Welcome to the NAF El Centro Festival of Flight!
On behalf of the men and women who serve and work at Naval Air Facility El Centro, I invite you to our annual Festival of Flight. It is our honor and privilege to host this free event, which features a variety of military and civilian flight performances that represent the flying we do here at the Pearl of the Desert and are sure to thrill any aviation enthusiast. The flight line will also feature static displays of past and present aircraft, a car show, vendors with concessions and air show memorabilia, and plenty of activities for families to enjoy. Explore the flight line and its many attractions, or just sit back and enjoy the show.
This year’s Festival is once again being conducted while the nation, the Navy and the Imperial Valley are still experiencing impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we are striving to return to normal, we must still take some precautions to protect ourselves even while attending outdoor events. Therefore I request each of our attendees to:
- Get your vaccine and when appropriate, your booster shot.
- A COVID test within 72 hours of the event is recommended for everyone, and very strongly encouraged for those who have chosen not to receive the vaccine. Please do not attend if that test is positive.
- When aboard, please use the entire viewing area to space out and avoid large clusters of closely spaced people with whom you do not normally interact.
- Please make use of our sanitization stations located near food vendors and bathroom facilities.
- Please wear your mask while aboard the base. Outdoors is optional, but strongly recommended. If you need an additional mask, we have some available near the airfield entrances and in the chalets.
- We are also offering a radio broadcast experience for those may desire to avoid the crowd.
We are privileged to have called El Centro and the Imperial Valley home for over 75 years, and we are immensely proud of the superb relationship we share with the surrounding communities in the Imperial Valley. While the great flying weather in El Centro plays a crucial role in the training we conduct, it is the outstanding support of the entire Imperial Valley community that is the real key to our continued success. It is your patriotic support, patient understanding, and hospitality that enable us to "train like we fight,” and the Festival is one small way to thank you for your unwavering support of the base and our personnel.
General Information (and some specific links)
As the winter home of the Blue Angels, the Naval Air Facility El Centro Festival of Flight is the first event of their season, every year. The Festival of Flight is one of the largest single-day events in the Imperial Valley.
The Naval Air Facility El Centro Festival of Flight will take place on Saturday, March 12, 2022, gates open at 10 am. Currently, the plan is to open our gates to the public for an in person event. What does that mean? We want you to join us on base! Additionally, we are redesigning the format and our intention is to give you an air show, a foodfest with live concert, and fireworks, all in one day! As we get closer to the event date, we will post more information here for you!
The objective of this event is to keep the public informed of our military services preparedness, demonstrate modern weapons systems, enhance community relations, and promote recruiting.
Links of interest:
Schedule
General Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Parking and Security
COVID Policies and Procedures
Chalets and Sponsorship
The conduct of the 2022 NAF El Centro Festival of Flight will strictly adhere to the latest federal, state, and county health protection guidance and aims to provide the safest environment possible to our welcome community members. By participating in this voluntary event, you waive the right to any claim against the federal government, contractors, and volunteers aboard NAF El Centro to include personal liability, claim, suit, action, loss, or damage that may result from your attendance.