My 2023 air show season opener also happened to be my first time attending the Point Mugu Air Show. This once-annual show had shifted to an every-few-years mode, with the last one held back in 2018.
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Navy at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California. To commemorate the anniversary, show organizers did what few shows have done: Having both the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as headliners for the event.
While these two teams have flown together on special occasions, announcers stated the Point Mugu show was only the third time ever that these two premier demonstration squadrons have performed at the same air show.
The air show, held March 18-19, kicked off under clear skies and with attendance well in excess of the 125,000 forecasted by the organizers.
The Blue Angels’ C-130 “Fat Albert” carried the USN Leap Frog skydiving team aloft to get things going. Military service flags were carried down to show center, but not the U.S. flag. A recent Department of Defense memo stated “DoD jump teams may not incorporate the US flag in their public demonstrations if the flag cannot be caught reliably and handled respectfully by ground personnel during landings.”
This year’s air show also celebrated the 50th anniversary of women participating in Naval aviation. Marking this, in conjunction with March being Women’s History Month, one of the military demo flights was a three-helicopter formation all piloted by women.
Other military flight demonstrations included a mock Coast Guard rescue and a C-130 Air National Guard firefighting demonstration
Civilian performers at the show included Vicky Benzing in her scarlet Stearman, John Collver with his Texan, and Aaron Fitzgerald in the Red Bull Bo-105 helicopter.
The Commemorative Air Force flew a trio of warbirds to simulate a World War II air battle over the Philippines.
Notable static displays included a beautiful all-black Super Hornet from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine, a Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California; rare jets operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC); and one of the last operating P-3 Orion sub hunters.
An Icon A5 seaplane also was catching folk’s attention — I would love to see an air show flight demo by one.
Of course everyone was here for the dual headliners, and while the joint formation fly-by I dreamed for did not happen, both teams put on great shows.
This was the first air show of the season for the Thunderbirds and the second for the Blue Angels.
A milestone for the Blue Angels was the debut of Lt. Amanda “Stalin” Lee, the first woman to pilot a fighter jet for the team.
While traffic was painful in the morning and nightmarish at the end, it was still a day at an air show — full of promise for the rest of the season. Hopefully local fans won’t have to wait so long for the next show.
More Photos From the 2023 Point Mugu Air Show
I appreciate this comprehensive set of photos AND aircraft descriptions! Sadly I had to miss this show. I worked a lot of Pt Mugu airshows back in the 1980s as s Civil Air Patrol cadet. When the weather permitted, an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile was launched out into the ocean as an aircraft flew past show center! It was also at one of those 80s shows where I witnessed an F-105 Thunderchief taxi and take off. Never saw them fly again. Great memories. 🙂