Dale snodgrass biography
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He was also selected as the Navy’s Fighter Pilot of the Year in 1985 and TOPGUN Graduate; selected by Grumman Aerospace as “Topcat of the Year” (or best F-14 Pilot) in 1986.
The Captain was considered to be the highest time F-14 pilot with 5,000 hours in the Tomcat, 7,800 hours in Fighters, and over 13,000 hours total, including 1,287 Carrier Arrested Landings, led 34 missions in Desert Storm as overall Strike or Fighter Lead, F-14 Tomcat Flight Demonstration Pilot 1985-1997.
Military decorations presented to Captain Snodgrass include: Legion of Merit (3) for superior performance in positions of great responsibility, Bronze Star for Leadership and Valor during Desert Storm, Meritorious Service Medal (2) for exceptional service in a position of senior leadership, Air Medal (3) for Valor during Desert Storm, Navy Commendation Medal (3) for Valor during Desert Storm, numerous campaign medals and service ribbons.
Captain Snodgrass had over 25 years of airshow experience with over 850 performances.
He attended the University of Minnesota on a NROTC Scholarship, and received All-American status as a member of the swim team, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
The Florida resident was 72.
Dale was raised in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York and attended the University of Minnesota as an NROTC Midshipman setting records as an All-American swimmer. Among his records, he was also a TOPGUN graduate and instructor.
After retirement, Snodgrass continued to fly jets and warbirds at airshows, becoming qualified to fly F-86 Sabre, P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, F4U Corsair, T-6/SNJ Texan, L-39 Albatros, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-21 and, more recently, the F-5 Tiger, but also as Chief Pilot for Draken International.
Snodgrass was the only person onboard a SIAI Marchetti SM.1019, a small Italian-made STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft built in the 1970s off the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog’s design, that crashed at midday shortly after takeoff and caught fire.
While initially it was only rumored, the presence of Snodgrass on the aircraft was confirmed by airport manager Michael Isaacs, as reported by the Lewiston Tribune website.
Dale was welcomed as a Director Emeritus of Wings Over Miami Air Museum in 2009 in recognition of his many years of service as a naval aviator, his support of civilian warbird aviation and for the guidance he had unselfishly provided to the Wings Over Miami Air Museum.
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Captain Snodgrass retired June 1, 1999 after 26 years of Naval Service.He graduated in August 1972 and was commissioned an Ensign. The Lewiston Fire Department stated that the aircraft came down in a field and caught fire just off the airport’s taxiway Charlie, with the rescue services responding to the emergency call at 12:11 pm and bringing the fire under control in fewer than five minutes.
The causes of the incident are unknown at this time and the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) officials are on scene to begin the investigation.
Dale Snodgrass OBITUARY
Dale O. “Snort” Snodgrass CAPT USN (Ret.) a celebrated naval officer and aviator for 27 years, talented demonstration pilot, and dedicated chief pilot died tragically in his SIAI-Marchetti taking off from the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Idaho on 24 July 2021.
When he retired, he was the pilot with the highest time in the F-14, having logged more than 4,900 flight hours (including 34 combat missions over Iraq in 1991 during Desert Storm) and 1,200 arrested landings on aircraft carriers. Not surprisingly, Dale was designated one of only ten USAF Heritage Pilots.
Captain Snodgrass served on the Board of Directors of the National Warplane Museum, Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum and the Wings Over Miami Air Museum.
His career was remarkable since the beginning, when he became the first student to be selected to fly the F-14 Tomcat straight from the flight school. He was a remarkable airman and awarded the coveted Fighter Pilot of the Year in 1985 and Grumman Aerospace TOPCAT of the year in 1986. Capt. Dale was also notably recognized as one of only ten authorized U.S.
Air Force Heritage Flight Pilots.
Dale “Snort” Snodgrass accumulated over 13,000 hours in tactical aircraft during his career and is amongst the greatest fighter pilots of all time.
He is survived by his wife Cynthia, his daughters Danby & Morgan, granddaughters Molly, Mae, Avery and Emory, his sisters Donn & Marilou and his wife Cynthia’s children, Holly and Jeffery.
Snodgrass was the sole occupant of a SIAI-Marchetti SM.1019 that crashed at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport.
The legendary F-14 Tomcat pilot Dale “Snort” Snodgrass, the type’s most experienced pilot, tragically lost his life on July 24, 2021 in a plane crash at Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport, Idaho.
Selected for jets, he completed his Navy flight training in December 1973 and was one of the first fighter pilots to fly the F-14 Tomcat. A famous shot from this period is the knife-edge pass at flight deck level over the CV-66 USS America in 1988.
Moving on in his military career, Snodgrass rose through the ranks until he became Commander Fighter Wing Atlantic, in charge of the F-14 operation of the entire Navy and also spearheading the Tomcat’s Precision Strike effort.
In the last 20 years, he flew during more than 850 airshows.
Captain Dale O. Snodgras
The son of a test pilot, Captain Dale Snodgrass grew up in Eastern Long Island, New York. His most recent count shows more than 12,500 flight hours in countless aircraft types, both civilian and demilitarized aircraft.
Dale retired from the Navy in 1999 as a Captain and during his tenure was awarded two Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, two Air Medals, three Strike/Flight Air Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V, three Navy Commendation Medals, and two Navy Achievement Medals.
After military retirement, Snodgrass founded DS Airshows Inc.
and co-founded Draken International serving as Chief Pilot, Lead for the Draken Black Diamond Flight Team and Director of Operations for Draken’s Adversarial Combat Training.