Last modified Wed., July 26, 2006 - 04:36 PM
Originally created Thursday, July 27, 2006

'Blue' dreams come true for CNATTU Jax Sailor

By ATC(AW/SW) John Wilson and Jena Stephenson, CNATTU Jax

Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Jax Instructor AD1(AW/SW) Eva Takacs explains the characteristics of a T-34 engine to a group of students. Photo courtesy of CNATTU Jax

AD1(AW/SW) Eva Takacs recently received word that one of her dreams is coming true. Takacs of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Train-ing Unit (CNATTU) Jacksonville was notified that she landed a spot as a crewmember for the U.S. Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron, the "Blue Angels." She will be joining the elite Navy and Marine Corps flight demonstration team headquartered at NAS Pensacola this November.

Her dream of being a "Blue" began in the summer of 2005, when she received a ride in Fat Albert during an air show at Jacksonville Beach. The all-Marine Corps' operated C-130T Hercules, affectionately know as "Fat Albert Airlines", joined the team in 1970 and flies more than 140,000 miles each season. It carries more than 40 maintenance and support personnel, their gear and enough spare parts and communication equipment to complete a successful air show.

Through recommendations from her chain of command at CNATTU Jacksonville, Takacs was granted an interview with the Blue Angels and the arduous interviewing process began April 24. The interview process consisted of three grueling days. During the first two, she was involved in informal introductions and interviews throughout the squadron and assisting with work on the aircraft and manning the flight schedule. The third day began at 5 a.m. with prepping the aircraft for the fly-off, morning turns and the flight schedule. Later, she interviewed with the branch chief petty officer, frontman, maintenance master chief petty officer and the command master chief. The process was long and hard, but all her efforts paid off. Finally, on May 31, she received a call from her detailer with the news that she had been selected to the team for the upcoming 2007 season. She will be assigned to the Power Plants Division.

AD1(AW/SW) Eva Takacs

Takacs came to the United States in 1994 from Dunaujvaros, Hungary, and obtained her citizenship in 2002. Her mother, brother and two nieces live in Jacksonville while her father, stepmother and stepbrother live in Detroit, Mich. She also has a grandmother in Tampa. She enlisted in the Navy Sept. 8, 1999, and attended boot camp at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Following boot camp, Takacs attended Aviation Machinist Mate "A" school at Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) in Pensacola, where she was distinguished as honor graduate, and promoted to E3.

Takacs then reported to VS-22 in March 2000 and four months later earned accelerated promotion to E4. During this tour, she made deployments aboard USS Harry S. Truman to the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea. After her successful tour in VS-22 and promotion to E5 in July 2002, she received orders to CNATTU Jacksonville as a "C" school instructor for the S-3B Viking. Prior to arrival in Jacksonville, Takacs completed Basic Instructor Training in April 2004.

During her tenure at CNATTU Jacksonville, Takacs was promoted to petty officer first class in November 2005, and selected as the Junior Sailor of the Quarter (first quarter) 2005, Junior Instructor of the Quarter (fourth quarter) 2005 and Junior Instructor of the Year for 2005.