2025 Blues On The Bay

Another successful Blues on the Bay Airshow hosted by Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi at Kāneʻohe Bay, wrapped up this past weekend. For three days, the United States Navy/Marine display team Blue Angels were the headliners of the festivities. Other notable performers were the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor Demo Team, KC-135 Demo Team, a B-52 Demo, U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Scenario, a Combat Search and Rescue demo by resident Squadrons, and many more! 

VMM-363 MV-22B Crash In Australia

A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey based out of Marine Corps Air Field Kāneʻohe Bay crashed in Australia, with 23 Marines aboard on Sunday. The accident took the lives of three Marines, with five seriously injured, and the other 15 Marines treated on scene.  The Osprey belonging to the VMM-363 “Red Lions”went down on Melville Island, during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023. The Osprey was carrying Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton, CA. Both units are also part of this year's Marine Rotational Force - Darwin.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the lost, and the injured and their families. 

We thank them for their service and sacrifice.

Major Tobin Lewis, Pilot and Executive Officer

Captain Eleanor Lebeau, Pilot

Corporal Spencer Collart, Crew Chief

Further information in this Marine Corps press release, Marine Corps Times article, AviationSafety.net report, and this KHON2 News report.

President Biden's Maui Visit

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived at OGG from RNO aboard Air Force One, using a VC-32A, 19-0018 (c/n 28172, l/n 772) today, to tour the devastation of the wildfires that swept through Maui. The First Couple returned to RNO this afternoon.

08-8192 (c/n 50215, l/n F214) as RCH4554 and 02-1106 (c/n 50114, l/n F113) as RCH4183 brought over the two USMC VH-60N WhiteHawks and the motorcade vehicles, for the flight over Olinda, Kula, and Lāhainā fire zones, then onto JHM, where the presidential motorcade took them to Front Street in Lāhainā to view the damage from the ground with the Hawaiʻi Congressional delegation, Governor Josh Green, and Maui Mayor Richard Bissen. Both C-17As are assigned to the 62nd AW / 446th AW at McChord AFB, WA.

Three MV-22A Ospreys from Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi's VMM-363 “Red Lions” provided transportation from the White House press corps from OGG to JHM, and back.

The E-4B that travels with the President was 73-1677 (c/n 20863, l/n 204) flying as GRIM99, stopped off at HIK during the visit.

Two C-37As, the US Air Force's 01-0065 (msn 652) of the 65th AS / 15th Wing, and the US Navy's 166375 "Spirit of Midway Island" (msn 657), both based at HIK, were also at OGG on the East Ramp.

VMGR-153 Changes Tail Code

The VMGR-153 has changed their tail code from QB to KB, as seen in this photo of 170272 on short final for HNL's Runway 4R.

USMC Activates VMGR-153 at KBay

The US Marine Corps re-commissioned the VMGR-153 "Hercules" at Marine Corps Air Field Kāneʻohe Bay today. The Marine Aerial Refueling Transport Squadron will house 17 KC-130J "Super Hercules", and will be part of Marine Air Group 24 (MAG-24), and the 1st Marine Air Wing (1st MAW). Currently, the first two KC-130Js, 170272 (msn 5925) and 170273 (msn 5926) arrived last month, with the remaining 15 to arrive as new-builds from Lockheed-Martin.

Further information on the re-commissioning in this Key Aero article, and history of the unit in this Wikipedia article.

Marine 2

Two MV-22 Ospreys from VMM-161 transported US Vice President Joe Biden to and from USS John C. Stennis, 140mi south of O‘ahu as "Marine 2".

12 Marines From MCAF Kāne‘ohe Bay Missing

12 Marines aboard two Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallions are missing after the two helicopters collided off of Hale‘iwa last night. The Marines and the helicopters are from the 463rd Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH-463) / 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW) at MCAF Kāne‘ohe Bay. Debris has been spotted a few miles offshore, and many agencies are participating in the search. The thoughts and prayers of the entire HNL RareBirds team goes out to all those involved in this incident.

Continuing coverage from Hawaii News Now.

2015 Kāne‘ohe Bay Air Show

This year, Kāne‘ohe Bay Marine Corps Station once again welcomes the Blue Angels in the 2015 Kāne‘ohe Bay Air Show this weekend. On display where various pieces of equipment from all branches of the military. Below are some of the highlights taken on Saturday.

