Oceana Air Show - Sep 23-25, 2011

[maddog65]

Yes it is that time again!! The Oceana Air Show is set for Sep 23-25, 2011.

Oceana Air Show

This year's show is celebrating the 100th year of Naval Aviation.
Also making a appearance is the aircraft from the Virginia Military Aviation Museum. The aircraft at the museum are some of the few remaining flight worthy examples of warbirds.

Here is the list of performers:
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Gene Soucy
Bob Carlton
Bill Leff
The GEICO Skytypers
Greg Shelton & the Grumman Wildcat
The Blue Angel Bearcat
Bob Coolbaugh & the 1911 Curtiss Pusher
United States Navy Warbirds
Shockwave
The British Red Devils
Rich's Incredible Pyro
Rob Reider
Mach 1 Productions
Uncle Sam on Stilts
F/A-18F Super Hornet
F/A-18C Hornet
E-2C Hawkeye
Air Power Demonstration
The Fleet Flyby
U.S. Navy Tailhook Legacy Flight
USMC AV-8B Harrier
United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) Demonstration
F-16 Fighting Falcon

I will be there on Saturday hopefully I will see you all there who can make it.

Les

[Jumpshot724]

No Raptor? Weak.

[jetmax]

No Raptor? Weak.

All the Raptors are still grounded.

[MIKE JG]

Along with all F-35's.....

[jetmax]

Along with all F-35's.....

Edwards F-35s have been cleared to fly, but only because they need to fly them to figure out what is wrong

[maddog65]

Well anybody that is coming up bring an umbrella.
I'll still be there, I'll have a white hat on with the Huskers logo on it.

[maddog65]

It was a wash today.

Rain off and on and the the ceiling just closed in, so it sucked pretty much.

Had a C-9 and C-40 fly-by and TNG
HM-15 in the MH-53 fly-by
Viper East Demo
Harrier Demo, finally got to see the Harrier dance.
Les Shockley's 1957 Chevy Jet Truck with just a 0-60 pass due to the rain.
VFA-106 Demo turned in to just a scouting report of the weather.

I may go again tomorrow if the weather improves.
I will post some pics of the airshow later.

[MIKE JG]

Dang that's two years in a row now right?

[reconmercs]

They really need to start scheduling it for earlier in the year, September is usually either too cold or its raining, I don't think they've had a good showing there for the last few years, it probably wouldn't hurt if it was the same month as Airpower over Hamptons Roads each year but that's just my .02

[Joecoastie]

Were there any Ospreys sittin' around ?

[maddog65]

@Joe Coastie, No there were not any Osprey's

@Des and Mike,
Last year was partly cloudy but nice. looked back at my pics from last year and it wasn't bad. the year before it was crappy though, the Blues ended up doing a low show that year but at least they flew.

[MIKE JG]

That's right, couldn't remember if that was last year or the year before that was a washout.

At least no one crashed this weekend......

[hawk_sh]

You can not do anything about the weather and the organizers did their best to put aircraft in the air.
But the static display was ridiculous.
They managed to put two Legacy Hornets on static display ?!
- OK one of them in a CoNA scheme (VFC-12).
but
Superhornets - none
Growlers - none
Prowlers - none

Given that this is the Master Jet Base on the East Coast and they celebrate the Centennial of Naval Aviation it was simply disappointing, even more than in previous years.

They could have put one Hornet/Super Hornet of each variant (C/D/E/F) on display easily - there should be more than enough. Or what about lining up the CAG/CO birds of all squadrons that are not on deployment?

[MIKE JG]

Same at the Cleveland National Airshow this year....

Only one static fighter jet on display, and it was a Canadian CF-18.......

Rumor is that with the military stretched thin and the budgets stretched even thinner, this will be the new norm for airshows in the future. We'll have to see what Nellis pulls off for there show in November.

[maddog65]

It's more budget than anything else. I remember last year my buddy (CO of VRC-40) told me that his squadron flying time was reduced. Only flying was for the guys going on deployment, then just enough to maintain currency for the rest of the squadron.
But we can completley renovate the Flag quarters with all state of the art appliances etc.. but the maintenance money for the ships and planes are reduced. Go figure.

[maddog65]

As promised here are some pics from this years washout.
VFC-12 F/A-18C in Retro colors










T-34 Turbomentor






Mike's next project The Northrop Grumman X-47B

[maddog65]

For hawk_sh
Here is VR-56's new hanger being constructed. To the right of it is VRC-12's hanger.


Back side of Aircraft Maintence Hangers
VFA-211

VFA-11

[maddog65]

From the Flying display line.










F-16 from Viper East after the demo

[maddog65]

More from the Static Displays

[Joecoastie]

Great pics, thanks!