Unfortunately the issue you bring up is quite real - just as recently as 2017 base MAs were telling photographers to return large lenses to their vehicles. Enforcement varied widely from gate to gate (as several photographers told me inside the show) and my solution was to cheat and whip out my CAC ...

If MX allows we are planning on being there in the mighty Sea Dragon! Arrival late Thursday.

2017 NAS Oceana Airshow, NAS Oceana, 16Sept17 photo01aviation.smugmug.com/SE/Oceana-16Sept17/ https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4425/37148120191_3d7d48d2be_b.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4388/37099982286_e482546290_b.jpg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4392/36872589010_18c86b0c49_b.jpg

2017 Thunder Over Michigan Airshow, 02Sept17
https://photo01aviation.smugmug.com/SE/TOM-02Sept17/

US Navy F/A-18 "Hornet", NAS Oceana, 01May17
https://photo01aviation.smugmug.com/Mil ... 8-01May17/

Atlantic Trident 2017, Langley AFB, 12-28Apr17
https://photo01aviation.smugmug.com/SE/ ... pr17Apr17/

Patrouille de France, Norfolk, 26Apr17 https://photo01aviation.smugmug.com/SE/PdFNorfolk-26Apr17/ https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2837/34154216262_d29fd1d7d5_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4180/34154215922_aaac4c036b_b.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/34154218162_8280d842b1_b.jpg