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98-532: In 1966, enlisted personnel were removed from naval aviation observer duties but continued to serve in enlisted aircrew roles, while NAO officers received the newly established NFO designation, and the NFO insignia was introduced. NFOs in the US Navy begin their careers as unrestricted line officers (URL), eligible for command at sea and ashore in the various naval aviation aircraft type/model/series (T/M/S) communities and, at

196-736: A NASA Mission Specialist astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-8 . He previously flew the F-14 Tomcat . He retired in 1990. Rear Admiral Benjamin Thurman Hacker was the first NFO flag officer, having been selected in 1980. He previously flew the P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion . He retired in 1988. Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr. , was the last Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) prior to its re-designation as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). He

294-688: A Superfund site needing environmental cleanup. The air station also hosts the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI), the latter of which provides training for all naval flight surgeons , aviation physiologists, and aerospace experimental psychologists. With the closure of Naval Air Station Memphis in Millington, Tennessee , and the transition of that facility to Naval Support Activity Mid-South , NAS Pensacola also became home to

392-774: A GSU of the 12th Flying Training Wing (12 FTW) at Randolph AFB , Texas. The 479 FTG operates USAF T-6A Texan II and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft. Other tenant activities include the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels , flying F/A-18 Super Hornets and a single USMC C-130T Hercules ; and the 2nd German Air Force Training Squadron USA ( German : 2. Deutsche Luftwaffenausbildungsstaffel USA  – abbreviated "2. DtLwAusbStff"). A total of 131 aircraft operate out of Sherman Field, generating 110,000 flight operations each year. The National Naval Aviation Museum (formerly known as

490-597: A Marine Corps general having served as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps , and the other two as Navy admirals, one having served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations before commanding U.S. Fleet Forces Command & U.S. Atlantic Fleet , U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) and U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), and the other having commanded U.S. Pacific Command , having previously commanded U.S. Pacific Fleet . Another former NFO who retrained and qualified as

588-627: A National Historic Site (NHL) in 1960, control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service in 1971. After extensive restoration during 1971–1980, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public. It has a visitor's center. Realizing the advantages of the Pensacola harbor and the large timber reserves nearby for shipbuilding, in 1825 President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of the Navy Samuel Southard made arrangements to build

686-482: A Naval Air Rework Facility and directed to report to the commander of the Naval Air Systems Command instead of the air station commanding officer. Former seaplane hangars along the south edge of the air station, as well as a large structure at Chevalier Field were utilized for aircraft overhauls, and Pensacola was a designated as an A-4 Skyhawk rework site. In 1987 the name Naval Aviation Depot replaced

784-478: A Naval Aviator also achieved four-star rank as a Marine Corps general, commanded U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and later served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VCJCS). In some quarters, NFO careers may be viewed more restrictive than their Naval Aviator (e.g., pilot) counterparts. For example, NFOs only serve aboard multi-crew naval aircraft and as certain multi-crew aircraft are retired from

882-599: A Navy Yard on the southern tip of Escambia County , where the air station is today. Navy captains William Bainbridge , Lewis Warrington , and James Biddle selected the site on Pensacola Bay . Civilian employment began in April 1826, with the construction of the first buildings at the Pensacola Navy Yard, also known as the Warrington Navy Yard. Pensacola would later become one of the best equipped naval stations in

980-626: A Spanish word for bluff , the natural terrain feature that makes this location ideal for the fortress. Pensacola was taken by General Andrew Jackson in November 1814 during the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. British forces destroyed Fort San Carlos as they swept through the area. The Spanish remained in control of the region until 1821, when the Adams-Onís Treaty confirmed

1078-423: A USAF officer. This previous track for USAF navigators was termed Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training (JUNT). Today, all USAF Undergraduate CSO Training (UCSOT) for all USAF aircraft is consolidated at NAS Pensacola as a strictly USAF organization and operation under the 479th Flying Training Group (479 FTG), an Air Education and Training Command (AETC) unit. The 479 FTG is a tenant activity at NAS Pensacola and

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1176-687: A colony on Santa Rosa Island, considered the first European settlement of the Pensacola area. The Spanish built the wooden Fort San Carlos de Austria on this bluff in 1697–1698. Although besieged by Indians in 1707 , the fort was not taken. Spain was competing in North America with the French, who settled lower Louisiana and the Illinois Country and areas to the North. The French destroyed this fort when they captured Pensacola in 1719. After Great Britain defeated

1274-466: A few reserve officers and enlisted men also graduated. Naval Air Station Pensacola became known as the "Annapolis of the Air". Station Field was created on the north side of the navy yard in 1922. Enlarged, it was renamed Chevalier Field in 1935 for Lt. Cdr. Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier , a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1910, and an early Naval Air Pilot, designated as No. 7 on 7 November 1915. With

1372-549: A lateral transfer to the restricted line (RL) as aeronautical engineering duty officers (AEDO), while continuing to retain their NFO designation and active flight status. Such officers are typically graduates of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and/or the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School with advanced academic degrees in aerospace engineering or similar disciplines. AEDO/NFOs are eligible to command test and evaluation squadrons, naval air test centers, naval air warfare centers, and hold major program management responsibilities within

1470-450: A majority of the employees at the shipyard. They performed nearly every task required including ship construction and repair, carpentry, blacksmithing, bricklaying and general labor." While not explicitly stated in Pensacola Navy Yard log entries, enslaved black workers were listed as "laborers" while white workers were categorized as belonging to "the ordinary" (see thumbnail: station log entries, 1 July 1836). Slavery remained integral to

1568-399: A mile down the air station beach. In the years following World War I, aviation training slowed down. An average of 100 pilots were graduating annually from the 12-month flight course. This was before the category of aviation cadets was established; officers were accepted for the flight training program only after at least two years of sea duty. The majority were Annapolis graduates, although

1666-447: A senior level, in command of carrier air wings and aircraft carriers afloat and functional air wings, naval air stations and other activities ashore. They are also eligible for promotion to senior flag rank positions, including command of aircraft carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, joint task forces, numbered fleets, naval component commands and unified combatant commands. A small number of US Navy NFOs have later opted for

1764-521: A short-lived NFO community in the 1980s and 1990s when it operated E-2C Hawkeye aircraft on loan from the Navy. Following a fatal mishap with one of these aircraft at the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico , the Coast Guard returned the remaining E-2Cs to the Navy and disestablished its NFO program. Training for student NFOs (SNFOs) starts out the same as for student naval aviators (SNAs), with

1862-707: A status report. His account covers the period of March to November 1828 and details the 66 sailors and marines admitted, their names and rank, diagnosis or the nature of their injury, and the date of their discharge or death. Mortality at Pensacola would remain high due to the prevalence of yellow fever and malaria . Many naval officers and men considered the Navy Yard an unhealthy and potentially lethal assignment. For example, Naval Constructor Samuel Keep, writing to his brother in July 1826, stated emphatically, "I shall not remain here unless I am obliged to do so." Despite heroic efforts by

1960-419: A third field, Ellyson Field , named after CDR Theodore G. "Spuds" Ellyson , the Navy's first aviator, was added. With the start of World War II , NAS Pensacola once again became the hub of air training activities. NAS Pensacola expanded again, training 1,100 cadets a month, 11 times the number trained annually in the 1920s. The growth of NAS Pensacola from 10 tents to the world's greatest naval aviation center

2058-710: A true navy yard." This was followed by the sloop USS  Seminole that same year. In its early years, the garrison of the West Indies Squadron dealt mainly with the suppression of the African slave trade and piracy in the Gulf and Caribbean . The US and Great Britain had outlawed the international slave trade effective 1808, but smuggling continued for decades, especially as Cuba and certain South American nations continued with slavery. On 12 January 1861, just prior to

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2156-537: Is Naval Aviation Schools Command (NAVAVSCOLSCOM). This command has the following subordinate schools: NAVAVSCOLSCOM also previously oversaw Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS) until that program's disestablishment and merger into Officer Candidate School (OCS) under Officer Training Command at NETC Newport, Rhode Island in 2007. The Pensacola Naval Complex in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel. During

2254-499: Is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida , a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits. It is best known as the initial primary training base for all U.S. Navy , Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers pursuing designation as naval aviators and naval flight officers , the advanced training base for most naval flight officers, and as the home base for the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron,

2352-570: Is a breast insignia of the United States military which is awarded to those aviators of the Navy , Marine Corps and Coast Guard who have qualified as Naval Flight Officers (NFO) based on successful completion of flight training. The insignia is similar in design to the Naval Aviator insignia , consisting of a pair of golden wings, a shield, and crossed anchors. The Naval Flight Officer insignia

2450-499: Is also done through VT-10. It is a much shorter syllabus and consists of two phases: After graduating from Intermediate, SNFOs will select: E-2C/D Hawkeye selectees will continue on to the advanced maritime command and control curriculum at VT-4, while jet selectees will continue to intermediate training and remain at VT-10. SNFOs destined for carrier-based strike fighter and electronic attack aircraft remain in VT-10 and continue to fly in

2548-512: Is conducted in the Multi-Crew Simulator (MCS), a new simulator system that allows students to train independently, as a single-ship crew, or as a multi-ship mission. MC2 training has two phases: Core and Strand. SNFOs begin MC2 training in the "core" syllabus. These classes include a combination of SNFOs who are E-2C/D selectees and land-based maritime selectees. Training in this phase builds upon

