Naman Shrestha
Amazon Prime’s ‘The Blue Angels’ is a documentary movie that focuses on the 2022 season members of the Blue Angels, which also included Chris “Cheese” Kapuschansky. After getting into the team after three tries, Chris had trouble realizing that his childhood dreams had come true. Now, with the air shows across the country lined up, he and his teammates go through rigorous practice sessions daily to perfect the art of aviation so that they can blow people’s minds.
Chris “Cheese” Kapuschansky Was a Part of Blue Angels For 2 Years
Hailing from Brockton, Massachusetts, Chris Kapuschansky had quite a few aspirations growing up, including playing Division I football at the nation’s Naval Academy. Since his father was in the Navy, he spent a significant portion of his childhood in Newport, Rhode Island. When he saw the Blue Angels perform extraordinary aviation stunts in the sky there, he became hooked and became interested in naval aviation. Since then, he dreamt of becoming a pilot and began working towards that. In 2007, he graduated from York High School and attended Valley Forge Military College for a year before he enrolled in the United States Naval Academy, where he studied Oceanography.
Although his dream of playing for the Navy Midshipmen football team didn’t come to fruition, little did Chris know that he would be able to achieve his other aspirations soon. After his graduation, he went to a flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and earned his Wings of Gold in October 2014. Then, he became a part of the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and later reported to VFA 103. His determination and hard work over the years led him to fulfill his childhood dreams as he joined the United States Navy Blue Angels in September 2021. It was not an easy road; it took him a lot of perseverance and three tries to finally get into the Blue Angels.
As for his nickname “Cheese,” he got it after meeting VFA-103 on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. In the same interview with Williamsburg Yorktown Daily, he shared the details about the inception of his nickname. He revealed, “There were a handful of people on the ship. Nobody had any idea how to say my last name. I was just showing up happy and glad to be there. Nobody knew how to say my last name except for maybe two of my buddies from flight school. This guy just kept saying, ‘cup of, kapa, cupa, what is it?’ and eventually he said, ‘do I say it, cup of cheese?’ and it just stuck. From the day I showed up, it was always cup of cheese showed up, cheesy’s here, and that was it from day one.”
Chris added, “I didn’t care because I love cheese, and I was always trying to be upbeat and outgoing, so it really just fit.” During the same interview, he opened up about achieving his dream, saying, “When I started flying F18s, I thought, ‘Hey, this is it. I’ve done everything I wanted to do,’ never thinking that the Blue Angels was a feasible thing. There was no way it was going to happen. It’s one of those things that you think probably won’t happen, but why not give it a shot?” His initial reaction to the news of him being selected was shock. He flew the number two jet and became the right wingman to the flight leader in 2022.
Where is Chris “Cheese” Kapuschansky Now?
Before the start of the 2023 season, Chris “Cheese” Kapuschansky got married to Allison and got the good news of becoming pregnant soon after. On November 4, 2023, Chris took flight for the last time for the Blue Angels over Pensacola and left the roster after two wonderful years as a Blue Angel. Reflecting on his 2-year stint, he stated, “I’ve never been a part of a more amazing team ever. We have 147 people on this team, 16 are officers, 7 are F-18 pilots, 3 of them are C-130 pilots, and the rest are support officers. Every single person, they don’t just want to be here, they want to do everything perfect. You take this team right here and you copy and paste and turn this into an airwing, it is going to be the most incredible thing you’d ever see. We love one another, and it truly is a family.”
After parting ways with the Blues, Chris returned to the fleet and joined VFA-213 Black Lions in NAS Oceana in January 2024. In May 2024, he attended the premiere of ‘The Blue Angels’ in Pensacola, Florida, and reunited with his fellow Blue Angels. Apart from his professional life in aviation, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his lovely wife, Allison Kapuschansky, and their adorable little bundle of joy. The happy family of three frequently heads to the beach to catch the beautiful sunrise and bask in the sunshine. Referring to himself as a “pretty okay cook,” Chris also loves to showcase his culinary skills when out camping with their friends.
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