[405] MTSU PROFESSOR TAKEN FOR RIDE OF A LIFETIME

MTSU PROFESSOR TAKEN FOR RIDE OF A LIFETIME

April 3, 2009

CONTACT: Erin Bridges or Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

MURFREESBORO—Each year the U.S. Navy Blue Angels stun spectators at air shows across the country, and every year they select only a few people to fly with them. Dr. Wayne Dornan, chair of the Department of Aerospace at Middle Tennessee State University, was honored to be one of those chosen for the 2009 season. He strapped himself in and took flight April 1, just prior to the Blue Angels air show in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Blue Angels selected Dornan in honor of MTSU’s nationally recognized aerospace department, the high caliber of students produced by the program and the department’s many contributions to the military. Dornan’s pilot was Blue Angel Lt. Ben Walborn.
“To me, it’s quite an honor to be invited to do this,” Dornan said. “You’d never dream you would even have this opportunity unless you were a Blue Angels pilot. So for me to experience this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“They rarely choose from school programs,” Dornan added. “Normally celebrities or university presidents are chosen.”
Prior to takeoff, Dornan underwent medical tests to ensure that he could handle the physical stress of the flight. The F/A-18 Hornet can travel faster than the speed of sound and reaches heights resulting in weightlessness.
The Blue Angels were created in 1946 to encourage the public’s interest in naval aviation. Since then, they have captivated growing audiences and had more than 13 million spectators attend last season’s shows.
Dornan came to MTSU in 2003.

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NOTE: For a H&S of Dornan or other images of the Blue Angels, email Randy Weiler, News and Public Affairs, at jweiler@mtsu.edu. Thank you.