2646-618: Is done in the Beechcraft T-6A Texan II and consists of four phases (all phases consist of ground school, simulator events, and flight events): After graduating from Primary, SNFOs will select between multi crew aviation or strike aviation. Students selected for land-based platforms (e.g., P-3 Orion , P-8 Poseidon , EP-3 Aries II , E-6 Mercury ) will continue on to the advanced maritime command and control curriculum at VT-4. Those that select strike aviation will continue to Intermediate training and remain at VT-10. Primary 2 training

2744-583: Is followed by one week of ground school. Every student then enrolls in one of two civilian flight schools located near NAS Pensacola . Students complete approximately 9 hours of flight training in a single engine aircraft. NIFE flights can be waived based on proficiency for students entering training with a private pilot license . After the flight phase, students will complete training in aerospace physiology, egress, and water & land survival. After completing NIFE, all SNFOs report to VT-10 under Training Air Wing 6 to begin primary training. All training in VT-10

2842-453: Is identical for both branches and is awarded in a single degree. To qualify for the NFO insignia, a service member must have completed officer aviation training and be qualified as a systems operator on board a Naval aircraft. Such qualifications include weapons system operations, airborne tactical data system operations, electronic warfare , and airborne navigation . The insignia originated in

2940-458: Is part of the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph AFB , Texas, but student information and files are handled through Tyndall AFB , Florida while they train at NAS Pensacola. With the divestment of Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training (SUNT) and the retirement of the T-43 Bobcat from the 12th Flying Training Wing main operation at Randolph AFB , the 479 FTG assumed responsibility for

3038-503: Is platform-specific training in VT-4 via the MCS, allowing SNFOs destined for the carrier-based E-2 community or the land-based P-8 or E-6 communities to begin learning their responsibilities on their fleet aircraft. The development of this program relieves the associated fleet replacement squadrons from teaching SNFOs the basics of naval aviation and to focus more on advanced fleet tactics, thus providing

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3136-461: Is the 359th Training Squadron located at nearby Eglin AFB . Detachment 1 trains over 1,100 airmen annually in three structural maintenance disciplines: low observable, non-destructive inspection, and aircraft structural maintenance. NAS Pensacola contains Forrest Sherman Field, home of Training Air Wing SIX (TRAWING 6), providing undergraduate flight training for all prospective naval flight officers for

3234-451: The 336th Training Group 's Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school at Fairchild Air Force Base ) was located here at NAS Pensacola, dedicated to aircrew parachute water survival training, but relocated to Fairchild AFB in August 2015. On 20 February 1939, a squadron of twelve U.S. Navy aircraft, described as "fast combat ships", were returning to NAS Pensacola , Florida, from

3332-532: The Coast Guard Flight Officer Badge . It was similar in appearance to the NFO wings (minus the crossed anchors) and was declared obsolete in 1991. NAS Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola ( IATA : NPA , ICAO : KNPA , FAA LID : NPA ) (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport , to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation",

3430-721: The National Museum of Naval Aviation ), the Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District , the National Park Service -administered Fort Barrancas and its associated Advance Redoubt , and the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum are all located at NAS Pensacola, as is the Barrancas National Cemetery . The site now occupied by NAS Pensacola has been controlled by varying nations. In 1559, Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna founded

3528-485: The Naval Air Systems Command ( NAVAIR ). Similarly, Marine Corps NFOs are also considered eligible for command at sea and ashore within Marine aviation, and are also eligible to hold senior general officer positions, such as command of Marine aircraft wings, Marine air-ground task forces (MAGTFs), joint task forces, Marine expeditionary forces, Marine Corps component commands and unified combatant commands. The counterpart to

3626-695: The USS ; George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). She previously flew the land-based EC-130Q Hercules and the E-6 Mercury TACAMO aircraft. She was the first woman to command a U.S. Navy fleet, the U.S. 3rd Fleet . She retired in 2017. Colonel John C. Church Sr., USMC was the first NFO to command a Marine F-4 squadron. He commanded VMFA-115 , the Silver Eagles, from 1983 to 1984. As a Captain, Colonel Church, "the Silver Fox", had previously served with VMFA-115 during

3724-631: The Vietnam War . Driscoll received the service's second-highest decoration, the Navy Cross , for his role in a 1972 dogfight with North Vietnamese MiGs . Driscoll separated from active duty in 1982 but remained in the United States Naval Reserve , flying the F-4 Phantom II and later the F-14 Tomcat in a Naval Air Reserve fighter squadron at NAS Miramar, eventually retiring in 2003 with

3822-635: The 1930s and evolved from the Naval Aviation Observer insignia. The main reason for creating the NFO insignia in 1965-1966 was to recognize the higher degree of training required for naval flight officers, compared to other airborne support personnel. In the modern space age , the insignia is also upgradeable to a variation of the Naval Aviator Astronaut insignia. Known as the Naval Flight Officer Astronaut insignia ,

