MCAS Miramar Air Show

I went with a group from both Glendale and Pasadena City Colleges extension programs to an air show at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) Miramar, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, in San Diego, California. This was my first air show.

Along with the Marines’ aircraft, the U.S. Navy was also represented by the Blue Angels. The show gave a special salute to San Diego, the birthplace of naval aviation 100 years ago.

Some of you will remember that Miramar was formerly the Naval Air Station Miramar, where the Top Gun training program was located (we watched part of the movie “Top Gun,” filmed at Miramar, on the way down). In 1999, when MCAS El Toro and MCAS Tustin were both closed, they moved south to Miramar and Miramar changed from a Navy base to a Marines base.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

Before being allowed to enter this area, our handbags and camera cases were searched and tagged and we were wanded.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

The area behind the viewing stands was extensive and contained souvenir booths, food stands, a children’s carnival, and airplanes of many different types and vintages.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

For sale: Blue Angel T–shirts for women.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

For sale: poster T–shirts.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

A large crowd showed up for the air show. We had the seat section and the grandstands were to our left. I claimed my photo–taking spot in front of the railing, and for the next four hours, only left it for a very short time to eat lunch brought for me by my two wonderful friends who were also on the trip. Four hours of sunshine, no sunblock, left me with lobster red skin––not too smart.

Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band

Almost as soon as we arrived, the opening ceremonies had begun. We were late arriving because some of the tour group had to be found as they were waiting for the bus at the previous pickup place and not at the new one, we couldn’t take the most direct route to Miramar on the I–15 because a section of it was closed due to a car chase and shootout on it earlier that morning (not that rare of an event in Southern California), and the Marines spent a good deal of time deciding where our bus could park. But we arrived in time to hear the Third Marine Aircraft Band.

Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band

The Color Guard.

Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band

Half of the band.

Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band

The other half.

Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band–Movie

I took movies of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band’s performance and put the movie clips into one movie. The selections in order: “God Bless America”; “Battle Hymn of the Republic”; our National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”; the U.S. Navy song, “Anchors Away”; and the U.S. Marines song, “The Marines Hymn.” The last selection is the band marching off the field.

The band set the patriotic theme of the show.

Stunt Flying: By Sean Tucker in the Oracle

There is an airplane up there somewhere in the photo. Most of the still photos and movies of flying planes  I took almost blind. Because the sun was so strong, I couldn’t see much either on my camera’s LCD screen or through its viewfinder. I had to point my camera lens in the direction that I could see with my naked eyes. The movies I took of the stunt flying were a bit easier to take as the plane’s vapor trail was showing up on the LCD screen, though sometimes I lost the plane and had to find it again.

The stunt plane was the Oracle, flown by Sean Tucker, one of the 25 “Living Legends of Flight” by the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. He is there along with John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and Chuck Yeager. Sean Tucker is a civilian flyer, not attached to any of our armed services. His flying performance was incredible.

The Oracle–Movie

Sean Tucker flying the Oracle.

Sean Tucker

Sean Tucker, the incredible pilot of the Oracle.

Marine Air-Ground Task Force–Movie

Next on the program was a demonstration of an assault by the Marine Air–Ground Task (MAGTF). From the air show’s program: “As f/A–18 ‘Hornets’ and AV–8B ‘Harriers’ scream through the air, helicopter–borne Marines rappel from the sky and infantry platoons move on their objective in armed vehicles.” I didn’t catch all of the action but enough to put it in a movie.

Flybys–Movie

I had much difficulty taking movies of the flybys because all I could do was to point my camera in the direction I thought the action was. I was actually surprised that there were some planes flying in some of the movie clips that I had taken.

In the movie clips, there are two clips at the end of two planes flying close together. These are of two special flights: the USAF Heritage Flight, with an incredibly fast F–16 Viper flying alongside a prop P–51 Mustang, and the USN Legacy Flight, with another incredibly fast F–18 flying alongside a vintage prop plane.

The movie photo is of the Boeing AV–8B Harrier. The Harrier is a fixed–wing plane that can make vertical take–offs and landings, and while hovering, move backward, forward, and sideways. We were treated to a demonstration of it but my movie clips of it didn’t turn out showing the plane.

The Blue Angels

The highlight of the show: The Blue Angels. The Blue Angels is the Navy Flight Demostration Squadron, founded in 1946. They have flown various aircraft; today, they are flying Boeing’s F/A–18 Hornet. The Blue Angels fly in many air shows throughout the year. I had seen the Blue Angels in formation before on the way back home from my parents’ house in Orange County when the El Toro base was still in operation, but I had not yet seen their other absolutely incredible flying feats before.

Fat Albert–Movie

The Blue Angels also fly a Lockheed Martin C–130 Hercules, nicknamed “Fat Albert.” Fat Albert is used to carry support teams and supplies from base to base or to venue. In movie, is the Fat Albet flyby.

The Blue Angels–Movie

I caught bits and pieces of the Blue Angels performance. You really need to see them for yourself. They were flying in front of us, behind us, and over us. In all their 65 years of flying, there has been only one accident with a pilot killed––quite amazing when you see the precision flying that they do. (You can see some videos of the Blue Angels on YouTube.)

MCAS Miramar Air Show

There were numerous interesting aircraft lined up behind the grandstands. You could go inside some of them. I didn’t have time either before or after the show to see many of them. Photo: One of the vintage aircraft.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

Another vintage plane.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

U.S. Border Control helicopter. There was also one from the LAPD.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

One from WWII.

MCAS Miramar Air Show

With a D–Day Doll emblem on it.

To find air shows in your area, check the Smithsonian Air Show Schedule on the Internet. Different planes fly in different shows. Also, check the Internet for international listings.

The MCAS Miramar Air Show was patriotic, loud, and fun. Semper Fi (Always Faithful, the Marine motto.)