Squantum and South Weymouth Naval Air Stations


Book Description

The eyes of the United States Navy first focused on Quincy's Squantum peninsula in 1909, when daring young pilots from around the world gathered for the Harvard Air Meet. By the 1930s, the Victory Plant--a destroyer plant that set production records--had come and gone and the navy had set up the nation's first naval reserve aviation training center on the site. When air traffic over Boston Harbor thickened in the 1930s, the navy moved its aerial operations inland to the South Weymouth Naval Air Station. That base and its ubiquitous hangar became South Shore landmarks for more than a half-century. Squantum and South Weymouth Naval Air Stations brings back to life the early age of naval aviation on the South Shore, from biplanes to blimps to bombers and beyond.







Naval Air Station Pensacola


Book Description

The world's first naval aeronautical station, Naval Air Station Pensacola is a dynamic and active station today. A sign at the gate of Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP) welcomes visitors to "The Cradle of Naval Aviation" - and, indeed it is. It came into being when the USS Mississippi (BB-23) arrived in Pensacola on January 20, 1914, with seven aircraft, nine officers, and 23 men. Today, NASP hosts several schools and several branches of the US military. It is also the home of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, as well as the renowned National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM), which displays more than 100 years of naval aviation, from a replica Curtiss hydroplane to the F-14 Tomcat.




Naval Air Station Jacksonville


Book Description

Naval Air Station Jacksonville was commissioned on October 15, 1940, and has trained tens of thousands of naval aviators throughout its long history. Located along the banks of the St. Johns River, the site and the weather conditions make the base a premier aviation facility. Initially conducting primary and seaplane training, it expanded to training pilots in almost every type of aircraft the Navy has flown. The Navy's elite precision aviators, the Blue Angels, were formed at the base in 1946. Today, as a master anti submarine base, it remains home to 15 aviation squadrons; some 115 tenant commands and almost 20,000 military, civilian, and contract employees work at the station daily.




Naval Air Station Whidbey Island


Book Description

Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island in Washington State has a long and storied history that began in 1942 and continues to the present day. Tucked away on an island that is its namesake, NAS Whidbey was originally conceptualized as a small support base for an existing air station in nearby Seattle. That prewar plan was rapidly eclipsed by world events, and the proposed support base quickly evolved into an air station of its own right. Through historic photographs chosen from the archives of the US Navy, the PBY-Naval Air Museum, and the personnel of NAS Whidbey Island, both past and present, the story of the air station is told. These images will serve not only as a trip down memory lane for those stationed at Whidbey in days gone by, but will also illustrate to younger generations their connection to those who served in the not so distant past.




Glenview Naval Air Station


Book Description

In 1923just 20 years after the Wright brothers first flight at Kitty Hawka Naval Reserve aviation training program was established at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Originally, sea planes and a few small land-based planes were used for primary flight instruction. With the development of heavier, faster military aircraft, the Great Lakes facility became inadequate. Under Rear Adm. John Downes, commandant of the 9th Naval District, the search for a suitable new location was undertaken. Curtiss-Reynolds-Wright Airfield was deemed ideal for relocation of the aviation training program. From humble beginnings as Naval Reserve Aviation Base Chicago, Naval Air Station Glenview (the official U.S. Navy designation) went on to play a vital and unique role during World War II. Until closure in 1995, the base was home to thousands of Navy and Marine Reserve pilots, aircrews, and support personnelproudly known as weekend warriors."




Naval Air Station Norfolk


Book Description

Throughout the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, has played a significant role in the development of American naval aviation. The roles of fleet operational feasibility flight testing, flight testing of prototype aircraft, and tactical combat flight training at this naval air station have been crucial to this development. Technological advancements in naval airpower have significantly altered military doctrine and tactics, enabling the United States to gain strategic advantages over opposing forces in wars and military conflicts. Moreover, courage, innovative spirit, and ingenuity in conducting naval flight testing at Naval Air Station Norfolk have made and continue to make the advancement of American naval aviation possible. This remarkable military facility serves as a vital component of the world's largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk.







Administration


Book Description