VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For Cal Stubbs, the 2026 Naval Air Station Oceana Air Show was about more than the 250th anniversary of America. It was about bringing back a 30-year memory and opening a new chapter for his family.
Stubbs hadn't seen the Blue Angels perform since 1996. This weekend, he drove from Raleigh to Virginia Beach to bring his 6-year-old son Owen and 8-year-old daughter Ellie to NAS Oceana to make sure they experienced what he did as a kid.
"I have a framed photo from the first time I saw the Blue Angels and I still remember going to that air show, and I want them to be able to remember the same thing," Stubbs said.
For Owen and Ellie, it was their first time ever seeing the Blue Angels perform. Owen had his own way of describing the performance.
"They were about like, going about like, 300 million miles an hour, and about like this far apart of each other," Owen Stubbs said.
Ellie was equally enthusiastic.
"I think it's like the loop-de-loops and the twirls!" she said.
The Stubbs family has deep roots in military service.
"My father in law is retired army. He's a Vietnam veteran. My mom is a retired cryptologist officer from the Navy. My father is a P3 pilot," Stubbs said.
That connection made the moment carry even more weight.
"It's hard to really put into words, but it's really important to make sure my kids see it and that we do it together," Stubbs said.
To preserve the memory, Stubbs came prepared with a camera to capture the moments.
"I said I'll rent some gear, and take some good pictures, so decided I got the largest lens I could hold physically and went from there," Stubbs said.
For Stubbs, the photographs are about capturing something bigger than aircraft in formation.
"And a picture might be worth 1,000 words but more importantly... it's worth a lot here. It's not really the words, it's how they make you feel. And that's more important. And I think they'll know that when they see them," Stubbs said.
The 2026 NAS Oceana Air Show, themed "Celebrating 250 Years of America," runs September 19–20. Admission and parking are free. Gates open at 8 a.m. and the show begins around 11 a.m.
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