The USN Blue Angels perform the Line-Abreast Loop; the most difficult formation maneuver to do well. No.5 joins the diamond as the 5 jets fly a loop in a straight line. USN Lt. Commander Craig R. Olson (#5 Lead Solo) joins Commander Steve Foley (#1 Flight Leader/Commanding Officer), Lt. Commander John Saccomando (#2 Right Wing), USMC Major Mathew Shortal (#3 Left Wing), and Lt. Commander Max McCoy (#4 Slot) to perform this maneuver.

The Right-Echelon Fan maneuver, the Left-Echelon Roll (LER) and the Line-Abreast Loop follow in quick succession. "That whole sequence--the Fan, LER and Line-Abreast Loop--is the hardest set we do as a Diamond, They come right in a row--three maneuvers that really require us to be on our game." The Loop is done as a five-aircraft formation, all the Hornets in a straight, horizontal line. "It's very difficult," Shortal says. "It's just not intuitive to fly wingtip-to-wingtip, about 10 ft. apart, looking down your shoulder." -[Aviation Week]

Photo by Bob Nelson, on Sunday July 10, 2005 at the Fargo AirSho.