NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE Air Show History
SHOW DATES Oct. 15, 1945 June 7, 1946 Sept. 29, 1946
Nov. 9, 1948 May 8, 1949 Aug. 29, 1950 Dec. 7, 1952 Oct. 25, 1959 Oct. 14-16, 1960
Oct. 15, 1963 Nov. 1, 1964 Oct. 15, 1965 July 11, 1971 Nov. 3-4, 1973 Oct. 13-14, 1990 Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 1992 Sept. 24-25, 1994 Oct. 26-27, 1996 Oct. 24-25, 1998 Nov. 5-7, 1999 Oct. 15-16, 2000 Nov. 1-2, 2002 Oct. 30-31, 2004 Oct. 28-29, 2006 Oct. 25-26, 2008 Oct. 23-24, 2010 Nov. 5-6, 2011 Oct. 24-26, 2014 Nov. 4-5, 2017 Oct. 27-28, 2018 October 22-23, 2022
In 1946, Lt. Cmdr. Roy “Butch” Voris organized the formation of a flight demonstration team to keep the public interested in naval aviation. The Blue Angels performed for the first time in June 1946 at their home base, Naval Air Station Jacksonville. In August 1946, they switched from flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat to the Grumman F8F Bearcat and introduced the famous diamond formation. US Navy Photo By Ron Williamson NAS Jacksonville Historian Air shows have been a large part of the aviation history of Jacksonville and for the Navy. Probably the first display from the station site was in 1918 when JN4 Jenny biplanes and Curtiss hydroaeroplanes, based at the station with the Earl Dodge aviation training camp, flew over Jacksonville to celebrate the end of World War I. The first air show held on the site was actually during the early 1930’s, while under
the control of the Florida National Guard. The highlight of the show was an aircraft loop, one that shocked the crowd! The first Navy show was held on the occasion of the station’s fifth anniversary on Oct. 15, 1945. World War II had just ended and the station threw open the gates so the citizens of Jacksonville could see the aircraft that helped win the war. Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher was the principle speaker at the ceremonies for the fifth anniversary and special invited guest for the air show. This was the only show held at the station in which the Blue Angels would not perform, as they had not yet been formed. However, Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) remains one of only three locations where the Blue Angels have flown shows in every type of aircraft the team has used. Air shows were held at the station with regularity until 1973. After that
8 NAS Jax Air Show 2022
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