Naval Air Station Oceana Airshow 2024
Story and photos by Shawn Byers
September is synonymous with a planned trip to Virginia Beach and the annual airshow at Naval Air Station Oceana. Being an annual airshow is just one reason why Oceana is one of my favorite places to be and I always look forward to airshow weekend. It is rare these days to have annual shows at a military base so, please don’t change, Oceana! This is the second article on this show for Photorecon.
This year’s theme was “Inspire, Educate, Soar”. Oceana has long sponsored STEM activities through the weekend and especially on Friday for area 5th Grade students. The airshow was held on September 21st and 22nd.
There was a great lineup of performers in store and fair weather, although there were a few cloudy moments throughout the weekend. I attended the Friday and Saturday shows before returning home for a family obligation. I heard that crowds reached a record setting 300,000 patrons for the weekend. I think I felt it too. Wow!
The first aircraft to take off just before 10am was the Shorts 330. Aboard were parachutists from Skydive Suffolk. As the kickoff to the opening ceremonies, multiple parachutists carried flags to the ground. POW/MIA, Gold Star, and three American Flags. Meanwhile, motorcyclists of the Patriot Guard Riders and Corvette drivers of the area Corvette Club drove by on the ramp to show central. An enlisted Petty Officer sang the National Anthem. As the parachutists broke through the cloud layer, it was overwhelmingly patriotic.
Michael Goulian had also launched earlier in his Extra 330SC to circle the parachutists. After the jumpers were on the ground, he performed a short teaser. He would return later in the day for his full demonstration.
The first jet performance was from the visiting Royal Canadian Air Force and their gorgeous Centennial CF-18 Hornet. This was my second chance this season to catch it. The gray jet flew on Friday and the color jet on Saturday. It has been a while since a legacy Hornet tore through the sky over Oceana and it was great to have them here. I read recently that the Team will stand down for 2025 as the RCAF modernizes aircraft inventory. Certain shows in Canada will see a tactical demonstration by fleet jets next season. It would seem that we have seen the last of the unique, special painted Hornets.
The Shorts 330 launched a second time with new jumpers onboard. This time it was the U.S. Navy EOD Jump Team. They have larger canopies which are slower and quieter during high altitude jumps. They are a tactical team trained to get on the ground and disarm anti-personnel and vehicular explosive hazards.
Warbird Thunder performed formation maneuvers in two vintage World War II era Navy SNJs.
One of my favorite parts of an Oceana Airshow is the U.S. Navy Fleet Airpower Demonstration. Seven Super Hornets launch in succession going to different areas to hold. Some of them power straight out of Runway 05R while others flex depart to a southern hold point. It is very loud and satisfying. Representing the demo were squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 7. VFA-83, “Rampagers”, VFA-105, “Gunslingers” and for the first time in the 20 plus years I have been attending, VFA-103, the Navy’s famous “Jolly Rogers”.
There was a short pause as the aircraft cued up and the demo was explained to the crowd.
The first two jets into the box are a head-to-head horizontal engagement. The second two jets have a vertical engagement. Once the sky is swept of enemy aircraft, jets make multiple passes for strafing, bombing and show of force. An inflight refueling was also demonstrated. After another short pause, six of the Super Hornets pass in front of the crowd in a delta formation with landing hooks down. The seventh Hornet comes over the right shoulder in a sneak pass with assistance from the pyrotechnic crew. All aircraft then break to land and taxi back in front of the crowd.
The U.S. Coast Guard demonstrated a C-130J with a few passes including a photo pass and an air drop of cargo on a target on the ground.
The Father and Son Team “Redline” performed formation flying in their Vans RV-8 aircraft.
The F-35C Demonstration Team made the trip from Naval Air Station Lemoore and performed a loud and fast single ship demo.
As originally scheduled, they would have gone into a hold as the F/A-18F Rhino Demo Team was launched to have a Tailhook Legacy Flight. There was no Warbird so the F-35C landed and then the Rhino launched for a single ship demonstration.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s performance, there was a “Fini Flight” water down of one of the demo pilots. I included it but it is not my finest photo. It was quite a way down on a hot ramp and all of us along the fence were trying to out-lean each other to capture the\is special moment.
The US Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team was positioned in front of the crowd toward airshow left. We were treated to a number of high speed passes and flares. This was one of the latter shows for “Razz” Larsen in his final season and dare I say, he has been the best demo pilot of the F-22 in my experience. He brought pyrotechnic flares into the demo and has been so giving of himself to do some extra flying. For instance, he flew on the wing of a Super Hornet during the beach blast before splitting up into individual afterburner passes along the beach. It was too dark to really enjoy that sight, but it was still special to see.
Jarrod Lindemann flew a red Jet Waco biplane. An impressive aerobatic display with the added sound and thrust of a jet engine strapped to the belly.
Aaron Deliu from Australia performed a strong routine in his very American looking, Extra 330SC.
The Smoke and Thunder Jet Dragster raced but it was too hot and hazy out at the runway for a good photo.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels closed the show each day. I took my photos on Friday as it got cloudy and egressed Saturday before the performance.
Beach Blast did happen this year, as I mentioned earlier, and there was still a little ambient light when the parachutists came down but complete darkness when the Rhino and Raptor came. I would be equally impressed if this was a dusk show because I had no chance of getting any good photos in the pitch black sky.
Statics are something we spoiled photogs complain about but I would say the statics were adequately distributed. Multiple color birds of Oceana’s based squadrons were on display. The famous “Squadron Row” was less centralized as squadrons raised their tents near their squadron aircraft parking spot to sell merchandise.
Additionally, four F-15C Eagles arrived Friday for static display including a triple Mig Killer. On Thursday evening, I caught an ATAC Hunter, a tricked out Gulfstream and Lear arriving for static. Warbirds from the Military Aviation Museum down the road arrived Friday morning.
There is a group of East Coast based photographers/friends that I see at all the major airshows. I call them the “Usual Suspects”. Oceana is a fall reunion for all of us and it is great to catch up on the ramp or outside the base. It was another great year of photography and friendship at NAS Oceana and I am already looking forward to next year.
I wish to thank Public Affairs Officer, Katie Hewett and LTJG Nickolas West for their assistance leading up to the airshow and during the event. Fly Navy!