In February 1997, he returned to Washington, D.C. In April 1994, Captain Snodgrass became commodore of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, based at NAS Oceana. A year later, he was promoted to Captain and selected for a major command. In April 1993, he began service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as section head of OPNAV N88, Aviation Training Resources. After serving as the executive officer for Fighter Squadron 101 (VF-101) in 1988, the Navy selected him to command VF-33 Starfigthers. A remarkable airman, he was selected as the 1985 Fighter Pilot of the Year and 1986 Grumman Aerospace TOPCAT of the Year. In 1983, then Lieutenant Commander Snodgrass became the operations officer of the Atlantic Fleet adversary squadron (VF-43) at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. As a Lieutenant, he earned his Landing Signal Officer (LSO) qualification for all wing aircraft and was later selected as the Air Wing LSO for Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8). Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN) at NAS Miramar, California and then served as a weapons training officer.
He was selected to attend and graduated from U.S. Selected for jets, he completed his naval flight training in December 1973 and was one of the first fighter pilots to fly the F-14 Tomcat. He graduated in August 1972, commissioned as an Ensign with the U.S. Snort was 72.ĭale was raised in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, and attended the University of Minnesota as an NROTC Midshipman setting records as an All-American swimmer. He was a celebrated naval officer and aviator for 27 years, a talented demonstration pilot, and the dedicated chief pilot who died tragically in his SIAI-Marchetti 1019 taking off from the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport in Idaho on July 24, 2021. “Snort” Snodgrass embodied the Navy motto Semper Fortis – Always Courageous. According to the museum’s press release… “It was a wonderful evening filled with many memories, more than a few tales and much laughter intermingled with a few tears.” Photo by Cher McMonigleĬaptain Dale O. On June 3rd, the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida dedicated its Ready Room and an exhibit to the legendary naval aviator Captain Dale “Snort” Snodgrass.
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