3920-503: The 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), people in Florida and the Navy feared that NAS Pensacola might be closed, despite its naval hub status, due to extensive damage by Hurricane Ivan in late 2004. Nearly every building on the installation had suffered heavy damage, with near total destruction of the air station's southeastern complex. The main barracks, Chevalier Hall , did not reopen until late January 2005, four months after

4018-583: The 31st Vice Chief of Naval Operations from October 2000 to August 2003; the Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet from October 2003 to February 2005; Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) from February 2005 until March 2007; and Commander, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) from March 2007 until his retirement in March 2008. Captain Dale Gardner was the first NFO to qualify and fly as

Naval flight officer - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-609: The E-2C Hawkeye and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, NFOs are initially as designated radar officers (RO), then upgrade to air control officers (ACO) and finally to combat information center officers (CICO) and CICO/mission commanders (CICO/MC). In the E-6B Mercury, NFOs are initially designated as airborne communications officers (ACOs), then upgrade to combat systems officers (CSOs), and finally to mission commanders (CSO/MC). Naval Flight Officer Badge The Naval Flight Officer insignia

4214-623: The French in the Seven Years' War and exchanging some territory with Spain, British colonists took over this site and West Florida in 1763. In 1781, as an ally of the American rebels during the American Revolutionary War, the Spanish captured Pensacola . Britain ceded West Florida to Spain following the war. The Spanish completed the fort San Carlos de Barrancas in 1797. Barranca is

4312-534: The May 1829 list of navy yard employees. To allay slaveholder concerns, Commandant William Compton Bolton advertised that enslaved workers would have the benefit of medical attention at no charge at the shipyard hospital. Pensacola was not the first to use enslaved labor; Washington Navy Yard , established in 1799, and soon after, Gosport Navy Yard in Virginia, both employed enslaved labor. The enslaved quickly "constituted

4410-634: The NFO in the United States Air Force is the combat systems officer (CSO), encompassing the previous roles of navigator , weapon systems officer and electronic warfare officer . Although NFOs in the Navy's E-2 Hawkeye aircraft perform functions similar to the USAF air battle manager in the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, their NFO training track is more closely aligned with that of USAF combat systems officers. The United States Coast Guard had

4508-561: The Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Memphis, which relocated to Pensacola and was renamed NATTC Pensacola. NATTC provides technical training schools for nearly all enlisted aircraft maintenance and enlisted aircrew specialties in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard. The NATTC facility at NAS Pensacola is also home to the USAF Detachment 1, a geographically separated unit (GSU) whose home unit

4606-596: The Naval Appropriation Act enacted in 1911–12 a provision for aeronautical development. Chambers was ordered to devote all of his time to naval aviation. In October 1913, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels , appointed a board, with Captain Chambers as chairman, to make a survey of aeronautical needs and to establish a policy to guide future development. One of the board's most important recommendations

4704-581: The Navy Yard, and improving connections to the city of Pensacola. The company was incorporated by a special act of the State of Florida on 12 February 1870 to improve infrastructure, and was granted an easement by Congress to run through the federal Navy Yard reservation on 30 January 1871. The Navy Department awakened to the possibilities of naval aviation through the efforts of Captain Washington Irving Chambers ; he prevailed upon Congress to include in

4802-495: The OPNAVINST 3710 series of instructions, the pilot in command , regardless of rank, is always responsible for the safe piloting of the aircraft. Many NFOs achieve flight/section lead, division lead, package lead, mission lead and mission commander qualification, even when the pilot of the aircraft does not have that designation. Often, a senior NFO is paired with a junior pilot (and vice versa). NFO astronauts have also flown aboard

4900-468: The Pensacola Navy Yard workforce throughout the antebellum period. As late as June 1855, the navy yard payroll listed 155 slaves. Scholar Ernest Dibble concludes his study of the military presence in Pensacola with this coda: "In Pensacola the military was not just the most important single force creating the local economy, but also the most important single influence to the spread of the slaveocracy in Pensacola." The civilian payrolls of Pensacola reveal that

4998-736: The Space Shuttle and the International Space Station as mission specialists and wear NFO-astronaut wings. Like their naval aviator counterparts, NFOs in both the Navy and Marine Corps have commanded aviation squadrons, carrier air wings, shore-based functional air wings and air groups, Marine aircraft groups, air facilities, air stations, aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, Marine aircraft wings, Marine expeditionary forces, numbered fleets, and component commands of unified combatant commands. Three NFOs have reached four-star rank, one as

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5096-469: The T-45C Goshawk. Training consists of five phases: After graduating from advanced strike training, Navy SNFOs will select: Marine SNFOs will select: Naval flight officers operate some of the advanced systems on board most multi-crew naval aircraft, and some may also act as the overall tactical mission commanders of single or multiple aircraft assets during a given mission. NFOs are not trained to pilot

