Doctor says beloved American institution should be axed for being too dirty and noisy

An Air Force veteran has called for the famous Blue Angels air display team to be axed for being too noisy and dirty.

Breck Lebegue, a physician who once served as a USAF surgeon, said the 110-decibel roar of the planes put people at risk of deafness.

Writing in the Seattle Times, Lebegue also highlighted how the F/A-18 jet display team belch out 670 metric tons of carbon monoxide during two days of displays.

He said that was the equivalent to 30 cars each taking a 150,000 mile journey. 

The Blue Angels are set to appear at Seattle's annual Seafair event this weekend and wow thousands of spectators.

But the pleasure the jets bring millions annually cut little ice with LeBegue, who wrote: 'It’s time to salute and say goodbye to the Blue Angels at Seafair. 

'Although we need skilled fighter pilots to defend our nation and our allies from enemies, these airshows cause significant health harm.'

LeBegue urged locals to download a decibel measuring app on their phones to record just how loud the Blue Angels are.

He warned that prolonged exposure to sound levels above 85 decibels can permanently damage hearing. 

Jets identical to those used by the the Blue Angels are partly-based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island near Seattle, with Lebegue claiming 74,000 locals were at risk of 'averse health effects' due to the roar of their engines.

Quoting a scientific study, he explained: 'Of those exposed, substantial numbers were estimated to be highly annoyed and highly sleep-disturbed, and several schools were exposed to levels that place them at risk of delay in childhood learning.'

LeBegue went on to say that letting the Blue Angels take to the skies over Seattle flies in the face of the progressive city's attempts to go green.

Local officials want to slash greenhouse gases by 30 percent between 2008 and 2030.

The medic claimed ditching the Blue Angels was a form of 'harm reduction.'

He added: 'Thank the Blue Angels for their service and past shows, say goodbye and move on to quiet planes, cleaner air and healthy family fun.

'Let’s honor the past and define the future. Let’s reimagine Seafair without the Angels.'

The Blue Angels, whose formal name is the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, was formed in 1946 as a means of promoting the US Navy and entertaining Americans.

Based in Pensacola, Florida, the Blue Angels perform at least 60 shows across the United States each year often in the country's most scenic locations. 

At the height of the first COVID outbreak in 2020, the Blue Angels embarked on a tour across American cities to thank essential workers.