TESTER Naval Air Station Patuxent River
Vol. 72, No. 12
Women of Influence Page 2
MAGIC CARPET’s First Flights Page 3
Junior Sailor Of 2014 Page 4
Celebrating 72 Years of Community Partnership
March 26, 2015
TIMELINE:
Pax still soaring 72 years later
U.S. Navy photo illustration by Shawn Graham
Since its commissioning April 1, 1943, NAS Patuxent River has evolved into the Center of Excellence for Naval Aviation. The consolidation, integration and collocation of the Base Realignment and Closures in the mid-1990s brought more than 20,000 military and civilian employees to the station when it was selected to host the NAVAIR and NAWCAD headquarters, and more than 50 tenant activities. With about 800 employees assigned to the host air station’s staff, the civilian and military “Pax Pros” work hard to ensure the continued security and safety of its tenants while providing first-class services to all employees.
Building 409 road work
Roadwork and sidewalk and curb repair at Building 409 is expected to close the front parking lot and the side drive between buildings 409 and 480 beginning March 30. To minimize impact, work will be done in three phases and should be completed in May. Only two entrance doors will be open at a time. All work is dependent on weather and the schedule could change.
1942 - Ground breaking for construction of NAS Patuxent 1943 - NAS Patuxent commissioning ceremony, noted as one of the finest and largest Navy aviation establishments in the east 1944 -The first U.S. all jetpowered airplane, the XP59A, is flight tested here 1945 - Naval Air Test Center is established as a separate entity organizationally dividing the test and support functions 1946 - Test Pilot Training Division is established, formalizing Navy test pilot classroom instruction 1958 -The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School is established 1968 -The Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Four is established 1970s - Reorganization prepares NATC for its role as the NAVAIR’s principal site for development testing F/A-18 Hornets arrive for evaluation trials 1980s - Production prototype of P-3C Orion Update III lands at Pax for test First prototype model of S-3B Viking arrives Production model of E-6A arrives for electromagnetic testing 1990s - NAWCAD is established See Soaring, Page 5
Pax River Joint Land Use Study approved By Donna Cipolloni NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs
T
he NAS Patuxent River Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) was approved by the JLUS Policy Committee on Jan. 23 and is now being presented to study area jurisdictions, like St. Mary’s County, for adoption. Initiated in June 2013 and led by the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, the Pax River JLUS was a collaborative land use planning
effort between NAS Pax River and surrounding communities. The end result is a list of recommendations for both the community and air station that would prevent or mitigate encroachment in the areas surrounding the Pax River complex, Webster Outlying Field and the Atlantic Test Range Inner Test Range. “The study’s area included nine counties and various jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia that are within the
Pax River aircraft operations area,” said NAS Patuxent River Commanding Officer Capt. Heidi Fleming, who served as a Policy Committee adviser. “The public was instrumental in the development of this JLUS by providing their perspective and feedback, both in the public forums and through the use of the interactive project website.” At the core of the approved Pax River JLUS are 79
See JLUS, Page 5
To read the report in its entirety; visit www.paxjlus.com and click on the related links • JLUS Report: overview of the planning process, purpose and objectives of the study, and the recommended implementation plan • Background Report: technical background and detailed compatibility assessment used to identify issues and develop recommendations • Executive Summary: quick reference describing the purpose of a JLUS and an overview of the key recommendations and Military Compatibility Area