NAS Oceana - August 10, 2005 (tons of pictures!!!!)

Let me just say this - these won't fit under spotting pictures, as I was on base the entire day, and I took full advantage of that! Typical on base photography restrictions anywhere include no pictures of airplanes with nose cone open (reveals the radar) and no pictures of airplanes with any open panels. Oceana is a photo-friendly place and is my favorite air base in the entire country. On to the pictures!!!

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...Hangar%203.jpg
VFA-106 "Gladiators" Super Hornet being worked on (no engines), modex might go to a fleet squadron.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...t%20Engine.jpg
Hornet engine. I absolutely LOVE the sound of Hornet engines starting up.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...idewinders.jpg
A bunch of AIM-9 Sidewinders.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AD-206%201.jpg
A bunch of VFA-106 Super Hornets parked on the ramp.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AD-403%201.jpg
VFA-106 F/A-18D Hornet.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20Dog%205a.jpg
VFA-143 "Pukin' Dogs" Super Hornet CAG bird all decked out with AAMRAMs.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20Dog%207.jpg
Closeup on the Pukin' Dog tail.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...nsient%201.jpg
C-9B Skytrain from Fort Worth, Texas on the transient portion of the ramp.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...Hornet%201.jpg
Hornet from NAS Patuxent River, MD.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...Hornet%202.jpg
Hornet from MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20Ramp%201.jpg
The Tomcat end of Oceana.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-115%203.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...C-101%203a.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-111%202.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-105%202.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...akeoff%201.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen" taking off from 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...5/Omar%202.jpg
F/A-18C Hornet from VFC-12 "Omars".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...akeoff%201.jpg
Tomcat on takeoff.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...asters%201.jpg
Hornets from VFA-34 "Blue Blasters".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA-126%201.jpg
VFA-103 "Jolly Rogers" Super Hornet taking off on 32L. Tail code should be changed to AG.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...akeoff%205.jpg
Hornet taking off from 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...C-111%2010.jpg
Tomcat taking off from 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...keoff%202a.jpg
With C-12 Huron from Norfolk heading over to where I'm standing.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...ation%201a.jpg
Omar F/A-18 trailing a Swordsmen F-14 since the F-14 declared an IFE.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...rgency%205.jpg
This Hornet took the trap on 5L due to a gear problem. Seemed like everything was fine afterwards.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-115%208.jpg
Tomcat and Hornet taxiing back to their parking spots.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...J-111%204a.jpg
F-14D Tomcat from VF-31 "Tomcatters".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...J-101%203a.jpg
F-14D Tomcat from VF-31 "Tomcatters". This is one of the CAG birds.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-404%202.jpg
Hornet from VFA-105 "Gunslingers".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AD-160%201.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-101 "Grim Reapers". This is their retro bird.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AD-155%201.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-101 "Grim Reapers". This is their regular paint job aircraft.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-112%207.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen". This is their retro bird and will be the demo aircraft for the airshow on September 16-18 AND will lead a formation of SIX TOMCATS in the fleet flyby, also during the airshow.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AC-100%202.jpg
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen". This is their CAG bird and will probably be in the six-ship formation during the airshow.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AJ-213%202.jpg
F-14D Tomcat from VF-213 "Black Lions". This is their retro bird. The Lions and the Tomcatters will go on the final Tomcat cruise in September and once they return in the spring, THATS IT FOR TOMCATS.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20201%201.jpg
A pair of Super Hornets from the Jolly Rogers.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA-101%203.jpg
On the way to the Meatball (the one by 32L), this Hornet from VFA-81 "Sunliners" holds short while a Black Lion F-14 is on short final to 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AJ-203%202.jpg
F-14D Tomcat from VF-213 "Black Lions" seconds away from touching down on 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA-105%201.jpg
Two Hornets from the Sunliners turn onto 32L and are seconds away from being cleared to take off.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA-101%206.jpg
Getting ready to pass my position on the meatball by the active runway. If you thought the sounds of high-bypass turbofans from 747s and the like are loud, stand next to a Hornet or Tomcat taking off... good God!!!

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...A-105%203a.jpg
The smell of jet exhaust overwhelms me as well as the heat. Talk about cooking using afterburner!

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...5/Meatball.jpg
This is referred to as the Meatball. Pilots use this to line up the perfect approach and touch down point on the carrier. In the middle, there is a yellow beam of light that pilots must line up with the green lights in order to provide the perfect touch down point. When he lands on the carrier, the pilots must apply FULL POWER in case the arresting gear on the carrier does not catch the plane's hook and the pilot must "bolter" and get back in the air for another try.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AJ-401%202.jpg
Hornets from VFA-87 "War Party".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AB-310%201.jpg
Hornets from VFA-136 "Knighthawks".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AG-401%201.jpg
Hornet from VFA-131 "Wildcats".

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AA-401%201.jpg
Hornets from VFA-34 "Blue Blasters". They use the callsign Joker, if you couldn't tell by the markings on the tail.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...rhead%203a.jpg
The final picture from on base (I'm not showing you guys any of the jets in the static park...) - two Hornets in the overhead break for 32L.

WOW!!! I am loving this thread!!!!! Thank You!!!

Sweet Pics!

Interesting that they wouldn't let you take pics of "nose-cone" opened planed...

When I was TDY at Elmendorf about a month ago, I got several shots of C130 and F15 radars (i.e. nose cone opened)... Guess maybe I wasn't supposed to!

Apparently, too, you're not supposed to take pictures on the flightline (no one said anything to me about it)... I can't really tell if you were on the flightline or not (it doesn't quite look like it as I see the "red-line" in several pics), but did anyone say anything about that to you if you were?

Wow, I LOVE C-9s!!!!

I was on the flight line and nobody told me anything about that rule. It might just be an Air Force vs. Navy thing. And Phil actually called it by its military designation!

The Nightingale (aka C-9) is a sweet plane... Flew on one about a year and a half ago to Luke AFB... Did some pretty cool takeoff and landings (steep pitch), and made a refueling stop in Grand Junction...

Only flight that I've been on where we did a "no-flaps" takeoff... Kinda scared me, but we lifted off fine, and made a steep climb.

The inside is pretty cool... Looks like a regular commercial plane, but the seats fold down, so you can make somewhat of a bed!


So was this like a base open-house or something?

Awesome pics!!

Every now and then I get to see a C-9 at LGA, and it's so exciting for me to see ANY military paint scheme on an airliner.

USAF, amazing to me still that you were on one. I always thought that there were some super cool people that flew on thsoe planes!

I guess I was wrong. :mrgreen:

Nah, the C-9 originally was a medical plane, used to transport all types of patients...

Recently, I don't think they've been doing much patient transporting, and have just been flying around doing all types of missions....

BTw - Any active duty, reserve or retired military personnel can fly in any military plane, offering Space-A travel. I had a friend flying next to a 4-star general in a C21 (a learjet) on a flight to Andrews AFB...

Oh I am envious! Great shots Steve.

To make you guys more envious, I am heading back down to NAS Oceana this weekend - not just as for a base visit, but also for their annual airshow.

Crying.... Crying...., I wish I was you! PLEASE BRING YOUR CAMERA????? :D