MasterBates]

Trader Jon's was gone when I was there AUG-SEP of 2005

 

[feddoc]

Merlin is a good guy. I met him in Lemoore a couple of years ago.

 

[HeyJoe]

Trader Jon's was gone when I was there AUG-SEP of 2005

I visited trader's every chance I got and the young LT who bought it did a great job getting it reopened while serving as an instructor, but couldn't pull in enough business to keep it going. Guess everyone listened to all the lectures on ORM and not drinking. Oceana is also having a tough time bringing in enough business at the club.

 

[MasterBates]

I liked going there better than "Seville"..

I guess I wanted to get the Naval Aviation experince as much as possible.. And the 0 tolerance and DUI entrapment killed/is killing a lot of the clubs out there.

 

[HeyJoe]

The club idle descent

I liked going there better than "Seville"..

I guess I wanted to get the Naval Aviation experince as much as possible.. And the 0 tolerance and DUI entrapment killed/is killing a lot of the clubs out there.

Concur on all points...and getting your photo on the wall was a rite of passage. have a photo of trader et moi in my office. What a guy and friend of Naval Aviation! RIP!

 

[xnvyflyer]

Now refresh my memory...Wasn't it true that if you ever found him to be wearing "matching" socks the whole place got a round on the house?

The guy is a legend.

 

[HeyJoe]

Now refresh my memory...Wasn't it true that if you ever found him to be wearing "matching" socks the whole place got a round on the house?

The guy is a legend.

Yep, but they never matched! here's announcement of closure