CVW-1 CHANGE OF COMMAND PAGE 3 VOLUME 52 NO. 35
AUGUST 30, 2012
SERVING NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA
•
DAM NECK ANNEX
CHAMBERS FIELD
Fentress runway set to reopen with major improvements
INSIDEJET
BY CATHY HEIMER Jet Observer
ELLIOTT SADLER VISITS ‘SUNLINERS’
PAGE 6
RED DEVILS HEADED TO AIR SHOW
PAGE 9 The semi-annual flea market will be held at the Oceana Main Gate Park, Sept. 22, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To reserve a space, leave message at 433- 2193 or call 567-2020, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. only. The flea market is open to the public. The event is sponsored by Navy Wives Clubs of America, Princess Anne 143.
•
Naval Station Norfolk Commanding Officer Capt. David Culler, (c) and Naval Station Norfolk Command Master Chief David Carter (l), present NAS Oceana chief petty officer selectees with a plaque for winning best overall design in the guidon design contest following the 6th annual “Run With the Chiefs 5K” on Naval Station Norfolk. The Navywide chief pinning ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 14.
ALMOST 3,000 PARTICIPATE IN ‘RUN WITH THE CHIEFS’ STORY/PHOTO BY MC3 CLASS MOLLY A. GREENDEER Navy Public Affairs Support Element East A sea of blue and gold flooded the streets of Naval Station Norfolk (NSN) as runners lined up for the ninth annual “Run with the Chiefs” 5K Aug. 24. More than 2,900 chiefs, senior chiefs, master chiefs, chief petty officer (CPO) selectees and participants from throughout the region, ran in support of the fiscal year 2013 CPO selectees, singing cadence along
the way to celebrate the selectees’ pride and camaraderie. NSN Command Master Chief David Carter was among those leading the pack and expressing support to the chief’s mess. “This event is a great opportunity to commit ourselves to a lifestyle of physical fitness and to set the example as leaders in fitness,” said Carter. “It is also a great way to build camaraderie and esprit de corps among ourselves, our leaders, and our Sailors.” The event was part of the six-week induction process, a Navy tradition chief petty — See Run, Page 8
When Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress reopens to military aircraft traffic in October, it will be a totally different airfield. Gone will be the old-style, inefficient lighting, and a runway with bumps, patches over patches, rough sections and long cracks — all too familiar to aviators and Fentress personnel, who man the facility 24 hours a day. Instead what pilots will be landing on is basically a brand new runway with nearly 2,000 feet of smooth white concrete at each end, level with the new middle section of asphalt, two new landing signal officer (LSO) shacks, LED lighting along the runway, taxiway, in the carrier box and signs, as well as some additional training opportunities for helicopter pilots. “When you look down at the airfield, basically you’re not going to see anything old, you’re going to see everything brand new,” said Oceana Airfield Manager/Deputy Operations Officer James McDowell. Years of field carrier landing practice (FCLP) have taken their toll on the 8,000 foot runway. As the primary FCLP runway for 24 squadrons in Hampton Roads,including F/A18 Hornets and Super Hornets, E-2s and C-2s, the runway sees an average of 46,000 “touch and go” landings annually by pilots honing their skills before heading out to any aircraft carrier. “It is an ideal location because of the lighting, or lack thereof; it basically mirrors what they would basically see when they’re landing on an aircraft carrier, because there’s no lights around. It’s a tremendous challenge.That’s what Fentress does for the guys,” said explained Fentress Officer in Charge Lt. Jimmy Navarro. Navarro added that helicopter pilots also use Fentress to practice their night landings with night vision goggles. Because it mirrors [a carrier],it represents what they’re doing out there in the fleet. — See Fentress Page 4