This beauty was once delivered to VC-7 at NAS Miramar and stored in the late seventies at AMARC with inventory code 3A527. The aircraft returned to service via Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) Pensacola (FL) and assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 127 "Cyclones" at NAS Fallon where it started to fly in this striking colour scheme with code/modex NJ-702. After VFA-127 was disestablished (March 1996) the aircraft moved to NAS Miramar again to operated with Fighter squadron (VF) 126 "Bandits" as NJ-600, NJ-623 VF-126 before it went to AMARC (again) as inventory code 3A0748 in March 1994.

This Kfir C1P was used by Fighting Squadron 43 "Challengers" as an adversary aircraft. The aircraft received the F-21A Kfir designation in US service. 999710 was former Israeli Air Force serial 710 and arrived in the US Navy in August 1985 and was returned to Israel after the lease contract was ended in March 1988. It was assigned tailcode AD but this was not carried. 710 is stored sinds the mid-90s at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion with IAI.

This Kfir C1P was used by Fighting Squadron 43 "Challengers" as an adversary aircraft. The aircraft received the F-21A Kfir designation in US service. 999703 was former Israeli Air Force serial 703 and arrived in the US Navy in early 1986 and was returned to Israel after the lease contract was ended in March 1988. It was assigned tailcode AD but this was not carried. 03 is preserved at Ramon air base (Israel) since February 2004.

Composite Squadron (VC) 12 was the Navy's first Reserve Fleet Composite Squadron. The sqn used the single seat A-4E/F and dual seat TA-4J Skyhawks and was assigned the support mission with air intercept and dissimilar air combat maneuvering (ACM) training for Atlantic and Pacific fleet units. This near black Skyhawk used JY as tailcode (not visible) in 1987 (later on the sqn was redesgnated VFC-12 and used tailcode AF). After VC-12 service this aircraft returned to Naval Training with Training Squadron (VT) 7 i the early 90s and became white/orange again. The airframe crashed on 25 Jun'92.

Colorful FA-18F of US Navy Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-23.

This Sea King, nicknamed Kekaha Town, is the westernmost town in the U.S. on Kauai. Given up by the Pacific Missile Range Facility, it was eventually taken over by HC-11 and became Sideflare 700 for a brief period before heading to the boneyard in Sept. 05'.

Scrapped at NAS Whidbey Island May 1998

Adversary Skyhawk of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 127 "Cyclons" at homebase Fallon. The squadron ws once established as Attack Squadron (VA) 127 on 15 June 1962 at NAS Lemoore (CA). It was redesignated VFA-127 on 1 March 1987 and eventually disestablished on 23 March 1996.

Photographer: Roy Lock

Photographer: Bruce Trombecky.

Composite Squadron (VC) Twelve was the Navy's first Reserve Fleet Composite Squadron. The squadron used the single seat A-4E/F and dual seat TA-4J Skyhawks and was assigned the support mission with air intercept and dissimilar air combat maneuvering (ACM) training for Atlantic and Pacific fleet units. This near black Skyhawk used JY as tailcode (not visible) in 1987 (later on the squadron was redesgnated VFC-12 and used tailcode AF) and was stored at AMARC in August 1993.

159006 was scrapped at Tucson in July 2007 after a lengthy career within the US Navy. Number 67 was the final Block 70 aircraft constructed and was delivered in April 1974 to VF-124 Gunfighters. It served also VF-2 Bounty Hunters before it was transferred to VF-102 Diamondbacks. The aircraft was retired to AMARC on November 1991 and struck off the US Navy inventory on 17 October 1994.

A Sukhoi killer at NAS Oceana. This VF-41 "Black Aces" Tomcat (at that time coded AJ-102) shot down a Libyan Su-22 over the Gulf of Sidra, off the coast of Libya, on 19 August 1981. This engagement marked the first USA versus Libya air-to-air engagement. 160403 flew that combat mission together with 160390 (AJ-107) when two Libyan Su-22 Fitters fired upon the Tomcats. The two F-14s subsequently shot down both Su-22s. 160403 received a kill-marking that was still visible six years later. The Tomcat is now preserved at Midland-Odessa (TX).

Sold in the civil market as N5440W

Helicopter Attack Squadron / Light (HAL) 4, "Red Wolves" operated this HH-1K since late 1970, it was a former NAS Albany SAR Huey in support of RVAH-5, a RA-5C squadron. HAL-4 was established 1 Jul'76 at NAS Norfolk (VA) to provide dedicated support for Naval Special Warfare, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen teams. HAL-4 was redesignated into Helicopter Combat Support Special Squadron (HCS) 4 on 1 Oct'89 and equipped with the HH-60H. HCS-4 became Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 84 on 1 Oct'06 and eventually disestablished on 19 Mar'16.

One of the newest aircraft on deck during the Oceana 1987 airshow was this F/A-18A of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 15 "Valions".

An A-6E Intruder at the static of Oceana with an unknown (to me) orange pod. It looks like a launch tube for a torpedo.

Some 50 HH-46A SAR helicopters were upgraded to HH-46D. The upgrades included an external rescue hoist near the front crew door on right hand side and a Doppler radar located behind the nose landing gear, which provided for automatic, day/night, over-water hovering capability. Additionally a "Loud Hailer" was installed opposite the crew entrance door for communicating with downed aviators on the ground or in the water. This Delta belonged to Helicopter Combat Support (HC) 8 'Dragon Whales', a squadron that was redesignated into HSC-28 on 13 May 2005 when it started operating the MH-60S.

Unfortunately it is a picture of just half a HUP-2. It was on board USS Wasp (CVS 18) flag ship of Task Group Bravo in the early sixties.