Arthur R. Hawkins
Future Captain Arthur R. Hawkins, USN (Ret.)
(U.S. Naval Institute Photo Archive)

Blue Angels Skipper, Captain Arthur R. Hawkins, USN (Ret.)

Capt Hawkins recalls performing the first through-the-canopy ejection from a jet.
By Taira Payne
June 2022
Naval History Magazine
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In this U.S. Naval Institute oral history excerpt, Captain Hawkins speaks about his becoming the first man to perform a through-the-canopy ejection from a jet aircraft on 4 August 1953, when his aircraft, an F9F-6 Cougar of the Blue Angels, encountered trouble at 42,000 feet.

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Taira Payne

Taira Payne was the Project Manager, Digital Assets & Web for the U.S. Naval Institute until January 2022. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science, specializing in Archives and Digital Curation, from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s in History from Washington College.

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