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In the Navy, Snodgrass was considered the "highest time Tomcat pilot," logging more than 8,000 hours of flight time including more than 4,800 hours in the F-14 and more than 1,200 arrested carrier landings, both more than any other pilot. He was the first Tomcat pilot to complete carrier
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aircraft carrier. A photo of the pass was captured, taken by a Naval photographer, and it is considered one of the most famous aviation photos of all time. Snodgrass' F-14 wings are vertical, and appears to be very close to the ship and the crew members seen in the foreground.
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Snodgrass had performed in over 850 airshows over the course of 20 years. Having flown F-14 demos at airshows for 14 years, he has additionally qualified in other warbirds, like the
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Snodgrass was famous for his low-level flybys. During the summer of 1988, Snodgrass performed a low-level "banana pass" or a knife-edge pass during an air show for a
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In 1985, the US Navy selected
Snodgrass as "Fighter Pilot of the Year." The following year, Snodgrass reportedly did a little bit of the flying in the film
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pilot," after having accumulated more than 4,800 hours in the F-14 and more than 1200 arrested carrier landings, both more than any other pilot.
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for leadership and valor. In
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1222:"Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, legendary US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot, killed in the crash of a SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019"
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Snodgrass graduated first in his flight school in 1974. He was the first student selected to begin flying the
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1027:"Tributes pour in for flying legend Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass after fatal crash Saturday at Lewiston airport"
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Top Gun pilot Capt Dale "Snort" Snodgrass
Lectures At The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
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1511:"National Naval Aviation Museum Dedicates Ready Room and Exhibit to Dale "Snort" Snodgrass"
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1341:"The story (and video) behind Dale "Snort" Snodgrass legendary super low Banana Pass"
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During his military career, Snodgrass received a number of decorations including a
1363:"Dale Snodgrass Obituary (1949 - 2021) - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Record"
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swimmer. Snodgrass graduated with a
Bachelor of Science in biology in 1972.
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1311:"Legendary F-14 Pilot Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass Dies In A Tragic Plane Crash"
983:"Dale Snodgrass Bio: Facts about the Legendary Pilot Who Died in a Crash"
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He was called "The Real Top Gun" or the real "Maverick" in reference to
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Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
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qualifications, both night and day, without any fleet experience.
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was considered one of the greatest fighter pilots of all time.
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Snodgrass retired from the Navy in June 1999 after 26 years.
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United States Navy Strike
Fighter Tactics Instructor program
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1076:"The Real Top Gun – Nobody handled a Tomcat like Snort"
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1482:"Snodgrass SIAI-Marchetti SM-1019B NTSB Final Report"
1277:"AIRSHOW PILOT DALE SNODGRASS KILLED IN IDAHO CRASH"
1410:"Update: Pilot killed in plane crash is identified"
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Navy and Marine Corps Sea
Service Deployment Ribbon
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1164:"Meet the Real Top Gun – Dale "Snort" Snodgrass"
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1169:. Grumman World. July 25, 1986. Archived from
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236:(May 13, 1949 – July 24, 2021) was a
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1627:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
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1309:D'Urso, Stefano (July 26, 2021).
526:Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport
140:Fighter Wing, U.S. Atlantic Fleet
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1339:Leone, Dario (October 4, 2018).
1130:"CAPTAIN DALE "SNORT" SNODGRASS"
1103:. Austrian Wings. August 9, 2021
981:John, Caroline (July 26, 2021).
920:Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
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915:National Defense Service Medal
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505:. and was married to Cynthia (
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902:Meritorious Unit Commendation
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1343:. The Aviation Geek Club
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345:In 1978 he attended the
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313:University of Minnesota
304:. Snodgrass grew up in
893:Navy Unit Commendation
823:Naval Aviator insignia
564:Awards and decorations
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503:St. Augustine, Florida
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115:Years of service
71:Long Island, New York
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1031:The Lewiston Tribune
475:Draken International
468:USAF Heritage Flight
419:Post-military career
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405:Fighter Squadron 33
137:Fighter Squadron 33
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548:In June 2022, the
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192:Others (see below)
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1313:. The Aviationist
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1285:. Retrieved
1256:. Retrieved
1253:The Flagship
1252:
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1178:. Retrieved
1171:the original
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987:. Retrieved
567:
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444:P-51 Mustang
437:
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359:
357:instructor.
344:
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321:All-American
310:
300:engineering
294:F4U Corsairs
287:World War II
280:
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232:
205:Cynthia West
191:
145:Battles/wars
83:(2021-07-24)
68:May 13, 1949
18:
1582:2021 deaths
1577:1949 births
945:award stars
911:, 2 awards
874:and bronze
839:Bronze Star
834:award stars
570:Bronze Star
493:customers.
460:A-4 Skyhawk
409:Bronze Star
338:Snodgrass'
333:F-14 Tomcat
50:Nickname(s)
1571:Categories
1495:August 17,
1443:August 11,
1420:August 11,
1367:Legacy.com
1347:August 11,
1317:August 12,
1287:August 11,
1258:August 11,
1227:August 11,
1180:August 11,
1139:August 11,
1107:August 23,
1085:August 11,
1036:August 11,
989:August 11,
953:References
924:award star
922:w/ bronze
897:award star
876:award star
852:award star
850:w/ 1 gold
558:Ready Room
510: West
479:aerobatics
440:F-86 Sabre
429:F-86 Sabre
302:test pilot
265:Tom Cruise
95:Allegiance
64:1949-05-13
1561:Biography
895:w/bronze
859:Air Medal
832:w/2 gold
464:F-5 Tiger
448:T-6 Texan
386:Dependent
317:Navy ROTC
202:Spouse(s)
179:Air Medal
118:1973–1999
1517:June 17,
1466:July 11,
1395:April 3,
1372:April 3,
872:Combat V
863:Combat V
843:Combat V
470:pilots.
340:callsign
245:air show
210:Children
149:Gulf War
133:Commands
103:Service/
1462:. AVWeb
483:warbird
399:During
392:America
380:in 1988
377:America
363:Top Gun
298:Grumman
270:Top Gun
241:aviator
218:Website
127:Captain
53:"Snort"
1547:Portal
544:Legacy
462:, and
456:MiG-21
452:MiG-17
431:, 2004
355:TOPGUN
351:TOPGUN
290:Marine
258:Tomcat
155:Awards
105:branch
1489:AvWeb
1485:(PDF)
1174:(PDF)
1167:(PDF)
516:Death
315:on a
1519:2022
1497:2023
1468:2022
1445:2021
1422:2021
1397:2023
1374:2023
1349:2021
1319:2021
1289:2021
1281:AOPA
1260:2021
1229:2021
1182:2021
1141:2021
1109:2021
1087:2021
1038:2021
991:2021
943:w/2
390:USS
375:USS
243:and
123:Rank
90:, US
78:Died
73:, US
58:Born
552:in
528:in
508:née
481:to
473:At
187:(3)
181:(3)
175:(2)
164:(3)
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