Naval Air Station Oceana
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| Naval Air Station Oceana | |||
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| IATA: NTU - ICAO: KNTU | |||
| Summary | |||
| Controlled By | United States Navy | ||
| Facility Type | Naval Air Station | ||
| Location | Virginia Beach, Virginia | ||
| Date Commissioned | 1943 | ||
| Current Status | Active | ||
| Commanding Officer | Capt. Patrick J. Lorge | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 22 ft (7 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 5R/23L | 11,977 | 3,651 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 15L/23R | 8,001 | 2,439 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 14L/32R | 8,000 | 2,438 | Asphalt/Concrete |
| 14R/32L | 7,999 | 2,439 | Asphalt/Concrete |
Naval Air Station Oceana IATA: NTU, ICAO: KNTU), also known as NAS Oceana, is a military airport located three miles southwest of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a United States Navy Master Jet Base (a base that offers 24 hour service and fuel), Also known as Apollo Soucek Field, named after Lieutenant (later Admiral) of the same name who was a Navy Test Pilot and world record altitude holder in 1930 (he flew a Wright bi-plane to 43,166 feet).
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[edit] History
In 1940, the Navy acquired the land that would eventually become Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana. At that time, the surrounding area was mainly farmland. Airspace and facility restrictions preclude NAS Norfolk from serving as the home station for tactical air units, and in the 1950s NAS Oceana was expanded to Master Jet Base status to serve that purpose. NAS Oceana has grown to become one of the largest and most advanced air stations in the world, comprising 6,820 acres (including Dam Neck Annex). Obstruction clearances and flight easements total an additional 3,680 acres. Its four runways—three measuring 8,000 feet in length and one measuring 12,000 feet—are designed for high-performance aircraft. NAS Oceana's primary mission is to train and deploy the Navy's fighter/attack squadron—the F-14 Tomcats and the F/A-18 Hornets. Two H-3 Sea King helicopters also are assigned to NAS Oceana for search-and-rescue duties. Pilots stationed at NAS Oceana fly approximately 219,000 training operations each year.
At one time all the east coast fleet's A-6 Intruder attack planes were home-based here, and VA-42 was the Fleet Replacement Squadron, training all east coast A-6 pilots and Bombardier/navigators, as well as A-6 maintenance personnel. The A-6 was retired from the fleet in 1997.
[edit] Current operations
Home to Eighteen fighter squadrons - one squadron of F-14 Tomcats and seventeen of F/A-18 Hornets and F/A-18 Super Hornets. The base is the sole East Coast Master Jet Base and home to all the east coast fighter (VF) and strike-fighter (VFA) units (excluding Marine Corps squadrons). Training is conducted by VFA-106 Gladiators in their F/A-18C/D Hornets and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
Tomcat training was conducted by the now disestablished VF-101 Grim Reapers. Oceana was the location of the last F-14 Tomcat flight, September 23, 2006, at what was called the "Tomcat Sunset" reunion, where over 1300 former and current aircrew and maintainers came togther to see the final flight by VF-31.
During the 2005 round of BRAC base closures, it was decided that NAS Oceana could remain open only if certain conditions are met. The most contentious of these requirements is that the city of Virginia Beach buy and condemn approximately 3,400 residences and an unknown number of businesses in crash zones surrounding the base. The BRAC commission proposes moving the fighters to Cecil Field, a deactivated base which is located near Jacksonville, Florida if NAS Oceana does not meet that and several other conditions.
In October 2005, Jacksonville removed itself from the process, deciding against reopening Cecil Field as a Master Jet Base. On December 20, 2005 the Virginia Beach City Council passed numerous ordinances enacted to satisfy BRAC, but did not act to condemn any of the homes in the designated areas.
In addition to the squadrons listed, there are numerous other high ranking commands present as "tenant" commands at Oceana:
- Strike Weapons and Tactics School, Atlantic (a.k.a. SWATSLANT) where aircrew go to learn more about dropping bombs and air-to-air tactics.
- Landing Signal Officer School, where pilots selected to be LSO's (a.k.a. "paddles"...which is a very old term from the days when the LSO actually signaled to the approaching aircraft with paddles)go to learn how to "wave" planes aboard the "boat" (aircrew speak for the aircraft carrier)
- CVW commands, or Carrier Air group Commanders (also called CAG, which is an old term dervied from the previous name for these commands, Carrier Air Groups), who are responsible for all the squadrons in the airwing (the planes on board one carrier).
[edit] Tenant units
| F-14 Tomcats | F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornets | F/A-18E/F Super Hornets | C-9 Skytrain II |
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[edit] References
- Naval Air Station Oceana Global Security.org. Retrieved 2006-10-27
- KNTU Oceana Naval Air Station Air Nav.com Retrieved 2006-10-27
