RIP, it was more than an honor to have shared a cockpit and an adult beverage with this great Aviator. He has thrilled millions and was an awesome guy to break bread with. We will all miss you and the wake you left with your life...
@@francescogiovannucci586 No Sir, just a friend of his that enjoyed his friendship after he had retired to the air show circuit. My aviation was in the rotor-wing community in Public Service. Other than personal flying...
I was an aviation electrician in VF-33 during Snorts command. That Key West tour I remember well. When he said he stressed aircraft 9-10 g’s. He came back once with missing panels. The calfax screws on many other panels were missing or loose. He always said just give me guns. I was also privileged to be on the flight deck in the squadron when the famous photo of his low level maneuver was taken around the USS America. I’m privileged to have a picture with him shaking my hand and giving me a Letter of Commendation as my Company Commander. Heartbreaking to hear of his accident. I was not a pilot but privileged to have served under him and as a shop troubleshooter final checked many of his flights while in VF-33. He will be missed.
It was an honor to serve with LCDR Snodgrass, at the time, with the VF-143 Pukindogs as Ops Yeoman on the USS Eisenhower Ready Room. Great Fighter Pilot and finer gentleman. RIP Snort.
I was stationed on the Nimitz when Snort was there. I was an air intercept controller out of CIC and controlled him several times until he rotated off then worked with him when our Tomcats went to FFARP.. Twenty years of carrier duty and working with guys like Snort you definitely come back with stories.
This is a heartbreaking loss! Snort was a friend, a brother and an inspiration. He was the reason I started making custom watches, and he helped develop my company. Thank you Snort for the guidance and friendship. I'll miss you!
Such a legend. I have a feeling that he will be known by many more in the wake of his passing. The world needs to hear the stories of such amazing Americans. This is an example of true blue badass! Watch and Learn
We need to get at least 4 tomcats flying again in the honor of Dale and those who came before him in the tomcat. I’d say name the team the Snodgrass heritage squadron. I know it a very long stretch but will power is one heck of a thing. Rip Captain Snodgrass.
that's a nice sentiment but the it was even too expensive to operate when there were hundreds in service and parts were being mass produced. There are no spare parts for them anymore, everything was destroyed to deny Iran access to them. besides, the block III Super Hornet is just flat out better. Yeah i get it, it was Iconic, so was the F-4, the F-86, the P-51 and the Corsair. When it was in service it's only real rival was the F-15, that wouldn't be the case today. It's always going to be a legend. no use trying to relive the glory days.
RIP Snort! You were a mentor, friend, comrade in arms and dedicated to the profession of a Fighter Pilot. Under the definition of a Fighter Pilot should be your image. You have trained and mentored a generation of aviators. You will be forever missed my friend! Blue Skies Snort..Blue Skies 🙏❤
Flavio "Buck" Kauffmann - Brazilian Air Force. Missing our good times as young fighter pilots, I remember my great friend, and surfing partner in Rio, "Snort" and our coexistence during the VF-33 in USS Constellation campaign in South America back in 1990. RIP
I know Snort. I flew Tomcats in the 80's at NAS Miramar. He's a great pilot, but like a lot of us, has a very high opinion of himself - as you can see from his video/lecture. I saw his Tomcat 3000 HRS patch at the O'Club.
he wanted to be the best of the best and he did a fairly good job of reaching that goal..I met him a few times at airshows over the years...a bit cocky, (like all fighter pilots..esp. Chuck Yeager!) but friendly enough...He lived his dream...Whatever you focus on in your life..is what you will become...funny he died in such a slow aircraft considering all the supersonic and high performance aircraft he flew over the years....just like Scott Crossfield(1st man to exceed mach 2) and many other great pilots...when its your time...its your time I guess R.I.P. Snort ...glad I had the privilege of meeting you..you were an inspiration for many to be the best they can be.......
You can always tell an honest man/pilot by his willingness to so quickly share embarrassing and oops stories about himself. Snort must have been great!
It really is a tough thing when guys you admired for years start passing away, sadly it seems to be happening with far too much frequency. RIP, great American patriot.