The Marines opened up the show by demonstrating their ground assault, heavy lift and parachuting capabilities in the morning.

One of the two Pacific Air Forces Demonstration team F-16CJ posing infront of a wall of fire courtesy of the Marines grand finale.

 Next up was Hawaii's own local talents. Alan Miller demonstrated what 65hp is capable of in his Areonca Champ. Below, Director of the Pacific Aviation Museum, Hank Bruckner waves at the crowd after performing a stunning routine in his CAP-10.

               
                     The United States Coast Guard was represented by their HC-130 and HH-65C.

United States Navy Seals Leap Frogs finally got a window in the weather to showcase their low altitude parachuting skills.

                                       
                                            Another local, Bruce Mayes in his SJN Texan.

The Pacific Air Forces Demonstration team out of Misawa AFB, Japan showed off the high performance capability of the F-16.

Multiple championship title holder for the U.S. National Aerobatic Championship and World Freestyle championship, Rob Holland defied gravity with his custom all carbon fiber MXS-RH.

Jacquie B's performance in her new Extra 300 was cut short due to reduced cloud ceilings but was inspiring non the less.

                                    
                                         Fat Albert hugging the ground after its takeoff roll.

                                                              
                                                                   I spy hula girl :)

A little after scheduled start time, the Blue Angels displayed their precision flying the "Low Show".

After flying all the way from Guam and holding for the Blue Angels to complete their routine for 2 hours, a B-52 makes a high speed, low pass and vanished into the clouds only to return to Guam.

 

And lastly, a sneaky TMB Avenger flown by Brad Deckert came out to play as the show wrapped up in the early evening!

USMC MV-22 Accident At Bellows AFB

An MV-22 Osprey from the US Marine Corps' VMM-161 "Greyhawks", crashed at Bellows Air Force Station / Marine Corps Training Area Bellows in Waimānalo, around 11:00HST. There were 21 Marines and a Navy corpsman aboard; with one fatality and 12 injured, and the smoke plume can be seen from Kailua.

The MV-22s (three in total), and those aboard are from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, CA, here for training exercises.

Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to those aboard, and their families.

Initial reports in this Hawaii News Now article, and an article from CBS Los Angeles.

Blue Angels To Perform This Weekend

The US Navy's Blue Angels will perform at this weekend's "Wings Over The Pacific" air show at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The event will include static displays on the JBPHH flight line.

Kāne‘ohe Bay Air Show

Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i hosted the 2012 Kāne‘ohe Bay Air Show this weekend that featured the US Navy's Blue Angels. The air show also honored the centennial of US Marine Corps aviation. Military aircraft from local bases were part of the static displays, along with commercial and civilian aircraft.

HMH-363 Bids Aloha ‘Oe To The CH-53D

The HMH-363 "Lucky Red Lions" bid a fond aloha ‘oe (farewell) to the Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter, in a retirement ceremony held at Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i this afternoon. The Heavy Marine Helicopter squadron will be transitioning to the Bell Boeing MV-22A Osprey Tilt-Rotor aircraft at NAS Miramar, CA for a three year training period, returning to Kāne‘ohe in 2015.

The "Lucky Red Lions" will be the first of the four CH-53D squadrons to transition to the MV-22A.

The above photo was taken at the 2010 Kāne‘ohe Bay Air Show.

More details in this Hawai‘i News Now article.

Sentry Aloha

The beginning of the month kicked off exercise Sentry Aloha. This exercise provides dissimilar air combat training (DACT) among the F-16C/Ds of the 18th Aggressor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Hawaii Air National Guard's F-22As, F-15Cs from Montana's 120th Fighter Wing and Oregon's 173rd Fighter Wing.

Also transiting through today, were the F/A-18C Hornets of VMFA-232 "Red Devils". A historical note about the VMFA-232, they had two stints at Marine Corps Air Field Kāne‘ohe Bay. The first "K-Bay" assignment was from 1956 to 1966, they flew the North American FJ-1A Fury and the LTV F-8E Crusader. The second "K-Bay" assignment was from 1977 to 1993, when they flew the McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II and the F/A-18 Hornets. They are currently stationed at MCAS Miramar, but on deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan.