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The 46th annual Air Show at NAS Oceana
with the theme "In Pursuit of Liberty" dedicated
to the men, women and equipment that have been instrumental
in America's War on Terrorism as always was a great
an spectacular event.
With a lot of Activity as well on the ground as in the
air the show and with a lot of various Aircraft and
Equipment on Display the Organization of the "In
Pursuit of Liberty" did a good job to entertain
all the visitors that visit the Show during the weekend.
At the static display you could see a
big variety of Aircraft and equipment from the past
and present , Aircraft and equipment from The USAF ,
Marine Corps , Coast Guard , Army and Of course The
US Navy were present.
And for the First time you could see the
first operational F/A-18E/F Super Hornets belonging
to VFA 106 which are going to replace the older F/A18C/D’s
in the Near Future.
Also 2 F/A18F where present for the Super Hornet Tactical
Demonstration , The F/A-18 which did the Flight Demonstration
was already painted in the colours scheme of the VFA
103 “Jolly Rogers” which will be replace
their F-14 Tomcats in the Beginning of 2005. At the
2004 Oceana show the F-14’s of the VF 103 squadron
where on their last deployment on the USS John F. Kennedy.
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The show of the Super Hornet Which is an All-weather
strike fighter that performs fighter escort, fleet air
defence, force projection, interdiction, and close air
support was an very impressive performance and you could
see the manoeuvrability of the aircraft. the Super Hornet
is 25 percent larger and offers longer range, greater
endurance, increased weapon- and fuel-carrying ability
along with improved survivability.
Also the Tactical Demonstrations of the F-14 Tomcat
and the F/A-18 Hornet which are stationed at NAS Oceana
was also a part of the show you don’t want to
miss.
The Tactical Demonstration of the F-14 Tomcat was performed
by an Tomcat from the Fighter Squadron VF-101 “The
Grim Reapers” the Navy’s only Fleet Replacement
Squadron for the F-14, training aircrew and maintenance
personnel for the fleet. The high-speed passes and a
couple of slow fly-by’s It was a good opportunity
to make some good shots of the F-14 Tomcat in Action.
This year the Tactical Demonstration of
the F/A-18 Hornet was performed by the full colour CAG
F/A-18 from VFA-87 “Warparty” . The Hornet
is a carrier-based, single-seater, that serves two roles,
representing the trend towards multi-use aircraft that
are both fighters and attack airplanes.
The Hornet joined the service in 1983. It was designed
to replace the navy's F-4 and A-7 aircraft. It is now
the standard fighter in the Navy and Marine Corps, and
is also flown by the US Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration
team.
Also A Demo performed by an E-2C from
the VAW-123 “Screwtops” squadron flew in
from NAS Norfolk to make its appearance and do a great
Demo. The E-2C Hawkeye is the U.S. Navy's all-weather,
carrier-based tactical airborne warning and control
system platform. It provides all-weather airborne early
warning and command and control functions for the carrier
battle group.
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Additional missions include surface surveillance coordination,
strike and interceptor control, search and rescue guidance
and communications relay. An integral component of the
carrier air wing, the E-2C carries three primary sensors:
radar, IFF, and a passive detection system. These sensors
are integrated through a general-purpose computer that
enables the E-2C to provide early warning, threat analyses,
and control of counter action against air and surface
targets. The E-2C incorporates the latest solid-state
electronics.
And last but least you could see the Navy Legacy flight
and the Heritage Flight of the USAF. The U.S. Navy Legacy
Flight flew its debut at the 1998 NAS Oceana Air Show
to celebrate the show's 40th Anniversary. The Flight
evolved from the original "Flight of the Grumman
Cats" started nearly a decade earlier at the Kalamazoo
Aviation Museum.
The Hellcat and Corsair were once the backbone of fighter
aviation at NAS Oceana in the late forties and early
fifties. This year, the show will unite the vintage
classics of the past with today's modern fighters: the
F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet. This year’s Legacy
Flight appeared with the Corsair, the F-14 and F/A-18.
The USAF Heritage Flight program was established in
1997 in support of the
Air Force's 50th anniversary. It involves today's state-of-the-art
fighters flying in close formation with World War II
and Korean War vintage fighters such as the P-51 Mustang
and the F-86 Sabre. Its mission is to safely and proudly
display the evolution of United States Air Force Airpower
and to support the Air Force's recruiting and retention
efforts. Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
General John Jumper: "The Heritage Flight represents
the power and strength of America - past and present
- to all seeking solace in a world of fear and uncertainty."
The Heritage flight this year contained a A-10 Thunderbolt
, The F-15 Eagle and a P-51 mustang.
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Unfortunalaty the US Navy Blue Angels were not able
to perform due to devastation of hurricane Ivan in Pensacola,
Florida , there was a F/A-18 from the Blue Angels present
on the static display.
As every year the NAS Oceana Airshow was a big succes
for all.
Text: RDAVP and NAS Oceana PAO.
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