Renton Schools Superintendent Mary Alice Heuschel will take to the air this Seafair with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels.
She was selected for the ride-along as one of the region’s influential leaders. She’ll ride in an F/A-18 Hornet on Aug. 1, leading up to this year’s Seafair weekend.
She’ll ride in the back seat of the No. 7 jet with two others who get the same opportunity, including another leader identified in the Blue Angels’ Key Influencer program and a member of the media.
A Key Influencer is nominated by a commanding officer of a Navy or Marine Corps recruiting district and is considered as a leader who has a significant and positive impact on his or her community, according to a press release.
“This is going to be intense,” said Heuschel in an email.
Heuschel was nominated by the Navy Command office and has been in touch with them during the past year regarding the nomination and application process. She was required to submit paperwork and complete a physical. To prepare in case she was selected, Heuschel increased her treadmill workouts to four miles a day instead of her daily two miles in the last six months.
She said she is “super-excited” about Monday and called it a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Three years ago, Heuschel watched the Blue Angels from the Navy Recruiting Command Admiral’s Barge; on Monday her experience will be up close and personal.
“I’m incredibly honored, excited and feel so proud to be selected as a “Key Influencer” in their Legacy Leader program,” she said. “Though I get to fly, this really is a tribute to the Renton School District team and the fabulous Renton community. This would not be happening without the support of our community for our school district and the hard work of the Renton School District family to make a difference in the lives of our students.”
Heuschel was the state Superintendent of the Year and was one of only four school leaders in the United States considered as National Superintendent of the Year.
Blue Angel pilots have been known to fly as close as 18 inches apart, as high as 8,000 feet and as low as 50 feet from the ground during demonstrations.Performances can reach speeds as fast as 700 mph or Mach 1.
Heuschel said he plans to be on a diet of saltines and water through the weekend.
