NAS Oceana Air Show 2005 - VA - USA

[FlyingKiwi]

and to think I skipped all this for a balloon festival  . . . . .    (deep sigh)  . . .   now ,  where is my prozac?
 

Prozac?   I would think that anyone who skipped this for balloons would be looking for arsenic!   

Richard.

[Bernardo Malfitano]

Wow, look at Kiwi going for that extra star... 

[FlyingKiwi]

Wow, look at Kiwi going for that extra star... 

Nah, I'm just reading through the last 6 or 8 pages of this thread!

(thinks: one more star, just three more to overtake Bernardo  )

Richard.

[M.M.]

Wow!  Having seen how everybody else did, I don't even want to look at my own photos from this show.  I think I'll throw out my CF cards and exposed film.  After all, as Mickey noted I cut the nose off pretty much everything.   

I had a blast, not least by meeting (or seeing again) at least 50 Fence Checkers.  Hope you all enjoyed the show as much as I did.  The weekend's only downer was the ending: sitting in the O-Club Sunday night, watching F-14 DVDs and realizing that most of us will never see one flying again....   

Until next time,

-M.M.

[M.M.]

Anyway, we had a blast and like to thank M.M. in particular ... most of all his persistance in getting the four of us on the flightline on Sunday-morning.

Don't thank me, Mickey.  Thank ChrisM for providing the magic bit of info we needed to reach the VF-32 colour bird.

And Chris, next time we really will have to have beers on the balcony!

You know what Mark, we drove to ATAC and they let us on the ramp, so we shot a Kfir and a Draken, with the cover on, but still! 

   When John and I stopped there, we saw only one Draken that we didn't bother to shoot.  No matter, this was a weekend for big, swing-wing flying dinosaurs.

Anyways, it was a blast to hang out with you and Bart -- and Max, and Roger, and Pierce, and Mark N, and the Minnesota contingent, and ... well, and pretty much everybody.  Except Mr. Kiwi, of course.   

-M.M.

[Bernardo Malfitano]

Here's a couple more shots. Possibly unique, as I don't think any FenceCheckers were at this spot.

On Friday, driving around the base, I found a spot very close to the end of the runway and with good visibility over the base - perfect for head-on shots of takeoffs, which went directly overhead. Blue Angel passes also went right over this spot, and very low, too:



I liked it so much, on Sunday I went there just as the Blues were getting started. More for the excitement of having them fly real low, real fast, real loud, and directly overhead, than for the picture-taking. (I still go to airshows primarily for the pleasure of seeing these machines being flown, rather than for capturing images of them, although capturing images is a lot of fun too).

The following two shots were taken at 18mm (29mm equiv):





And this one at 80mm, uncropped:



It was fun!

Airshows really are like an addiction. It used to be that just seeing a jet fighter in the air gave me a huge adrenaline rush. Then, I needed to see it doing its thing at low altitudes and right in front of me (airshow demos). Now, to recapture that feeling, I have to place myself directly under it...

Bernardo

[Glen]

Great shots guys and gals!!

We got to town late on Friday due to some unexpected work issues so we missed the evening show as wel as the O club and met only one or two FC'ers.

I was amazed to see almost no Fencecheck shirts in the executive tent.  How many of the folks lined up on the fence in the Exec area were FC'ers?

[Roger]

No word yet, Dave, but I've got another Oceana Tomcat picture for you 

[Larry Grace]

Jim

Tell David that he did a better job in getting the shot of the crew than anyone else at the time (Sorry Liza) or that has been posted.
He nail the story and let us see the hosing down of the crew of the last TOMCAT demo team.
Great job from a 10yr. 

[Roger]

Great job from a 10yr.

X 2!  Awesome photos Jim, when is he getting his own FC account?

Roger

[Katybug]

Katy

Two final ones.



Jim froneberger

Those are some GREAT shots!!  Thanks so much!  Joe will be so pleased.

[Bernardo Malfitano]

Great job from a 10yr.

X 2!  Awesome photos Jim, when is he getting his own FC account?

Yeah, seriously. Those are awesome, period, independent of his age. (And out of curiosity, what equipment was he using? I would not give an expensive digital camera to any 10-year-old but in your case you can probably look at it as a good investment!)

[Katybug]

Great shots guys and gals!!

We got to town late on Friday due to some unexpected work issues so we missed the evening show as wel as the O club and met only one or two FC'ers.

I was amazed to see almost no Fencecheck shirts in the executive tent.  How many of the folks lined up on the fence in the Exec area were FC'ers?

As a semi-sorta-psuedo-quasi-Fencechecker, I'll throw in my .02.  I was in the Fed Ex tent for the majority of the weekend, a few tents to the left of the Exec Chalet.

[Roger]

Don't cry Dave 

Cropped a bit... they were flying sooooo close!!!

[Dan Teker]

A nice break by thr Tomcats