5194-585: The T-6A Texan II. Training consists of four phases: After primary, students who have selected E-2s or land-based maritime aviation (P-3, P-8, EP-3, E-6) check into VT-4 for advanced maritime command and control (MC2) training. The MC2 program was developed to allow SNFOs to receive advanced platform-specific training while still at NAS Pensacola, and to receive their wings before progressing to their respective fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for training in their ultimate operational combat aircraft. All MC2 training

5292-889: The U.S. Naval Academy in 1981, was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1982, and graduated from the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) in 1985. Carter's career as an aviator includes extensive time at sea, deploying around the globe in the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat. He has landed on 19 different aircraft carriers, to include all 10 of the Nimitz class carriers. Carter flew 125 combat missions in support of joint operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. He accumulated 6,150 flight hours in F-4, F-14, and F/A-18 aircraft during his career and safely completed 2,016 carrier-arrested landings,

5390-568: The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, and flight officers/navigators for other NATO/Allied/Coalition partners. TRAWING SIX consists of the Training Squadron 4 (VT-4) "Warbucks", Training Squadron 10 (VT-10) "Wildcats" and Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) "Sabrehawks," flying the T-45C Goshawk and T-6A Texan II . A select number of prospective U.S. Air Force navigator/combat systems officers , destined for certain fighter/bomber or heavy aircraft, were previously trained via TRAWING SIX, under VT-4 or VT-10, with command of VT-10 rotating periodically to

5488-538: The U.S. in any substantive way, pilot training in 1968 produced 2,552 graduates. From the earliest days of naval aviation at Pensacola, an aircraft maintenance facility operated at the air station. Initially known as the Construction and Repair Department, in 1923 it was redesignated an Assembly and Repair Department, and in 1948 to the Overhaul and Repair Department. In 1967, the status of the facility at NAS Pensacola and at five other Navy and one Marine Corps air stations were changed to that of separate commands, each called

5586-993: The Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) program at Training Air Wing 6 at NAS Pensacola, alongside foreign students from various NATO , Allied and Coalition navies and air forces. All Student NFOs begin primary training at Training Squadron TEN ( VT-10 ), flying the T-6A Texan II trainer, eventually moving on to advanced training at Training Squadron 4 ( VT-4 ) or Training Squadron 86 ( VT-86 ). Upon graduation from their respective advanced squadron, students receive their "wings of gold" and are designated as naval flight officers. After winging, students conduct follow-on training at their respective fleet replacement squadron (FRS). All SNFOs and SNAs start their aviation training with naval introductory flight evaluation (NIFE). NIFE consists of several phases: academics, ground school, flight training, and physiology. The academics portion spans three weeks and covers aerodynamics, engines, FAA rules and regulations, navigation, and weather. Academics phase

5684-399: The Vietnam War, during which time he and his pilot, Captain James "Rebel" Denton, were shot down and subsequently rescued. Colonel Church amassed more than 500 missions in the F-4. He retired in 1990. Eligible fleet platforms for NFOs are as of August 2022 are as follows: In the EA-18G Growler, NFOs are designated as electronic warfare officers (EWOs) and may also be mission commanders. In

5782-442: The active inventory, NFOs can become displaced, as happened with the withdrawal of the A-3 and EA-3, A-5 and RA-5, A-6, EA-6A, EA-6B, F-4 and RF-4, F-14 and S-3 and ES-3 from active service. In addition, as avionics have become more advanced, the need for some multi-crew aircraft using one or more NFOs has been reduced. However, the majority of NFOs (as well as Naval Aviators) from aircraft being retired have historically been afforded

5880-475: The advent of jet aviation, its 3,100-foot runway was too short for new aircraft entering service. Forrest Sherman Field was opened in 1954 for most fixed-wing operations. With the inauguration in 1935 of the cadet training program, activity at Pensacola again expanded. When Pensacola's training facilities could no longer accommodate the ever-increasing number of cadets accepted by the Navy, two more naval air stations were created—one in Jacksonville, Florida , and

5978-431: The aircraft, although they do train in some dual-control aircraft and are given the opportunity to practice "hands on controls" basic airmanship techniques. Some current and recently retired naval aircraft with side-by-side seating are also authorized to operate under dual-piloted weather minimums with one pilot and one NFO. However, in the unlikely event that the pilot of a single piloted naval aircraft becomes incapacitated,

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6076-403: The commencement of the Civil War , the Warrington Navy Yard surrendered to secessionists . When Union forces captured New Orleans in 1862, Confederate troops, fearing attack from the west, retreated from the Navy Yard and reduced most of the facilities to rubble. At the time, they also abandoned Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee. After the war, the ruins at the yard were cleared away and work

