He’s the go-to guy for all things STEM at Marathon High School, a beloved senior class sponsor – and he just got a day off work to break the sound barrier in an F-18.
Four days before the opening of the Southernmost Air Spectacular, Rob Driscoll headed to Naval Air Station Key West to channel his inner Tom Cruise, strapping into the cockpit of the #7 Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornet jet behind United States Marine Corps Major Scott Laux.
For the next hour, he’d be put through the paces in the skies off the Southernmost City as Laux led him through the gravity-defying moves that make the Angels a can’t-miss headliner at air shows around the U.S.
“We did all the maneuvers they’d do in the show – the high bank turn, the barrel rolls, flying upside down for a while. It was ridiculous,” Driscoll said.
“We did one thing where we were around 500 feet off of the ocean, and (Laux) just cranked it straight up and did two barrel rolls on the way up. It felt like two seconds, but when we were done, we were at 15,000 feet.”
Sucked into his seat by more than seven times the force of gravity during the stunts, he told the Weekly he “didn’t pass out, but I definitely got that tunnel vision. Everything just starts fading away into geometric patterns and shapes.”
Breaking through the clouds, Laux got the go-ahead to go Mach 1.1 – and Driscoll was prepared with a surprise for a few of the favorite kids in his life.
“I’d brought some coins with the birth years of my kids and some of my students, just to give to them and say ‘This quarter went supersonic with me,’” he said.
And though he admittedly hadn’t eaten much for breakfast that day in anticipation of the flight, Driscoll wasn’t afraid to say it: he puked.
“They gave you two little baggies strapped into your thigh straps, pre-prepped and ready to go. They were prepared,” he laughed. “I just said (to Laux) ‘Keep doing whatever you’re doing.’ I didn’t even care.”
Driscoll’s opportunity came courtesy of the Key Influencer Program, designed to give the ride of a lifetime with the Navy and Marines’ premier demonstration team to civilians who positively affect the lives of local youth. After a tour of his classroom during programming with Leadership Monroe County, Driscoll earned the nominating nod from N.A.S. Commanding Officer Capt. Beth Regoli and public affairs specialist Danette Baso Silvers.
The full Blue Angels flight team will take to the skies over Key West this Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30 in the Southernmost Air Spectacular at NAS Key West. Along with a day chock-full of exhibitions and flight demos, the Angels’ takeoff is set for 2:30 p.m. each day. More information is at keywestairshow.com.
