OCEANA 2024

Prose: Ryan Tykosh
Photos: Ryan Tykosh, Ryan Kelly, Chris Rose

September on the Mid Atlantic coast is synonymous with the official end of summer and the transition to fall and cooler weather. As we anticipate the inevitable chill in the air, those of us in the aviation community fill with excitement over an annual event that tends to coincide with the last weekend of summer and first days of autumn: The NAS Oceana Airshow.

Since 2005, I’ve been making the annual trek to Virginia Beach to enjoy this final taste of summer fun. I had unfortunately missed a few years recently, so it truly felt great to set foot back onto the historic naval base for what promised to be a star studded weekend.

Oceana is the Master Jet Base for Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic. From the moment you pass the entrance gates going onto the base, you can feel the history. The road is lined with legendary US Navy aircraft of years gone by including many that called the Virginia Beach base home during their service. A-6 Intruder, F/A-18 Hornet, F-4 Phantom, A-7 Corsair II, and the mighty F-14 Tomcat are just a few of the legends adoring this area. Passing by and seeing the history that unfolded in these past 100 years only adds to the excitement and significance of the Airshow to come.

The theme for this year’s show is “Inspire! Educate! Soar!”, a theme that highlights the dedication to STEM focused activities inspiring students to pursue greater knowledge and help educate, so they too can soar like the aircrews in the show.

For photographers, each day offered different lighting and atmospheric conditions. Friday and Saturday were a blend of sun and clouds, while Sunday was more overcast. One similar occurrence across all three days is exactly what Oceana is known to photographers for: lots of jets and abundant vapor! Oh, and the worlds largest rubber duck towering over the flight line. I’ll admit, I made it my mission to photograph this duck with as many performing planes as possible over the weekend.

The performer lineup this year was much more varied than other recent years prior. The mainstay of any Oceana Airshow and a main draw for aviation enthusiasts across the globe is the chance to see the resident F/A-18E and F Super Hornet squadrons in action as part of the Fleet AirPower Demonstration. Around noon each day, participating units provided a demonstration covering the various mission sets the squadrons would normally train for and undertake during wartime operations. Air to air dogfighting, forward air control, close air support, shows of force and even aerial refueling are included and shown to great effect, complete with pyrotechnics and radio transmissions, and of course plenty of General Electric F414 engine thunder! This year the participanting squadrons included VFA-105 Gunslingers (including at least one jet proudly sporting some recent Houthi drone kill markings from their Middle East Cruise earlier in the year), VFA-83 Rampagers including their beautiful CAG jet, and, much to the joy of every aviation buff in attendance, the legendary VFA-103 Jolly Rogers also flew their distinctive black tails displaying their trademark skull and crossbones.

The Royal Canadian Air Force was present for the first time in a number of years, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force with their beautifully painted CF-18 Hornet demo team. As a former home base to many F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet squadrons in the past, it was something special to see the pair of legacy Hornets parked on the Oceana ramp. The unique paint scheme of the RCAF 100 Anniversary Hornet features gears, circuits, binary code, and even a tartan in the underside fuselage area woven together in striking and beautiful harmony to celebrate the rich history of the RCAF. Captain Caleb “Tango” Roberts flew an elegant and powerful display showcasing the slow speed, high AoA agility and quick roll rates the Hornet is known for, as well as showing off the gorgeous paint scheme. Friday's practice demo was flown in the backup gray jet while both Saturday and Sunday featured the special painted jet. Whether the gray or RCAF 100 CF-18 was in the air, one thing’s for sure: it was great to see a legacy Hornet rocking the skies over Oceana again.

Despite the strong Navy presence and undeniably exciting performances, the always impressive USAF F-22 Raptor demonstration team from nearby Langley AFB stole the show. Major Samuel “Razz” Larson tossed the powerul F-22 around the sky in an awe inspiring demonstration of the stealth fighter’s thrust vectoring maneuverability enhanced with the addition of flares to the routine. Razz, himself a former aviation spotter/photographer, was winding down his second season as the teams commander and pilot at the time of the show. In his time with the team, he revamped several of the maneuvers making the routine seem more fluid, and adding his own special touches to further showcase the Raptors abundant power and technology and create a much tighter, more impressive demonstration.

