CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Blue Angels have a mission to showcase their teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps through flight expositions and community outreach, and one Blue Angel demonstration pilot stuck out.
Lt. Al Cisneros, was the first Hispanic man to serve on the Navy Flight demonstration team with the Blue Angels.
The Blue Angels bring emotions of patriotism and pride for the U.S. military.
Cisneros, originally from Brownsville, trained at Naval Air Station-Kingsville in 1970.
There he earned his Gold Wings as a Naval Force Pilot.
As a student, Cisneros had a chance to fly the A4 Sky Hawk and even landed on the U.S.S Lexington.
Cisneros said he holds the Coastal Bend in a special place in his heart.
“My history of the Blue Angel experience and an a.v. pilot experience is very uniquely a part of the Coastal Bend area,” Cisneros said.
Cisneros served as a pilot in the Blue Angels from 1975-77.
“In 1975 I was number 7, and in 1976 as number 3, I was a left wingman and in the diamond, and in my third year I was number 4, which is the pilot that flies underneath the leader," Cisneros said.
Cisneros added his experience as a Hispanic Blue Angel was very special to him, but that he faced some obstacles along the road.
“To me it’s a unique privilege, especially knowing how hard it is sometimes to navigate your way through challenges, but I was the first Hispanic, ” He said.
Even though the Blue Angels have had other Hispanic members since, such as flight surgeons, maintenance and administrative officers, Cisneros said he is the only Hispanic demonstration pilot in the Blue Angels.
"That is not to signify anything special about me. This is about something that came true, a reality, a dream that came true,” Cisneros said.
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