NAS Oceana, Virginia - August 9, 2005 (preview, some pics)

As many of you know, I am in Hampton Roads, Virginia right now until Friday, shooting pictures at NAS Oceana and Langley AFB. So far I have had no luck with Langley activity, but am having a blast with Oceana. Tuesday was spent spotting outside the base, while Wednesday I was on base for at least 6½ hours. I got to go inside hangars from VFA-106 and VF-31/VF-32/VF-101/VFA-103, watch some operations from a terminal, went with a Super Hornet pilot to fly the demo in a simulator and got to try out the sim myself, and got to shoot some Hornets on the takeoff roll by 32L.

Active runways: 14L and 14R on Tuesday, 32L and 32R on Wednesday. All pictures taken from a spot off Potters Road, which is almost usually not a problem in terms of local and military police.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...urners%202.jpg
F/A-18 Hornet on takeoff from 14R.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20approach.jpg
F/A-18 Hornet on short final to 14L for a touch and go.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20VFA-106.jpg
F/A-18F Super Hornet on short final to 14R for a landing.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...%20112%201.jpg
F-14 Tomcat from VF-32 Swordsmen in retro paint scheme.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...AD-160%201.jpg
F-14 Tomcat from VF-101 Grim Reapers, also in a retro paint scheme.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...0emergency.jpg
F/A-18D Hornet from VFA-106 Gladiators emergency landing on 5L, caught the wire.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20Lion%201.jpg
F-14 Tomcat from VF-213 Black Lions on very short final to 32L.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...20Lion%202.jpg
F-14 Tomcat from VF-213 Black Lions on very short final to 32L. This Tomcat blew a tire shortly after the picture was taken.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...nliner%201.jpg
F/A-18 Hornet from VFA-81 Sunliners holding short for 32L while the first Black Lion pictured comes in to land.

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...nliner%202.jpg
Sunliner on takeoff roll. Shot from the meatball at 32L. Hearing protection a MUST here if anywhere!!!

http://stevesairshow.com/airliners/0...urners%201.jpg
F/A-18 Hornet from VFA-105 Gunslingers going to rotate sometime soon, with afterburners going.

Sweet pics!

Those birds sure are loud when they take-off... I launched a F15 at Elmendorf, and wow, even not anywhere near full throttle, being just 10 feet from the engines, did you need ear protection!

I don't know what was worse, being close to the plane at low throttle, or being 100 feet away from F15's taking-off at full afterburner!

And something you may not think would be loud, but the C130's were some loud-ass airplanes in flight... I had two forms of ear protection: the earplugs, and my headset, and it was still fairly noisy in the back.

As a side note, did anyone tell you not to use flash in the hangars? I can't tell if you were in them, or just outside, and maybe you didn't need flash, but apparently flash can set off the emergency foam system, and fill the hangars up with A LOT of foam... (although the chances of this happening are something like .000001%).... Something I didn't know until I was told not to use flash!

Steve,

Beautiful pics! Was planning on going to Va Beach sometime this year, hopefully I can make the trip, now that I have an idea where to go.

ahhhh........ahhhhhhhhhhhh............OOOOOO MMMMYYYYYYYGGGOOOODDDD :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:
YOU HAVE SOME GREAT STUFF RIGHT THERE!
I WOULD KILL FOR THAT ACCSESS :!: :!: :!:

(P.S. 5000 posts on aviation forums and I have never left the caps lock on! and THAT WAS NO ACCIDENT :!: ) Great post :!:
I would love to see more if you have :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

I am totally about the F-14 but sadly will never be able to take a picture
of one inflight...... Here are the local ones to me but you can not take shots of it in flight.

http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/Ho.../Calverton.jpg

Here is a picture of me and my favorite Tomcat....she actualy was in a midair and was able to get her back on the carrier.....unlike the plane that bumped her.

Here is a gostly image of me infront of the Tomcat....I can not get enough of her lines!
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/Stories...n/IMG_9941.jpg
I do get plenty of time for closeups
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/Ho...rimReapers.jpg

The only time we see F-18's is during airshows.
http://fromtheflightdeck.com/temp/Ho...g/IMG_6404.jpg