6174-516: The controls. Upon the entry of the United States into World War I on 6 April 1917, Pensacola, still the only naval air station, had 38 naval aviators , 163 enlisted men trained in aviation support, and 54 fixed-wing aircraft . Two years later, by the signing of the armistice in November 1918, the air station, with 438 officers and 5,538 enlisted men, had trained 1,000 naval aviators. At war's end, seaplanes , dirigibles , and free kite balloons were housed in steel and wooden hangars stretching

6272-423: The country, but the early navy yard was beset with recruitment and labor problems. Skilled workers were simply unavailable locally, housing limited, and living conditions in Pensacola rough. At first, skilled tradesmen were recruited from Boston and other northern naval bases. Many of these new civilian employees were dissatisfied with local conditions and especially their wages and hours. As a result, on 14 March 1827

6370-420: The crew would likely eject or bail out, if possible, as NFOs are not qualified to land the aircraft, especially in the carrier-based shipboard environment. NFOs serve as weapon systems officers (WSOs), electronic warfare officers (EWO), electronic countermeasures officers (ECMO), tactical coordinators (TACCO), bombardiers, and navigators. They can serve as aircraft mission commanders, although in accordance with

6468-408: The decoration is a standard NFO insignia upon which is centered a golden astronaut "shooting star" logo . The badge is issued for those Naval Flight Officers who have completed astronaut training at NASA and have subsequently participated in a space flight more than 50 miles above the Earth . Previously, the United States Coast Guard equivalent of the Naval Flight Officer insignia was known as

6566-430: The deputy coalition air forces component commander (deputy CFACC) during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom . He was the first NFO to command the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center , the second NFO to command a numbered fleet, the U.S. 5th Fleet , and was later deputy commander of U.S. Central Command . He previously flew the A-6 Intruder and retired in 2007. General William L. Nyland , USMC

6664-504: The deputy commandant for aviation. He previously flew the F-4 Phantom II and the F/A-18 Hornet . He retired in 2014. Vice Admiral Nora W. Tyson was the Commander, United States Third Fleet from 2015 to 2017, and previously Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command . She was the first female NFO to command a warship, the amphibious assault ship USS  Bataan (LHD 5), and the first female naval officer to command an aircraft carrier strike group, Carrier Strike Group Two , aboard

6762-400: The first NFO and first carrier aviator to command the Iceland Defense Force in Keflavik, Iceland in 1994. He was the first NFO appointed to the position of Deputy Commander (then DCINC), U.S. Naval Forces Europe and retired from that position in 2001. Commander William P. Driscoll was the first NFO to become a flying ace , having achieved five aerial kills of VPAF fighter aircraft during

6860-423: The fleet with mission-capable NFOs. Upon completion of advanced stage training, students receive their "wings of gold" and are designated as naval flight officers. SNFOs progress through one or two of four strands, depending on what platform they select. The E-2 strand consists of: The common navigation strand consists of: The MPR strand consists of: The E-6 strand consists of: SNFOs report to VT-86 and fly

6958-401: The instrument training from Primary and includes: Upon completion of core training, SNFOs who progressed to MC2 training from Primary 1 (land-based maritime selectees) will select their fleet platform. Their choices are: E-6B Mercury , P-3C Orion , EP-3E Aries II , and P-8A Poseidon . When platform selection is complete, all SNFOs remain at VT-4 for "strand" training. Advanced MC2 training

7056-525: The launch. For his efforts, Lt. Miller is considered an honorary member of the Raider group. During the Korean War , the military was caught in the midst of transition from propellers to jets . The air station had to revise its courses and training techniques. NAS Pensacola produced 6,000 aviators from 1950 to 1953. Forrest Sherman Field was opened in 1954 on the western side of NAS Pensacola. This jet airfield

7154-524: The medical community, yellow fever would revisit the navy yard intermittently, e.g. in 1835, 1874, 1882, etc., the disease only coming under control with the work of Major Walter Reed in 1901. From its foundation until the Civil War, enslaved labor was extensively utilized at Pensacola Navy Yard. In May 1829, the monthly Pensacola Navy Yard list of mechanics and laborers enumerates a total of 87 employees, of whom 37 were enslaved laborers. Pensacola Navy Yard

7252-420: The military aviation career opportunities of NFOs remain on par with their Naval Aviator counterparts, as do their post-military career prospects in the civilian sector in defense, aviation & aerospace, as well as other career pursuits beyond that of commercial airline pilot. Vice Admiral Walter E. "Ted" Carter Jr. became the 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy on July 23, 2014. He graduated from

7350-413: The name Naval Air Rework Facility to more accurately reflect the range of their activities. Three Naval Aviation Depots were closed under the 1993 BRAC Committee recommendations including that at NAS Pensacola, and most of the buildings on the air station involved in these tasks razed. The Naval Photography School was located at base. Howard Zieff learned photography there and the monthly inspection at

