The NAS Oceana Airshow is primarily a competitive exhibition of the U.S.Navy. Nowhere else can one expect such a large accumulation of naval and
carrier aircraft of the U.S.Navy. This year the innumerable visitors to the show were not disappointed in this respect. Besides beautifully restored old-timers, such as the Chance Vought F-4U Corsair, one could see, (with
only a few exceptions), all of the aircraft currently in service within the US Navy, in either the flying or the static displays. The whole event was crowned with a flyby of one F-4U together with an F/A-18 Hornet as well as
an F-14 Tomcat specified as the Navy Legacy Flight. The only downer was the absence of the Navy BLUE ANGELS, which had to cancel their participation at short notice due to heavy damages, which were caused by
Hurricane Ivan in Florida. This was an understandable decision, especially if one thinks that many of the homes of the team’s members were severely damaged. Fortunately neither the team members themselves
nor their families were seriously injured.
A particular highlight of this year’s Show was the demonstration of the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye from the VAW-123 "Screwtops" based on the NAS
Norfolk Chambers Field. These efficient carrier born early warning systems are the eyes and ears of a Carrier Battle Group. With its 7,30m large rotary radar and associated back up systems, with nearly five and a half tons of
on-board electronics, the E-2C Hawkeye can perform surveillance on an area up to 388,000 sq.km. A modified form of this machine (C-2A Greyhound - without radar and electronics) serves as liaison aircraft and transportation
machine on US Flat tops, (slang designation for aircraft carriers). For the very last time a Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King helicopter of the NAS Oceana SAR team was to be seen. One week after the demonstration the last one of
the two Sea Kings was decommissioned. Originally the U. S. Navy’s SH-3H were destined for the ASW role (ASW=Anti Submarine Warfare), however it was replaced in this function in the middle of the 90's by the SH
-60fF/HH-60 Sea Hawk. This successful helicopter had its maiden flight on 11th of March 1959 under the designation S-61. More than 1000 units of this helicopter were built, many of them under license by
companies like Westland/UK, Agusta/Italy as well as Kawasaki in Japan.
In terms of numbers, the most strongly represented aircraft at NAS Oceana was the F/A-18 Hornet. Logically then, this successful model built by Boeing
(original McDonnell Douglas) also showed its impressive power spectrum. Supported by a huge quantity of pyrotechnics, six F/A-18C flew in pairs from different directions, simulating attacks. The Hornet was derived due to a
specification from the Navy from the Northrop YF-17, which was in competition with the General Dynamics F-16 as the new light combat aircraft for the Air Force. The twin-engine configuration as well as the larger
development potential in comparison to the F-16 convinced the Navy, to procure the HORNET (renamed since 1st March 1977) as a replacement for their aged F-4 Phantom II, A-4 Skyhawks, and A-7 Corsair II.The Achilles
heel of the Hornet is its relatively small mission range. With a Combat radius of some 540 km without air refuelling a carrier must come dangerously close to the hostile coast, so that its combat aircraft can
successfully attack any target successfully. This deficiency is partly eliminated with the introduction of the F/A-18 E and F. Nevertheless despite this the U. S. Navy has a potent combat aircraft with the Hornet, which will
be still in use for a long time, even if the designated successors of the F/A-18 A/B/C/D, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, are already in the starting blocks.
As previously mentioned there was joint flyby of a Chance Vought F-4U Corsair, a Grumman F-14D Tomcat as well as a Boeing F/A-18C Hornet as
another highlight. Since the U. S. Air Force attended with a so-called Heritage Flight, (a combination of one or two Warbirds and one or two modern combat jets), on its 50th anniversary held at the Nellis AFB in 1997,
the Navy also took up this idea and made a tradition of it - very much to the joy of all spectators. Unfortunately, perhaps one will not be able to see this year’s combination in the future, therefore just enjoy again the three
photos shown here! Also in the Static display the spectator could watch all Navy planes at leisure and also make some small talk with the pilots and the crews. The U. S. Navy jet trainer, the T-45C Goshawk, could not be
missing, naturally. The T-45C is based on the BAE Hawk and is a kind of navalized version of this successful trainer aircraft. It replaced and/or replaces the TA-4J Skyhawk as well as the T-2C Buckeye as advanced
trainer of the U. S. Navy. Altogether 234 machines of this type are to be procured, more than half having already been delivered.
Besides the E-2C Hawkeye previously mentioned another machine of this type could be seen in the static display. Since May 2004 all new E-2C`s
have been equipped with an eight-bladed, digitally controlled Hamilton Sundstrand Np-2000 variable-pitch propeller. With the HC-130H shown by the US Coast Guard it concerns a completely special machine. Its CG-Serial
number "1790" was attached in memory of the establishment of the Coast Guard in the year 1790. The Hercules is stationed on the CGAS Elizabeth City/North Carolina. Likewise a highlight was the Grumman EA-6B Prowler of
the Navy Tactical Warfare Squadron 3 (VMAQ-3) from the MCAS Cherry Point/North Carolina. The main defensive armament of the EA-6B is the ALQ-99 Jamming Pod, and as many as five of these efficient jammers can be
carried by one aircraft. The Prowler is to be replaced by the EW variant of the E/A-18G Super Hornet starting from 2010 onwards. Apart from the brand-new, restored F-4U Corsair, one could also admire the future - in
the form of the Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter). Even if it was only a mock-up, the public interest to see this machine at close quarters was enormous. The F-35 is a multinational project under the
leadership of the USA. It is to replace the F/A-18 C/D on the carrier units starting from 2011. At present there are four different variants of this STOVL (Short Take off and Vertically Landing) airplane planned, in order to
fulfil the requirements of the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps and in addition, the Royal Air Force. Within the Air Force the F-35 is to supplement the likewise new F-22, and/or to replace the F-16 in the Strike role.
The Marine Corps is to replace its F/A-18C as well as its AV-8C Harrier with the JSF. Also, Great Britain plans the dissolution of its own Harrier fleet within the Royal Navy as well as the Royal Air Force, (the RAF already
takes over the field of duty of the Navy’s FRS.Mk2 with its Harrier GrMk.7/9 ), with the introduction of the F-35
As already mentioned the NAS Oceana Airshow is always a high point for all friends of American naval aircraft
. Having perfect weather conditions, it was a great benefit in seeing an F-14 Tomcat flying again as well as the F-4U Corsair. And even if the BLUE ANGELS were sadly missed this time, then nevertheless everyone
came fully at its expense. We are already looking forward to report about the NAS Oceana Airshow 2005 which will take place on the weekend of the 16th – 18th September 2005 on the Naval Air Station Oceana
Robert Kysela, managing editor
Release 1.0/2010
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Release 1.0/2010
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