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!!!
VFA-106 "Gladiators" Super Hornet being worked on (no engines), modex might go to a fleet squadron.
Hornet engine. I absolutely LOVE the sound of Hornet engines starting up.
A bunch of AIM-9 Sidewinders.
A bunch of VFA-106 Super Hornets parked on the ramp.
VFA-106 F/A-18D Hornet.
VFA-143 "Pukin' Dogs" Super Hornet CAG bird all decked out with AAMRAMs.
Closeup on the Pukin' Dog tail.
C-9B Skytrain from Fort Worth, Texas on the transient portion of the ramp.
Hornet from NAS Patuxent River, MD.
Hornet from MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
The Tomcat end of Oceana.
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen".
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen" taking off from 32L.
F/A-18C Hornet from VFC-12 "Omars".
Tomcat on takeoff.
Hornets from VFA-34 "Blue Blasters".
VFA-103 "Jolly Rogers" Super Hornet taking off on 32L. Tail code should be changed to AG.
Hornet taking off from 32L.
Tomcat taking off from 32L.
With C-12 Huron from Norfolk heading over to where I'm standing.
Omar F/A-18 trailing a Swordsmen F-14 since the F-14 declared an IFE.
This Hornet took the trap on 5L due to a gear problem. Seemed like everything was fine afterwards.
Tomcat and Hornet taxiing back to their parking spots.
F-14D Tomcat from VF-31 "Tomcatters".
F-14D Tomcat from VF-31 "Tomcatters". This is one of the CAG birds.
Hornet from VFA-105 "Gunslingers".
F-14B Tomcat from VF-101 "Grim Reapers". This is their retro bird.
F-14B Tomcat from VF-101 "Grim Reapers". This is their regular paint job aircraft.
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.
F-14B Tomcat from VF-32 "Swordsmen". This is their CAG bird and will probably be in the six-ship formation during the airshow.
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.
A pair of Super Hornets from the Jolly Rogers.
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.
F-14D Tomcat from VF-213 "Black Lions" seconds away from touching down on 32L.
Two Hornets from the Sunliners turn onto 32L and are seconds away from being cleared to take off.
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!!!
The smell of jet exhaust overwhelms me as well as the heat. Talk about cooking using afterburner!
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.
Hornets from VFA-87 "War Party".
Hornets from VFA-136 "Knighthawks".
Hornet from VFA-131 "Wildcats".
Hornets from VFA-34 "Blue Blasters". They use the callsign Joker, if you couldn't tell by the markings on the tail.
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.
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