NAS Oceana Airshow featuring the Blue Angels - Virginia Beach, VA

Photographs taken September 16, 2005

Naval Air Station Oceana, the East Coast's only Master Jet Base, hosted the 2005 NAS Oceana Air Show on September 16th, 17th and 18th. Josh and I drove down on the 15th and were able to attend the practice sessions on Friday - pretty much a complete air show. In addition to the awesome precision flying of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration team, the airshow fans were treated to the aerial acrobatics of the Showcopters helicopter exhibitionists. There were Tactical Demonstrations by U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft, including the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18C Hornet, the F/A-18F Super Hornet, the E-2C Hawkeye, the F-16 Fighting Falcon and more. Two F86's, including one flown by Capt. Snodgrass, as well as the hertitage flights were a big hit at the show. With the hurricane Ophelia loitering off the coast of North Carolina we really weren't sure there would be any activity on Friday. The day turned out to be heavily overcast - an overcast that did not clear at all untill late in the afternoon. It was not a great background for photography. Overall the flight demonstrations were well worth the ride down from Connecticut.