ISnAP Magazine – August 2019

Story and photos by Jason Skinner

2019 NAS Key West

SOUTHERNMOST AIR SPECTACULAR

The 2019 Key West Southernmost Air Spectacular was held this March
on Boca Chica Field. Along with a representative from NAS Key West
I was able to join the Blue Angels at sunrise. The team of maintainers
arrives before dawn to perform checks on the aircraft and run up the
engines. That was a great opportunity to see the behind the scenes
work that goes into assuring a trouble free demonstration.

History at NAS Key West goes back to 1917 when an air station was
built on Trumbo Point. After World War II facilities were combined into
one field. It has served as a training facility since then. It’s home to VFC-
111 a US Navy adversary squadron. They fly the Northrop F-5N Tiger IIs.
The goal is to provide unique air combat training to Navy and Marine
Corps aviators.

Also, on deck was the US Navy TAC Demo VFA-106 Gladiators head-

quartered at NAS Oceana, flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The Glad-

iators maintain a permanent detachment at Key West. After the high

energy demo the “rhino” teamed up with Jim Tobul and the “Korean

War Hero” F4U-4 Corsair for a legacy flight. Scott Yoak and the P-51D

Mustang “Quicksilver” joined up with Jim for the Class of ’45 flight.

This was the first stop on Julie Clark’s farewell tour. She put on a

demonstration in her Beechcraft T-34 “Free Spirit”. Also, in the air

was the Misty Blues all woman skydiving team. The Southernmost Air

Spectacular also included performances from Patty Wagstaff, Greg

and Ashley Shelton, Rob Holland and Shockwave. All together it was a

great show in a great location.