Blue Angels Remove Pilot Maj. Scott Laux for 'Failing to Uphold the Standards' Before Pensacola Homecoming Show

The Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron has removed one of its pilots, Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux, just as the team returned home to Pensacola, Florida, for the final show of its 2026 season.

Laux flew the No. 6 jet as the team’s opposing solo pilot. The Navy has given only a one-sentence explanation, and it has not said what he is accused of doing, if anything specific.

What the Navy said

The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) confirmed the removal to the Pensacola News Journal on Nov. 6, which first reported the news. In an emailed statement, CNATRA’s public affairs office said:

“Blue Angel #6 was removed from the team for failing to uphold the standards expected of members of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron and will not participate in the team’s remaining performance this season.”

According to the News Journal, a CNATRA public affairs officer could not immediately say when Laux was removed or what circumstances led to it. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that officials did not say whether the removal is connected to a disciplinary proceeding or any investigation.

The News Journal also reported that Laux’s photo and biography appear to have been taken off the pilot roster on the Blue Angels’ official website.

What is not known

Very little beyond the statement has been made public. The Navy has not described:

• which standard Laux is said to have failed to meet,
• when the decision was made,
• whether any flight-safety issue, misconduct allegation or other incident was involved,
• or what his next assignment will be.

None of the reporting reviewed here identifies a cause, and any specific reason should be treated as unconfirmed until the Navy or Marine Corps says more.

Five jets instead of six at the homecoming show

The timing put the removal in public view. The Blue Angels’ annual homecoming air show at Naval Air Station Pensacola runs Nov. 6 and 7 and marks the end of the season, according to The Aviationist. This year’s show also celebrates NAS Pensacola’s 200th anniversary, the News Journal reported.

The team flew five jets instead of its usual six during Friday’s show, according to the News Journal.

Who is Scott Laux?

Laux is a second-year member of the team. He reported to the Blue Angels in 2024 and served as the team’s narrator in 2025 before moving into the opposing solo position for 2026, according to the News Journal and the Chronicle. The narrator role is typically part of a three-year tour: one season narrating, then two seasons flying in shows.

Before joining the squadron, Laux served with Marine fighter-attack squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego and deployed aboard the USS Nimitz, the Chronicle reported, citing team biographical information. That biography said he had more than 1,300 flight hours and 169 aircraft carrier arrested landings.

He flew with the team at San Francisco Fleet Week in October, where the Friday show on Oct. 9 was cut short by fog and low clouds before a full performance the next day, according to the Chronicle.

Removal from the team isn’t the same as leaving the service

The Blue Angels are a special-duty assignment. The reports reviewed here do not say Laux has been discharged, demoted or barred from flying, only that he will not perform with the squadron for the rest of the season. With the Pensacola show being the season’s last, his removal effectively ends his time on the 2026 team.

FAQ