Aerospace Perceptions kicks off the new year with the ever-popular survey of the year that came before.
Sadly, it was more famine than feast on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic air show circuit through 2024. The Great Pocono Raceway Air Show did not return this year, it was an off year for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and traditional annual air shows ranging from the Atlantic City Airshow to Millville New Jersey’s Wheels and Wings Airshow joined Thunder Over Niagara in New York and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Armed Forces Airshow with the status of “cancelled.” Meanwhile, Ocean City Maryland’s event moved from its established June dates to a sweltering August weekend, and was missing its usual Blue Angels or Thunderbirds headliner.
So, the big three in this region during 2024 were Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow in Delaware, the aforementioned Ocean City Show, and NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia.
Dover kicked off the season in excellent fashion. A truly varied lineup more than made up for the absence of the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels. Being the home of the Air Mobility Command Museum, it made complete sense for Dover to show off their maneuverable C-17 and massive C-5M Super Galaxy cargo planes. The show’s headliner was the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team. This base’s unique location – just two miles from the Delaware Bay leading to the Atlantic Ocean – provided the kind of atmospheric conditions that created an ideal aerial stage for an F-35A demonstration, with the aircraft generating a wide array of vapor effects.
C-17 Globemaster at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
C-5M Super Galaxy at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
F-35A Lightning II at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
F-35A Lightning II at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
F-35A Lightning II at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
Perfect viewing spot at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
F-35A Lightning II at 2024 Dover Air Force Base’s First State Airshow.
While Dover is close to the ocean, obviously Ocean City is on the Maryland shore of the Atlantic Ocean – with the flightline being over the water. While Ocean City did not benefit from the draw of the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds, like Dover this show was strong on variety with an intriguing lineup of aircraft. This included representatives of the Navy’s Electronic Attack Squadron 129 with their EA-18G Growlers from Puget Sound, Washington. 2024 saw the final flights of the A-10C Demonstration Team, and while Ocean City did not claim a spot on the team’s itinerary, the venerable “Warthog” was arguably better represented with a full flight of Maryland-based A-10Cs showing their stuff over the ocean. But for rarity, nothing could top the Italian Air Force’s national demo team, the Frecce Tricolori, making one of handful of 2024 show displays on our side of the ocean. The ten Aermacchi jets that the team utilizes flew in breathtaking formations trailed by the colorful smoke representative of the group’s name.
EA-18G Growler visiting 2024 Ocean City Air Show from home base in Washington.
A flight of Maryland’s own A-10C “Warthogs” close quarters as they approach the 2024 Ocean City Air Show.
It’s not just the F-22s and F-35s that can create their own weather. A Maryland Warthog plays with the atmosphere at the 2024 Ocean City Air Show.
Precision flying as Italy’s Frecce Tricolori initiate a pass at 2024’s Ocean City Air Show.
In the climax of their performance, the Frecce Tricolori salute their home country of Italy at the 2024 Ocean City Air Show.
Still, the annual September show at Virginia’s NAS Oceana is hard to top, from the array of static displays to a full-day lineup of aviation action leading up to an appearance by the Blue Angels. NAS Oceana is home to 16 squadrons of F/A-18 Super Hornets, and the air power display that these aircraft put on each year while displaying their combat capabilities is a visual – and very loud – treat. It’s no surprise the Blue Angels closed each day with a stunning display of aerial precision, but the solo star of the show had to be the F-22 Demonstration Team. Having flown the F-22 Raptor since 2017, team commander and pilot Captain Samuel “RaZZ” Larson showed the capabilities of man merged with machine. While the team had been impressive at Ocean City, at NAS Ocean it was simply stunning. At times this combat jet was deploying countermeasures to a degree where it was hard to know where to look. With over 250,000 people attending the event, NAS Oceana’s show was everything a crowd could hope for in an air show.
The Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 Demonstration Team literally and impressively leaps into the skies over NAS Oceana.
The kind of air power expected to be seen at NAS Oceana’s show, with the base’s F/A-18 Super Hornets displaying their air superiority en masse.
The Coast Guard’s 15th C-130J was accepted from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics on November 18, 2020.
The F-22 bears a mass of distinctive patterns that make it instantly recognizable.
The F-22 generates vapor and a rainbow at NAS Oceana.
The highlight of the F-22 team’s performance at NAS Oceana was the extensive deployment of countermeasures.
The 2025 air show season got off to an ominous start with word coming that Atlantic City has already cancelled its event once again, throwing the future of that gathering into doubt. But hopefully all the other shows on the calendar will indeed take wing. Aerospace Perceptions will be there to bring you exciting and insightful images throughout the year.
Beyond air shows, though, the Aerospace Perceptions headquarters location – less than a mile from New Castle, Delaware’s KILG and in between Dover Air Force Base and Philadelphia International/PHL – provided many aviation viewing opportunities throughout 2024. In particular, the final full year of the Joe Biden presidency afforded many opportunities to photograph Air Force One, with both C-32s and VC-25s bearing that elite designation. Here are some highlights.
UPS MD-11 ascends from PHL en route to UPS facilities in Kentucky.
British Airways Airbus A350 completes a transatlantic flight.
UPS Boeing 747-800 departs PHL for Germany.
C-32 Air Force One departs KILG on April 22, 2024 bound for Joint Base Andrews.
VC-25A Air Force One landing at PHL on October 8, 2024.
A C-17 from Dover Air Force Base Air Mobility Command makes early morning landing at KILG on March 11, 2024.
All these photos and many more can be found in the Aerospace Perceptions galleries. And in the days leading up to the first air show action of 2025, we will be adding galleries from 2024’s Ocean City and NAS Oceana events, joining the gallery from Dover earlier in the year. Until then, keep your eyes on the skies…
All photographs: Frank Moriarty/Aerospace Perceptions