7448-552: The navy yard leased slaves from prominent members of Pensacola society. Enslaved labor continued on at the Pensacola Navy Yard until the American Civil War . On 13 August 1859, Commandant James K. McIntosh wrote to the secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey , "I have the honor to report that the steam sloop of war USS  Pensacola was successfully launched ..." with this "launching the Pensacola naval facility became

7546-806: The opportunity to transition to another aircraft platform, such as F-4 and F-14 transitions to the F/A-18D and F/A-18F, A-6 transitions to the F-14, EA-6B, S-3 and F/A-18C, S-3 transitions to the P-3/P-8, E-2 and F/A-18F, EA-6B transitions to the EA-18G, and P-3 transitions to the P-8. Although it is true that Naval Aviators can also transition their piloting expertise into civilian careers as commercial airline pilots and that NFOs are not able to similarly translate their skills into this career field unless augmented by associated FAA pilot certificates,

7644-657: The other in Corpus Christi, Texas . (During this period, the Southern Democratic block exerted considerable influence in Congress, as the South was a one-party region. Democrats occupied key committee chairman positions by seniority and directed many projects to their region.) In August 1940, a larger auxiliary base, Saufley Field , named for LT R.C. Saufley , Naval Aviator 14, was added to Pensacola's activities. In October 1941,

7742-550: The precision-flying team known as the Blue Angels . The station is listed as the Pensacola Station Census Designated Place (CDP) under the 2020 census and had a resident population of 5,532. It is part of the Pensacola— Ferry Pass — Brent, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . Because of contamination by heavy metals and other hazardous materials during its history, it is designated as

7840-449: The purchase of Spanish Florida by the United States, and Spain ceded this territory to the US. In 1825, the US designated this area for the Pensacola Navy Yard and Congress appropriated $ 6,000 for a lighthouse. Operational that year, it "is said to be haunted by a light keeper murdered by his wife." Fort Barrancas was rebuilt, 1839–1844, the U.S. Army deactivating it on 15 April 1947. Designated

7938-520: The rank of Commander (O-5). Admiral William Fallon , an NFO who flew in the RA-5C Vigilante and the A-6 Intruder , was the first NFO to achieve four-star rank. As a three-star vice admiral , he was the first NFO to command a numbered fleet, the U.S. 2nd Fleet . He later served in four separate four-star assignments, to include command of two unified combatant commands . This included service as

8036-467: The record among all active and retired U.S. Naval Aviation designators. As a captain , Rear Admiral Richard Dunleavy was the first NFO to command an aircraft carrier, the USS  Coral Sea (CV 43). He previously flew the A-3 Skywarrior , A-5 Vigilante , RA-5C Vigilante and A-6 Intruder . Later in his career, he was promoted to rear admiral and vice admiral , and was the first NFO to hold

8134-778: The renamed Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training (UCSOT) for all prospective USAF CSOs. The 479 FTG operates USAF T-6 Texan II and T-1 Jayhawk aircraft at NAS Pensacola. NAS Pensacola is also home to AETC's Detachment 1, 359th Training Squadron (359 TRS). A geographically separated unit of the 359 TRS at Eglin AFB , Florida, and falls under the 82nd Training Wing (82 TRW) at Sheppard AFB , Texas. This school provides enlisted technical training for all USAF Aircraft Structural Maintenance (ASM), Low Observable (LO) Aircraft Structural Maintenance, and Non-Destructive Inspections (NDI) students. The 359 TRS, Det 1, graduates approximately 1200 students annually. The USAF's Detachment 2, 66th Training Squadron (a geographically separated part of

8232-416: The same academic requirements and nearly identical physical requirements. The only real distinction in physical requirements is that SNFOs may have less than 20/40 uncorrected distance vision. Both SNAs and SNFOs go through the same naval introductory flight evaluation before splitting off into different primary training tracks. The SNFO program has continued to evolve since the 1960s. Today, SNFOs train under

8330-446: The school was photographed by Joseph Janney Steinmetz in 1944. The Naval Photographic School trained Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard students in basic (A School), advanced (B and C Schools), and special curriculum (Reconnaissance, Photojournalism, etc.) It was housed in BlDG 1500, now the base headquarters, and a small museum has a variety of items from the school. In 1971, NAS Pensacola

8428-473: The since disestablished position of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare (OP-05). He retired in 1993 as a Rear Admiral. Rear Admiral Stanley W. Bryant was the first NFO selected for the Navy's Nuclear Power Program as a Commander in 1986. As a Captain, he became the first NFO to command a nuclear aircraft carrier when he took command of USS  Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in July 1992. In his first posting following promotion to Flag rank, he became

