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As Fleet Week Returns To San Francisco, Women Make Greater Impact On Blue Angels, Navy

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- Keeping the Blue Angels in the sky is no ordinary job. And on a tarmac crowded with plenty of men, there is crew chief Hanna Rains.

"I always tell everybody - somebody's gotta keep all these boys in line," Rains told KPIX 5.

And she's not alone.

Like the Navy as a whole, the Blue Angels team is quickly adding more women, and it's already making an impression.

"Working on the aircraft is a lot of fun," Rains said. "But I think the most rewarding part of this job is when you're interacting with the crowd, talking to that little girl, and her mom turning around and telling you, 'Thank you. You inspired my little girl to do whatever she wants.' And that's awesome."

One of those girls would be 11-year-old Grace Roffi.

"In fourth grade, we went on a field trip to the aviation museum. It was really cool, so I was kind of interested in it," Grace told KPIX 5.

On Thursday, as part of a Fleet Week outreach program, Grace got to buckle up with a stunt pilot and hit the skies.

"Just going up there, and seeing the Bay, and Napa, and all the schools and stuff, it was so cool," Grace said.

So it's not all guys up there in the skies for Fleet Week, just remember the 11 year old girl who now has a taste for stunt flying.

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