Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California played host to the kick off event of the United States Navy's year long celebration of the Centennial of Naval Aviation. The San Diego Bay is known as the birthplace of Naval Aviation as it is where the first flight of a naval aircraft, a Curtiss Wright seaplane built by Glenn Curtiss, took place in 1911.

100 years later Naval history again returns to the San Diego Bay to celebrate its legacy of flight. There was a strong turnout of aircraft and visitors to the event. While the majority of show-goers came from San Diego and throughout Southern California, we met people from various parts of the U.S., Japan and Europe that had come all the way to San Diego, eager to get in on this historic event.

We were on base as soon as they would let us in on Saturday morning and immediately noticed that things seemed to be backing up at the entry gate to the show area, there seemed to be a continual line of people coming in all day long, which gradually filled the static display areas with aviation fans. If you were fortunate enough to have made it in early, you really only had to share the static space with a limited number of people. This was at least good for a few more shots that would have normally been tough with all the people around, but I am sure it was frustrating to be waiting in that massive line.

The show had been billed as the "Parade of Flight" and boasted it was to include the largest formation of aircraft to fly since World War II. Well the actual event really didn't turn out quite as billed, but was a great event none the less. We and others we spoke to in attendance really expected that the airplanes would be flying over as an extremely large formation or formations of aircraft, when in fact they flew over alone or in small groups, often spread out by several minutes or more.

The flyovers also included airplanes from the carrier air wing of CVN 74, the John C. Stennis. Even while the aircraft were flying over, the show announcer was telling fans they were looking at the entire air wing of 80 plus aircraft, when in fact there were 35 airplanes overhead. I guess I just don't understand the need to try to hype this event up to try to make it more than it turned out to be, especially when what it turned out to be was really pretty terrific!

It isn't often that we get to go to an air show and get a close up look at an aircraft carrier, let alone many of the rare aircraft that were there. This was the first time we had seen the A-1 Triad close up and they even took off from the bay for a very brief flight. There was a great collection of aircraft representing the many eras of Navy flight and while there were a few key planes missing, like the F-14 or the F-4, the event was a really great time and did a good job building a reverence for the history of Naval Aviation, we had a great time and would go again if ever fortunate enough to get a similar opportunity.

So the really good news is that the celebration continues and even if you missed this event, the Navy has many more shows going on throughout the year that will continue to give you a close up look at the Centennial of Naval Aviation. Be sure to get out to one near you, you'll be glad you did

Aircraft photographed include: A-1 Triad, TD2C-1 Culver, TBM Avenger, P-3 Orion, EA-6B Prowler, F/A-18 E & F Super Hornets, F/A-18G Growler, F/A-18C & D Hornet, C-40 Clipper, T-28 Trojan, T-38 Talon, T-34 Mentor, PV-2 Harpoon, AV-8B Harrier, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, FJ-4B Fury, HU-25 Guardian, PB4Y-2 Privateer, PT-22 Recruit, OV-10 Bronco, MH-60, MV-22 Osprey, LCAC Hovercraft, JN-4H Jenny, Texan II, HU-16 Albatross, T-33 Shooting Star, Stearman Kaydet, S3-B Viking, T-2 Buckeye, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53E Super Stallion, UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, LCAC Hovercraft, E-2C Hawkeye and many many more!

Look for these aircraft and more in our galleries above.... interested to learn more about the airplanes in our galleries, check out our online air museum.