VIRGINIA BEACH - Jerry Carson backed his car into a gravel pull-off on the side of Oceana Boulevard and took a look around. The lot, about 150 feet wide, already had four other cars lined up for the show.
"This must be the spot," Carson said.
He and his wife, Kathy, were visiting from Colorado and saw Navy fighter jets flying around the Oceanfront earlier Thursday. They asked around, and someone directed them to places to watch F/A-18 Hornets at close range. The couple visited two gates at Oceana Naval Air Station before they finally stumbled upon this nook about 100 yards from the base and runway 23.
It's not easy to find. There is nothing advertising this prime location for jet enthusiasts - just a dead-end sign and a driveway leading to a Public Works Department lot.
A decade ago, it took Tom Lavin and Linda Jewell three trips around the perimeter of Oceana to locate the viewing area. The pair from Westminister, Md., spend hours at the spot during their annual trips to Virginia Beach. Rain dampened the first two days of their vacation, but they were hearing jet noise as soon as the skies cleared.
"I haven't even put my feet in the sand yet, but we have jets, so everything is good," Jewell said.
The pull-off lures tourists from all over the country. Cars parked there Thursday sported license plates from Ohio, New Hampshire and North Carolina. It is also a sweet spot for locals.
Joe Grande shows up every Thursday to photograph the jets and other aircraft. He takes 200 to 300 pictures each week for fun. He also gets quite an assortment - C-130 cargo planes and T-34 trainers in addition to Super Hornets.
This off-base viewing spot, arguably the best of many in the city, still can be hit-or-miss depending on which runway is in use that day. Sunny days are the most enjoyable for viewers and for the pilots they're watching.
The experience can be a bit like attending a baseball game. There's a lot of sitting and waiting for a glimpse of million-dollar machinery in action.
People got out of their cars Thursday and chatted with others who share this hidden gem. Someone wondered aloud whether the pilots were on their lunch break. A roar finally sent them scrambling for phones and cameras.
The first approach was a practice round for those hoping to catch the perfect photo as the jet flew directly over the field at about 2,000 feet. It took a turn, or break, to the left and looped around as if it were exiting a highway. Then it disappeared below a tree line as it slowed and dropped its landing gear. All was quiet again.
At least two minutes passed as viewers checked the sky for any sign of the jet. Kathy Carson saw it first.
"Here it comes! Here it comes!" she called.
The bottom of the jet seemed to be within arm's reach as it passed over the group. People pointed at it until the screeching had them covering their ears. The noise reverberated through their bodies.
The sighting lasted 14 seconds.
Jerry Carson put his iPad down and was disappointed by how fast it all happened.
"I didn't even get to do a video," he said.
Less than a minute passed before another jet started approaching the runway. He pulled up the camera app and started recording.
Story, comments, photos and video: http://hamptonroads.com
Terry King, visiting the area from Fremont Ohio, photographs a Navy jet on approach to Oceana Naval Air Station while he stands in a small viewing area off Oceana Boulevard in Virginia Beach on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 11, 2014.
(Martin Smith-Rodden | The Virginian-Pilot)
(Martin Smith-Rodden | The Virginian-Pilot)
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