Naval Air Station Oceana Airshow

NAS Oceana Airshow
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Naval Air Station Oceana
Years active	1953-Present
Inaugurated	1953
Previous event	September 21–22, 2024
Next event	September 20–21, 2025
Attendance	~300,000
Website	www.oceanaairshow.com

The Naval Air Station Oceana Airshow, often shorted to just NAS Oceana Airshow, is an annual air show that occurs in September each year at Naval Air Station Oceana, in Virginia Beach.

History

The first Airshow was held in May 1953, to celebrate Armed Forces Day. The 1955 Airshow garnered around 5,000 total spectators. The Airshow became a unique attraction for then Princess Anne County. ^{[1] [2]}

In 1963, the Blue Angels made their debut at the Airshow, flying F-11F's. ^[2]

In 1976, the show was moved from May to September. ^[1]

In 1995, the Airshow was designated the largest Airshow on the East Coast. ^[2]

The 2001 Airshow was cancelled due to security reasons, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks. ^[1]

The 2020 and 2021 Airshows were cancelled to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This was the first time the show had been cancelled since 2001. ^[3]

Performers

The Blue Angels in formation at the 2007 Airshow

An F/A-18C participating in the Airshow

The following is a list of performers from the 2024 Airshow: ^{[4] [5]}

Aircraft:

• MH-53 Flyover
• Air Power Demonstration
• Fleet Flyby
• F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team
• F/A-18 Rhino Demonstration Team
• F-35C Lightning II Demonstration Team
• CF-18 Demonstration Team
• Warbird Thunder
• Navy Corsair Legacy Flight
• Canadian Air Division CF-18 Demonstration Team
• U.S. Navy Blue Angels

Cars:

• Smoke and Thunder Jet Dragster

Groups:

• U.S. Navy EOD Jump Team
• U.S. Navy parachute team, the Leap Frogs
• Virginia Patriot Guard Riders
• Skydive Suffolk Demonstration Team

People:

• Aarron Deliu
• Michael Goulian
• Wayne Boggs

Other:

• World's Largest Rubber Duck. ^{[6] [4]}

Attendance

Each year, the Airshow receives around 300,000 visitors. Around 6,000 of these were students from elementary schools in the area. The 2023 Airshow was also streamed live in over 58 countries, garnering just under 900,000 impressions. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. Director, Richard "Corky" Erie, NAS Oceana Air Show (2008-09-18). "The NAS Oceana Air Show - "A Legacy of Excellence"". Military News. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
2. Director, Richard "Corky" Erie, NAS Oceana Air Show (2008-09-18). "Significant Dates in NAS Oceana Air Show History". Military News. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
3. "NAS Oceana Air Show canceled again: 'This is the right thing to do'". CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR. 2021-08-22. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
4. "NAS Oceana Air Show Performers". www.oceanaairshow.com. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
5. "FAQs". www.oceanaairshow.com. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
6. "World's Largest Rubber Duck". World's Largest Rubber Duck. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
7. LaRoue, Jimmy (September 22, 2023). "NAS Oceana air show draws more than 300K". Wavy. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
8. writer, Caitlyn Burchett | Staff (2024-03-27). "Virginia Beach Oceana air show aims to inspire youth when it returns in September". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2024-09-20.