The home based F/A-18 Super Hornet East Coast team, The Rhino Demo Team of VFA-106 Gladiators, flew powerful and fast demos each day of the show. While the Airpower demo focuses on the combat tactics of the F/A-18, the demo team focuses on the overall maneuverability, power, and energy management of the Navy’s newer Top Gun jet. Also in attendance from the US Navy was the F-35C Lightning II demo team from NAS Lemoore. The VFA-125 Rough Raiders flew a non-standard but still incredibly loud single-ship demonstration in lieu of the normal two-ship routine. The F-35C sports bigger wings and control surfaces as well as more robust landing gear for carrier operations. This also makes it the most impressive looking of the F-35 variants in my opinion. I mean, the thing looks like it flew straight out of a Batman movie!

Other stellar performers to note are the Redline Airshow team, now back up to a full two-ship routine as Ken Rieder and his son Austin Rieder flew a dynamic performance of close formation and opposing maneuvers. Aarron Deliu, an Australian aerobatic champion pilot, visited the show with his own blend of high energy gravity defying aerobatics, as did US based Michael Goulian. Goulian‘s routine just gets better every time I see it, his bright yellow Whelen Aerospace Technologies Extra 330 just pops against a blue sky. One of my all time favorites, Jarrod Lindemann, brought the RAD Aerosports Jet Waco to tear up the atmosphere and laugh at the laws of physics each day. This aircraft is just about 10 years old now, but it really is one of those acts that brings out the kid in everyone who sees it, and never gets old. Add in a race with Bill Braack in the Smoke n Thunder jet car and you’re immediately transported back to childhood. Warbird Thunder brought the radial rumble of their two SNJs in a graceful close formation aerobatic display, and the US Coast Guard even got in on the action with a beautiful C-130 demonstration. The Coast Guard C-130 flew one of the best C-130 demonstrations I’d ever seen, from topside passes to supply drop and low/high speed passes. I think I speak for all who were able to witness it when I say please bring this demo back in 2025!

What am I forgetting? Nothing? Oh right, the Blue Angels! The Blue Angels closed out each show day with their trademark blend of tight formation aerobatics and solo opposition passes. I have to say, if you’ve never seen a late season Blues show, you really should. Tighter formations, spot on crosses, and an overall smooth flowing routine made for an immensely enjoyable show. I’d seen the Blues earlier this year at MCAS Cherry Point in early May, and believe me, the progression of the pilots from the early May to mid September late season form was astounding. The amount of training flights, airshows, and overall enhanced trust between the team members was clear for all to see in the skies over Oceana.

Saturday night offers a truly fun experience along the Virginia Beach coast. The Beach Blast is a yearly tradition centered at Neptune’s Park on 31st Street Boardwalk starting at sunset with a parachute jump onto the beach. Usually followed by F/A-18 afterburner flybys, this year Razz decided to join in the fun with the F-22 Raptor flying alongside the Rhino Demo jet. It was a rare formation as both jets were tucked in tight for a series of formation passes followed by individual passes in full afterburner lighting up the night. I only wish this started a little bit sooner for better visibility, but regardless, still an incredible sight to see and hear. The evening concludes with a concert by the US Navy Fleet Forces Band, and wow they put on a great show!

There you have it! The 2024 NAS Oceana Airshow had something for everyone. It’s hard to completely describe the overall experience into words. In short, Oceana is a feeling, a state of mind. It’s been a special place for me ever since I took my first long drive at age 17 to see the final F-14 Tomcat demonstration. Since then there’s been plenty of experiences there, with friends and without, some good, some not so good. In the end, every September I find myself looking at that calendar, counting down the days until I’ll be back at the beach, waking up to the sound of waves crashing as the sun rises over the water while I gather my camera gear to capture and witness the might of our United States Navy fleet airpower in action. The next show is September 20-21, 2025…will I see you there?