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.
In 1963, the Blue Angels made their debut at the Airshow, flying F-11F's.
In 1976, the show was moved from May to September.
In 1995, the Airshow was designated the largest Airshow on the East Coast.
The 2001 Airshow was cancelled due to security reasons, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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.
Performers
The following is a list of performers from the 2024 Airshow:
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.
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.
References