I lived about 2 miles as the crow flies outside of NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach for almost 6 years, from mid 1990 until mid 1996. More than five of those years were spent in a condo directly below the flight path of arriving and departing aircraft. As an aviation enthusiast I couldn't have asked for a better spot from which to watch an air show every day of the week: F-14s, A-6s, KA-6s, EA-6s, S-3s, T-2s, A-4s, F-16s, and F/A-18s. Occasionally we'd get to see A-10s, F-15s, F-117s, and even the very rare B-52 sighting. Langley AFB is only about 45 minutes away by car. Those were some great times.
The trial run for the big D.C. air parade after the 1991 Gulf War was held at Oceana. Literally every fixed wing aircraft in the US military inventory was represented. Traffic stopped for miles on every road as they flew overhead. People just pulled over and got out of their cars to watch. It was one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen, hands down.
In the winter of 1992 a buddy and I witnessed an A-6E crash after a night take off just over the beach on Atlantic Avenue. The pilot and B/N ejected safely. The B/N landed across the street from my condo. It was one of the craziest things I've ever witnessed.
A couple of years later I got to survey the damage done by the target cable towed behind an A-4 that was never reeled in. It still amazes me that it literally dragged over cars, buildings, trees, etc., but the Skyhawk landed safely.
My absolute favorite thing of all was watching a section of F-14s come in for a landing at maybe 1,500 feet doing 450 knots. Their formations would always break to port into a single-file line, each aircraft beginning its turn into the landing pattern at 3 second intervals. They started in a tight break, but every trailing aircraft in the pattern would widen its arc as it approached the field. By the time the third plane came around it was usually flying directly over my house, gear down, flaps lowered, airbrakes extended, etc.
I won't bore you guys with more stories, but I think you get the idea.