The three-day event is the largest military air show in the United States, with total annual attendance estimated at 700,000.

Since 1999, the show has often featured a Navy Legacy Flight,[6] where modern jets fly in formation with aircraft from previous eras in celebration of military veterans and naval aviation history.

The Hornet and Harrier jets take turns flying simulated attack runs and demonstrate mid-air refueling with the KC-130.

The MV-22 Ospreys also demonstrate refueling, then deliver Marine Corps ground troops to the airfield, while the Cobra gunships simulate attack and air cover roles.

The UH-1 delivers a team of Marine infantry via a fast-rope insertion, where they simulate calling in a naval artillery barrage, then retrieves them in a Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction maneuver.

On the ground, Marine infantry simulate an advance on an enemy position, joined by M-1 Abrams tanks, Light Armored Vehicles and Humvees.

Throughout the demonstration the attacks are punctuated by controlled pyrotechnic explosions, culminating in a "wall of fire" detonation.

The 2013 edition of the show was cancelled the day before it was scheduled to begin as a result of federal budget battles.