What a gift he was to the United States Navy, to his country, to the men and women who flew with him over his long career, and to the fans who saw him perform in air shows. Bigger shoes to fill than Snort's don't get left behind everyday. He was a mentor and an inspiration to aviators the world over. Pilots like him are the ones who inspire new pilots. He's gone, but certainly not forgotten. Flying with a different crew now. If angels do indeed have wings, Snort will be the man to show them how to put em to good use. RIP Snort.
@@shawnomack45 It was unreal. People who never saw Tomcat in real life, don't understand. I have seen F-18 in airshows and as much people praise it, it simply does not compare to the show the F-14 put on. Not even remotely close.
@@KLRGT500KR it was definitely unreal. I go to usually 2 or 3 airshow a year since I was born and I'm 34 now tomcat is definitely my favorite. Thankfully I have old vhs tapes of airshows that I can show my kids some of the great stuff they will unfortunately never see
@@shawnomack45 Yeah, exactly. I also enjoy the same videos on youtube you do. Some of Snort's 80s airshow demos are simply stunning when he was doing a lot of fast and high-G maneuvers. I recently saw one of the last Tomcat videos, which was a night time video in full afterburners where the Tomcat does a minimum radius turn in full afterburner and then a vertical departure right over the head of the audience. You see the burners getting smaller and smaller until it vanishes into the upper atmosphere. It went to probably 50,000+ feet.
@@KLRGT500KR Can I see a single example of the Tomcat being "unreal" at displays? I've seen quite a few F-16 and Rafale videos that made me impressed, but never an F-14 so far...
As an AMH3 who served at the same time "Snort" was beginning his Navy career as an Aviator, this video brought back many fine memories. Fair Winds with Following Seas, Capt.
RIP Snort, forever a Legend; from metal wings to real ones, aviators never stop flying not even in death. condolences to his family he is an American hero.
I’ve seen f-18, 22 and now 35 training in new England river valleys. It is deafening when they pass. He’s right it’s so much cooler than an air show. Rip, the world lost a good man
I would have loved to see "Snort" given the opportunity to oversee and be the test pilot for the "Super Tomcat" that was never built. He would have had a blast, and we would have seen an awesome plane as a result. RIP #TheRealMaverick
Did you know: After high school, Snodgrass attended the University of Minnesota on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was also an All-American swimmer. Snodgrass graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1972
What a wonderful experience and memory you have. Are you able to share a memory of his leadership and how it inspired confidence in the sailors/crew? RIP.
I think I remember you Barnhill. If I remember correctly you were an AD1. Yea, Skipper always took good care of us. All we had to do for him was provide good jets. Those seem like the good old days, in retrospect. 🛫🛬
RIP Captain. A true airman and flying legend. He left us doing what he loved the most. One may be the best pilot ever, but some things are simply beyond our control.
I was a young Navy Corpsman aboard a Guided Missile Destroyer in Norfolk, in 1974, went to an Airshow at NAS Oceana where I first saw the Tomcat, the most impressive sight I have ever seen, I'd like to think a young Captain Snort was the Pilot, maybe he was, Sail on Captain, we need you, we miss you..DOC Mike USN
We must give tribute to Snodgrass both in his unquestionable greatness and also in those uncomfortable details that we should and must learn from. I'm pretty sure that during his lifetime, he used his fighter pilot attitude to correct more than a few people he dealth with. According to the blancolirio and probablecause channels here in YT, it appears (not conclusive as of this date) that his plane's elevator trim was set backwards after maintenance done on it. A thorough pre-flight and buddy assisted check up after maintenance is an absolute imperative. His trim was set backwards and he did not check on that because he sounded rushed and skipped those verifications. It appears so far that that cost him his life. I' pretty sure that if he could, he would use his fighter pilot attitude, great and noble heart and flying greatness to give advice to us to slow down, "cool our jets", be thorough and save our lives, even after he paid the ultimate price with his own. A truly great pilot and human like the rest of us!
An amazing and insightful lecture, loved every moment of it. Has he written his memoirs? The way he talks make me think he would write well and would love to learn more of his career.
