NAS Oceana Airshow, Virginia, USA, Saturday 17th Sep'05
A Let-39 Albatross, now on the USA civil register...! Very clean but sedate display to open the show
Extra 300 of Nancy Lynn, son commentating. "Give it up for my mom" he stated many times...!
C2 Hawkeye arrived from NAS Norfolk and taxied past with wings folded
A very agile display was given, showing off the tail hook & new props, now 8 blades
Radar dish on top is 27feet wide, provides airborne early warning for the carrier fleet
The a/c returned to NAS Norfolk after a touch and go. Nice to see this a/c display.
Red Baron sqn circled parachutists with National flags for the official opening of the show
The British Red Devils dropped in with national flags
of UK & USA as well as Canada
The National anthem was sung, then there came a US Navy fleet fly-by, led by 4x F-14 Tomcats..
..with 2x F-18F Super Hornets this side & 2x F-18C Hornets the other side
The fleet then split into pairs and started a simulated airfield attack, F-18Fs came first..
...with pyrotechnics and a huge wall of fire
Pair of F-18C Hornets run in for another attack by smoke from the previous
One of the F-18C hornets breaks hard after an attack run
The battle is over, The F-18C's run and break for their landing
The pair of F-18F Super Hornets taxi past together
Then the 4x F-14 Tomcats run in for their break.
A very nice Diamond break, again into pairs, for their landings.
F-14 Tomcat "104" taxies past after the fleet demo
F-14 Tomcat "AD-160" is painted in a retro-colour scheme of the original squadrons, 30years ago
and just because they were there to be photographed, another of the 4x F-14 Tomcats "115" taxies in.
The Skytypers were 5 Texans in line abreast formation, making smoke text, 6th a/c controlled the smoke by p/c.
They flew around for 90mins at 10,000feet before arriving back. "Welcome to the Oceana Air SHow"
The sky writing could be seen from up to 30miles away apparently...! Very different & clever.
Another F-18E Super Hornet left in a group of 5 for carrier trails, out at sea on the USS JFK.
Kent Shockley drives "Shockwave" A truck with 3 jet engines, with afterburners...!
It held a record top speed of 376mph, until his son beat this in July'05. It's very loud and hot....!
F-18C Hornet solo demo was provided by the colourful "AG-400"
Very sporty display, lots of high angles of attack, and vapour...!
Approaching for a carrier style "roller" or a "touch 'n go"
A/C taxiing past the crowd Oceana is one of the best bits for me, close views of a/c & nice for crew to see the responses
The "Bulldog" is a heavily modified Pitts Special, flown by Jim Leroy.
The display includes amazing tumbles, and a limbo under ribbons..
..that are then cut on a knife edge, but opposite edges for each ribbon..!
He is mad, can put the a/c into a hover for "helicopter time" but does not seem to fly straight & level anywhere...!
This Canadian Armed Forces Buffalo provided a lift to 12,000feet for their parachute team
This lovely F-4 Phantom got airborne ready for the USAF Heritage Flight formation
The USAF East Coast F-16 Viper demo was next
Then the Heritage Flight, F-4 Phantom, 2x F-86 Super Sabres, and catching them up, the F-16
The Phantom flew so smoothly, the other guys got in very very close.
What a lovely formation, unlikely to ever be seen again.
After a split & high speed passes as solos, the 2x F-86 Super Sabres or "bugs" gave an outstanding display
Dale "Snort" Snodgrass led and flew amazingly smooth, fast and very low...! Very rare to see 2 of these together.
Immaculate paint on this Vietnam era war bird
The East Coast demo Viper follows the Phantom in
The beautiful pair of Super Sabres still in close formation parade past
15 parachutists of the Canadian Skyhawks in free fall @ 120mph
F-14 Tomcat demo, last but one, ever public demo...!
Still agile, and 30 years old, nothing can touch the power & noise still
High speed pass, wings fully swept, what a powerful brute...
Shockwave joined the Bulldog for "Team Extreme" opposition passes at high speed with smoke
The Bulldog was obviously close to Shockwave here, it's even illuminated...!
Solo F-18F Super Hornet, or "Rhino" as they are known, was superb. High speed & very aggressive.
With so much humidity, lots of vapour was clearly visible in high speed or high G turns
The "Rhino" then joined an F4U Corsair & a F-18C Hornet for the Navy Tailhook Legacy Flight
They were nice, but not as close as the USAF, but Hornets were struggling to stay slow to keep with the corsair
Corsair taxies in, lovely condition, and sounded great
The F-18C taxies past too
followed by the solo "Rhino", they look like they enjoyed themselves...!
Blue Angels' Hercules fondly known as "Fat Albert" (or Bert for short) performs a JATO.
JATO is "Jet Assisted Take Off", it's actually 4 solid fuel, mini rockets on each side of the aircraft..
..they are lit as the a/c rotates, and burn for 30seconds, allowing a 45degree climb...!
"Bert" gives a full speed fly past
Fat Albert demonstrated a very short landing, smoking tyres as a result..
..then reverses on the runway, and takes a salute while flashing lights & waving to the crowd...!
Crew being strapped into the US Navy Blue Angels
1-4 getting airborne
5 & 6 in a very close tail hook formation
5 & 6 pass again, in a roll this time...!
5 & 6 fly slow and nose high, very difficult formation to fly line abreast
1-4 in echelon right, their signature fly past, so so close...! Pity still smoke in sky from previous pass
5 & 6 opposition cockpit pass...!
1-4 perform a dirty tail hook loop
All 6 together, very hazy and smoky, final formation
No1 "Boss" lands after a superb display