8526-528: The storm. When the list was released on 13 May 2005, NAS Pensacola and other military bases hit by Ivan in Northwest Florida were not on the BRAC list. Their facilities were rebuilt. In May 2006, Navy construction crews unearthed a Spanish ship during an archeological excavation. It may date to the mid-16th century. The ship remains were discovered during the rebuilding of the base's rescue swimmer school, which

8624-471: Was begun to rebuild the base. Many of the present structures on the air station were built during this period, including the stately two- and three-story houses on North Avenue. In 1906, many of these newly rebuilt structures were destroyed by a great hurricane and storm surge . The Pensacola and Fort Barrancas Railroad was constructed in 1870 during the Reconstruction era , bringing rail service aboard

8722-658: Was built with enslaved labor. Captain Lewis Warrington , the first commandant of the Pensacola Navy Yard, complained to the Board of Navy Commissioners , "neither laborers nor mechanics are to be obtained here." As early as April 1826, Warrington had requested and received permission to hire enslaved labor, "for I would recommend the employment of black laborers in preference to white, as they suit this climate better, are less liable to change, more easily controlled, more temperate, and more will actually do more work." Even after Warrington

8820-692: Was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. On March 3, 2010 the commander of the base, Captain William Reavey Jr. , was relieved of command after a Navy investigation into alleged improper conduct. Reavey was replaced by Captain Christopher Plummer. NAS Pensacola is host to the 479th Flying Training Group (479 FTG) of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The 479 FTG is composed of the 451st Flying Training Squadron , 455th Flying Training Squadron and 479th Operations Support Squadron. The 479 FTG

8918-513: Was emphasized by then- Senator Owen Brewster 's statement: "The growth of naval aviation during World War II is one of the wonders of the modern world." Naval aviators from NAS Pensacola were called upon to train the Doolittle Raiders at Eglin Field in 1942 for carrier take-offs in their B-25 Mitchell bombers. Navy Lt. Henry Miller supervised their takeoff training and accompanied the crews to

9016-469: Was finally able to get skilled white journeymen mechanics from Norfolk, he asked for and received permission to continue utilizing enslaved labor, since due to the unhealthy conditions and poor pay white laborers simply would not remain at the new naval station. As a consequence, Pensacola Navy agent Samuel R. Overton advertised for 38 enslaved workers, promising local slaveholders "17 dollars per month with common Navy Rations." The bondsmen's names are found on

9114-407: Was named after the late Admiral Forrest P. Sherman , a former chief of naval operations. Shortly thereafter the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels , relocated from NAS Corpus Christi, Texas . Pilot training requirements shifted upward to meet the demands for the Vietnam War , which occupied much of the 1960s and 1970s. From a low of 1,413 in 1962, before the entry of

9212-519: Was picked as the headquarters site for CNET (Chief of Naval Education and Training), a new command which combined direction and control of all Navy education and training activities and organizations. The Naval Air Basic Training Command was absorbed by the Naval Air Training Command, which moved to NAS Corpus Christi , Texas. In 2003, CNET was replaced by the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). Also located on board NAS Pensacola

9310-655: Was the establishment of an aviation training station in Pensacola. On 20 January 1914, LCdr. Henry C. Mustin , Naval Aviator No. 11, and Lt. John H. Towers , Naval Aviator No. 3, and Lt. Patrick N. L. Bellinger , Naval Aviator No. 8, arrived in Pensacola on the former battleship USS Mississippi with the men and aircraft from the Naval Aviation Camp at Annapolis , Maryland. "The aviation unit consisted of nine officers, 23 enlisted men, and seven aircraft." The first flight occurred on 2 February 1914, with Lt. Towers and Ens. Godfrey deC. Chevalier , Naval Aviator No. 7, at

9408-500: Was the first Marine Corps NFO to achieve four-star rank as Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps . As a lieutenant general, he was also the first NFO to serve as deputy commandant for aviation. He previously flew the F-4 Phantom II and the F/A-18 Hornet . He retired in 2005. Lieutenant General Terry G. Robling, USMC was the first Marine Corps NFO to command United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific following an assignment as

9506-451: Was the first NFO from the land-based maritime patrol aviation community to command a numbered fleet, the U.S. 6th Fleet , and later commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet . He is also the first member of the Navy's land-based maritime patrol aviation community, pilot or NFO, to promote to four-star rank. He previously flew the P-3C Orion and retired in 2018. Vice Admiral David C. Nichols was

9604-626: Was the first labor strike. Captain Melancthon Taylor Woolsey was able to make sufficient adjustments to the workday that the men returned to work after a couple of days. One factor that inhibited both military and civilian workers from remaining in Pensacola was the lack of an adequate hospital. On 3 November 1828, naval surgeon Isaac Hulse , physician in charge of the Naval Hospital in Barrancas, wrote Commodore Melanchthon Taylor Woolsey

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