I have 1 memory of "Snort" flying with the "Black Diamonds" aerobatic team at the Atlantic City airshow I'd like to share..I was lucky enough to be on the boat that was directly at airshow center about a half mile out from the beach and it was practice day... (the day before the actual airshow) and Snort was flying a modified T33 as SOLO with the Diamonds ...well, he flew so low over the water it was unreal... maybe 7 ft. over the ocean at 500 m.p.h.! (I got the pics to prove it!) THEN... at the end of his routine ,he flew over our boat so low he almost took the antenna and mast off the top of our ship...literally! He knew we had a bunch of pro photographers and "hardcore" airshow freaks onboard and wanted to give us a thrill...well he certainly did THAT!...we all just all laughed in dis-belief!
@@furyofbongos probably 8 -9 years ago or so...I met him personally a few times...fairly big ego(like most fighter pilots) but could back up his cockiness with some damn good flying skills! I heard the "Maverick"character in the Top Gun movies was modeled after him...Him and my friend Warbird pilot Ed Shipley seemed to have a competition goin on who could fly the lowest and craziest...Ed came in so low in his F86 during an airshow 1 time, that the pyrotechnics explosions on the ground burned the bottom of his plane so bad it had to be grounded and re-built! Snort tore up alot of aircraft also esp. F14's! cheers, Mustangmike.
Such a small world. I was just a kid in Oceana Va Beach and I remember that name clear as a bell. In 88 Snort was an LCDR stationed in Oceana. He was ripping the new A+ Cats off the runway and going vertical all the time. He had flight privilege more than anyone else at the time. AIMD was right behind the flight line. I watched the lucky bastard testing the New GE motors nearly every day. I wanna say he was attached to VF101 at the time. I'll find out here in a minute. Bingo! @21 he said an LSO for VF101. That's when I was an AT I level SeaOpDet to the America. He would have been on a shore duty rotation. 101 would go out for training and be on the boat for 2 week flight ops training rotation. The USSR was looming the largest ever at the time. So were we. Reagan was President and we were building towards the 600 ship Navy. I'm 54 now, Desert Storm was a long time ago and then it ended. I went to Raytheon. I should have stayed. Hindsight is....
@ken staske, sadly Captain ?Dale "Snort" Snodgass died in his own aircraft on take off in I believe Idaho this past weekend. The man will sorely be missed R IP Snort.
Whatttt ? I just learned his Flying West a week ago Saturday, July 24; here's a "Nickel in the Grass" for you 👍 Blessed Happy Landings in God’s Heaven, R.I.P. Well if this pilots' pilot unfortunately bought the farm in a single-engine prop "puddle-jumper" with all his expertise and precision flying, tell you all what, as a GA private pilot, I am hanging up my shingle!
He probably would have made admiral but he told me once in an email that he didn't want that. He wanted to keep flying and do the airshow circuit. One of the best ever. I saw the Black Diamonds back in 2014 at MCAS Cherry point and they are really good. Here he is solo flying an L-39 with the Black Diamonds a few years back. He really mows the lawn: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cpXddoRQYpU.html
@@slowpoke96Z28 Sure you could fly. He just didn't want all the administration of the command it appeared. Most senior officers above Captain don't have the time to fly.
Pretty sure it was Snort who flew the F-14 at the Quonset Point air show in '86. I was part of the air show team and got to be there when they arrived a day early. Gave us a little show that day. IIRC him and Dave Howe (can't recall his call sign) flew in two planes (primary and a backup) from VFA-143 the Pukin' Dogs.
Much respect sir for everything you've done and when you said f8f bearcat I have seen them fly at several air shows I've read about them extensively the most beautiful thought out Grumman Iron Works aircraft I love this aircraft I'm into the f7f tiger cat now what are your takes on that aircraft you're a true private sir and I respect every bit of it love you man thank you you are the man
Loved hearing him talking about the A-4 Super Fox ! "To this day I'd still take an A-4 and fight anything out there , less an F-22 unless ya gave me the AIM-9 X then I'd still do it" That's just a fucking bad ass pilot that is confident in his ability to dogfight , plain and simple, he knows what hes up against
Not so surprising considering he spent most of the time in a plane which had 2 engines and it’s single engine performance was still far better than of that “puddle jumper”.
I'll mention what 99% don't know is he lost his baby sister just over a month before his death , so who knows what was going on in his mind at the time. It's easy to poke all the negatives of what a professional should remember, but then personal losses from family member is tragic no matter what. Who knows what was going on in his head at that time.
