NAS Key West Southernmost Air Spectacular

Welcome to
Naval Air Station Key West!
On behalf of the men and women who serve and work at NAS Key West, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2016 Southernmost Air Spectacular. It is our hope that you will enjoy this exciting event with your family and friends.spacer

Naval Air Station Key West has a long and proud history, and is currently the Navy's premier air-to-air combat training station and also home to a bustling port facility. The installation has been a part of the Key West community since 1917, when a coastal air station was built on Trumbo Point. The first naval flight recorded from the station was on Sept. 22, 1917, with Coast Guard Lt. Stanley Parker flying a Curtiss N-9 seaplane.

In 1945, after World War II, the Navy disestablished its satellite air fields and combined them into one aviation activity designated as U.S. Naval Air Station, Key West. It has served as a training facility since then, preparing hundreds of thousands of aviators from all services, as well as allied nations, to preserve peace and protect the nation.

We have also selected very special civilian performers for the Southernmost Air Spectacular. The performers that you see today have spent thousands of hours developing their amazing and exciting aerobatic acts.

The Naval Air Station also has served as "the tip of spear" when needed – first in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis and most recently in support of Haiti humanitarian missions.

The skill and training required by military aviators is evident in the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron the Blue Angels, as well as the other military flight demonstration teams that you will see this weekend. The incredible maneuvers that the Blue Angels perform are actually the same fundamental maneuvers that are employed in aerial combat.

We have also selected very special civilian performers for the Southernmost Air Spectacular. The performers that you see today have spent thousands of hours developing their amazing and exciting aerobatic acts.

Spectacular flying, static displays, a Kid's Zone, souvenirs and concessions – there is no better way to spend a day with family and friends! We are glad you are here to see your military in action!


Steve McAlearney, Captain
Commanding Officer
Naval Air Station Key West