NAS Whidbey Island Commemorates Centennial of Naval Aviation

Read the personal account of a Navy pilot--one of the best naval aviation history books.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nardel Gervacio, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Whidbey Island

OAK HARBOR, Wash. (NNS) -- Thousands of local residents poured onto Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to witness Navy history in the present during the base's Centennial of Naval Aviation Celebration (CONA) July 28–30.

In a tribute to 100 years of progress and achievement in Naval Aviation, the open base celebration had vintage aircraft from local heritage collections, Navy aircraft with historic paint schemes, as well as current military aircraft being flown around the world.

"I think this is a great opportunity for the community to see the history of Naval aviation from its beginning to what it is currently today," said Lt. Thomas Amano of Beaverton, Ore., air terminal officer at NAS Whidbey Island. "You've got the latest and greatest aircraft on display, and you have some of the oldest airplanes in history here. It's great for the public to see how we progressed over the years and to get an opportunity to look how far we've come along in Naval aviation."

Along with classic aircraft such as the F7F Tigercat, F8F Bearcat, and the B-25D Mitchell, on display, attendees observed Search and Rescue (SAR) air demonstrations, a car show featuring Northwest (NW) Region Ferrari Club of America, Majestic Glass Corvette Club of Anacortes, Pacific Northwest (PNW) DeLorean Club, Club Lotus NW, and Porsche Club of America PNW Region. Residents also experienced normal festival fare including concessions, memorabilia, youth area with inflatable play areas, climbing wall, carnival games and a quilt show.

A strong military presence was available to interact with guests, and to provide information on static displays.

"With the historical flights and the planes that we have here today, it's amazing how far we've gone," said Quartermaster 1st Class (SW) Webster Clay of Lousiville, Ky., assigned to operations department at NAS Whidbey Island. "One of the biggest things I see in the crowd today is that they get to see a lot of history and they also get a chance to meet someone who have experienced it all."

The "Tales of Naval Aviation," staged in historic Hangar 1, presented an opportunity for guests to hear from scholarly naval aviation experts. Stephen Coontz, author of "Flight of the Intruder" and retired Cmdr. Harry Ferrier, a Battle of Midway survivor, were two of the speakers who provided their personal accounts throughout the day.

"These events are great for everyone to see current and vintage aircraft that have survived over the years and to hear stories from those [who] lived it," said Kyler Lent, of Sacramento, Calif. "It's a great turn out; it's been exciting for me to see aircraft like the F-18 and the B-52 fly today."

The Centennial of Naval Aviation is being celebrated with a variety of events and commemorations throughout the year, including with air shows, art exhibits, flyovers and demonstrations. The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard among other organizations, are working together to ensure that proper recognition is given to this year-long celebration of naval aviation excellence over the past 100 years.

"This has been a wonderful experience for us," said Carol Zalewski of Edmonds, Wash., member of the Historic Flight Museum. "Events like these honor our service men and women, past and present and the sacrifices they made."

Since 1942, NAS Whidbey Island has been home to seaplane, patrol, reconnaissance, heavy attack, medium attack, electronic attack, transport and search and rescue aircrews, support personnel and their families.