For Fallon right now, the sky knows no limits

For the first time in eight years, the sleek blue and gold jets raced over the sagebrush terrain surrounding Reno-Stead Airport, performing maneuvers that captivated fans.

But for the pilots and support staff, arriving at Reno-Stead Airport last weekend was like a homecoming to the Nevada desert. Each Marine aviator flying with the Blue Angels at the Reno Air Show has completed training at the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center east of Fallon as part of a carrier air wing preparing to deploy overseas.

The Navy selects Blue Angels members from a pool of pilots who are either fully qualified or could be ready within a short period of time.

An enlisted member of the Blue Angels crew experienced a very different kind of Navy homecoming. 30-year-old AME1 Bret Lynch was born in Fallon and his family has remained in the Lahontan Valley as the young sailor explores the world. Lynch grew up in Fallon and played baseball on a state championship team his junior year before graduating from Churchill County High School in 2012. A few years after graduating, he enlisted in the Navy.

ONE FIRST YEAR MEMBER

Friends and family came to the airport to spend some time with Lynch and support him in his first year with the Blue Angels team.

“I was teaching at the schoolhouse in Pensacola and a good friend told me I should apply,” Lynch said of the possibility of joining the Blue Angels, also based in the Florida Panhandle. “I put together my package and applied. And here I am, my first of three years.”

Lynch is about to complete his first year with the Blue Angels and he has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He works with other technicians on safety equipment and aircraft survival equipment. In addition to maintaining and repairing systems that support pilots' lives on an F/A-18 Super Hornet, the Life Support team also maintains pilots' flight equipment.

In addition to spending much of his time in Pensacola or at air shows in support of the Blue Angels, Lynch returned several times with an air squadron to the NAWDC's Top Gun School. Every time he comes to Fallon, the childhood memories come back with him. He also looks forward to spending time with his mother, Julie, and his father, Doug, a retired sailor.

“It was a great place to grow up,” Bret Lynch said of the Lahontan Valley. “It was a phenomenal time for me growing up there. I miss it and I have some good friends that I stay in touch with.”

However, during his last nine years in the Navy, the young sailor said he traveled to various parts of the United States that were new to him. Once the Blue Angels finish their 2024 season in early November, Julie Lynch said she will travel to Pensacola to be with her son, daughter-in-law and children.

THE RENO RENDEZVOUS

But this past weekend in Reno, Julie Lynch was an appreciative mother.

“I’m very proud of him,” she said at the Reno Air Show.

She also saw the admiration that the audience showed to all members of the Blue Angels team, including the enlisted roles.

“The admiration they have for these (recruited) crew members is incredible,” she said. “They (Air Race fans) don’t care if they are pilots. They look at it as a team.”

But Julie Lynch first got a taste of the Blue Angels' popularity when she attended a show at Travis Air Force Base, east of San Francisco, in mid-March. She hadn't expected the admiration. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her son and what he was doing for his country.

“I’m proud of these guys and what they’re doing to keep these pilots safe,” she added.

Doug, who had been standing next to Julie, also choked up.

“I am a proud father. “I’m thrilled with his decisions so far,” he said.

She agreed.

“It was great to see him go from oily shirts and oily pants to what he gets into with this command,” Julie Lynch said. “There is camaraderie. They care about each other.”

Doug Lynch said his son discovered a knack for working as an instructor in Pensacola, a position he enjoyed. Then it was too difficult to pass up the opportunity to become part of the Blue Angels.

“They (the selection committee) want you to know everything about the Blue Angels. Test, test, sign out, go to the board,” Doug Lynch said.

The ultimate reward, however, came when Bret Lynch was able to spit out everything there was to know about the Blue Angels, from the Pilots' backgrounds to organizational history and teamwork. He received the coveted Blue Angels coat of arms, a sign of the Blue Angels' excellence.

“I’m proud of him and he’s come a long way,” said longtime friend Michael Perazzo, who has known the younger Lynch since elementary school. “He wanted to join the Navy like his father. When he told me I was going to the Blue Angels, I was proud.”

Before meeting his friend at the Reno Air Show, Perazzo last saw Bret Lynch when he came to Top Gun for training. Although they haven't seen each other as often as they would have liked, both friends managed to email, text, or call often. In Reno, however, Perazzo, his wife and young son enjoyed a short time with the Lynch family before Bret heads to San Francisco with the Blue Angels for Fleet Week.

FALLON is no stranger to pilots

Team Leader Captain Alexander Armatas is the team leader of the Blue Angels, but there are only a few shows left before he leaves the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels pilot and his team perform at 32 shows per year.

The Skantatels, New York native, who attended the U.S. Naval Academy, is in his second and final year with the Blue Angels. Armatas received his naval aviator commendation in 2005 and four years later completed the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (Top Gun) course in Fallon. For Armatas, flying with the Blue Angels was worth it. He said the Blue Angels were exciting.

“It was an incredible, lifelong experience, a very unique military experience,” he said. “It’s a unique experience for two to three years. A very special experience in terms of military service.”

Armatas said the pilots are from the fleet and everyone is returning to the fleet.

“For those of us who are fortunate enough to be selected, it really is a great opportunity and a great chance to give back to the military,” he added.

Armatas said the training received at Fallon was great for future Blue Angels pilots, noting in particular the tactical air training beneficial to pilots. Armatas calls the training at NAWDC top notch, but the training is constantly evolving.

Commander. Jack Keilenty, a native of Oklahoma City, is in his first of two years. He currently flies the No. 2 Hornet.

“It’s going pretty well and it’s challenging at every stage, but it’s a natural progression,” he said.

By the end of the season, Keilenty said the pilots would fly in a tighter formation. Keilenty also praised the instruction he received at Top Gun school. He said the fun part about coming to Reno is the level of integration with the pilots in Fallon.

Keilenty said the Blue Angels team represents them and the 800,000 active and reserve forces in the Navy and Marines.

“We're so close to Fallon that they'll never get a chance to see what we do,” he said. “The opportunity is here, so I’m excited to provide this opportunity to the community. The training is first class and constantly evolving to be the best it can be.”

Bret Lynch and the other members of the Blue Angels received an enthusiastic welcome in Reno.

“A girl came by and wanted my autograph,” Bret Lynch said. “It was amazing to see people’s faces light up.”

Touching souls, he said, makes him and the other members of the team happy, no matter where their final stop is.