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Encyclopedia > Naval Air Facility El Centro
Naval Air Facility El Centro
IATA: NJK - ICAO: KNJK
Summary
Controlled By United States Navy
Facility Type Naval Air Facility
Location El Centro, California
Date Commissioned May 1, 1946
Current Status Active
Commanding Officer Captain James A. Hubbard
Elevation AMSL -42 ft (-13 m)
Coordinates 32°49′45″N, 115°40′18″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 9,503 2,897 PEM
12/30 6,824 2,080 PEM

Naval Air Facility El Centro (IATA: NJK, ICAO: KNJK), also known as NAF El Centro, is a military airport located six miles (10 km) northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County, California, USA. An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... USN redirects here. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... active active lifestyle active volcano sexually active, meaning to regularly undertake sexual activity active grammatical voice active electronics are components, circuits or units of equipment that consume power other than the signal itself, most normally to provide amplification. ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A foot (plural: feet; symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Runway 13R/31L of El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. ... A foot (plural: feet; symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre, or meter (U.S.), is a measure of length. ... As shown in this cross-section, many older roadways are smoothed by applying a thin layer of asphalt concrete to the existing portland cement concrete. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... km redirects here. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, and borders both Arizona and Mexico. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Contents

History

The facility was commissioned on May 1, 1946, as a Naval Air Station. Prior to that, the base was a Marine Corps Air Station. Through the years, Navy El Centro has had several names: Naval Air Facility, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, Naval Air Station, and the National Parachute Test Range. A Naval Air Station is an airbase of the United States Navy. ... This is a list of United States Marine Corps air stations. ...


For the first 35 years, the mission of NAF El Centro was devoted to aeronautical escape system testing, evaluation, and design. In November 1947, the Parachute Experimental Division from Lakehurst, New Jersey moved to El Centro. In 1951, the Joint Parachute Facility was established and consisted of the Naval Parachute Unit and the Air Force 6511th Test Group (Parachute). The Air Force remained part of El Centro’s test organization for the next 27 years


Current Operations

The facility has two operating runways. The 9,500-foot east/west runway handles 96 percent of the traffic. It is equipped with a Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System at each approach end as well as lighted carrier deck landing areas at both ends so pilots can simulate carrier landings.


Apart from "touch and go" landings and take-offs, aircrews use the many ranges at NAF El Centro to develop their skills. A remote-controlled target area allows naval aviators to practice ordinance delivery. The desert range is used for air-to-ground bombing, rocket firing, strafing, dummy drops and mobile land target training. The target complex uses the Weapons Impact Scoring System that microwaves target images to a range master control building for immediate verification of weapons delivery accuracy.


The addition of the Display and Debriefing Subsystem, known as DDS, expanded the role of NAF El Centro to include air combat training by utilizing remote television, acoustical and laser scoring systems. The DDS is linked with TACTS to provide a computerized record of the tactics employed by individual aircrews employ and to evaluate the effectiveness of each maneuver. Many believe the training at NAF El Centro is as close as pilots can get to actual air combat.


NAF is the "winter home" of the world-famous Blue Angels, the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. The Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly in tight diamond formation, maintaining 18 wingtip-to-canopy separation. ...


Popluar Culture

Much of the movie "Top Gun" was shot at NAF El Centro Top Gun is a 1986 American film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with Paramount Pictures. ...

FAA Airport Diagram
FAA Airport Diagram

References

Naval Air Facility El Centro Global Security.org. Retrieved 2006-10-26 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ...


Command History Naval Air Facility El Centro Retrieved 2006-10-26 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ...


See also

United States Navy Portal

Image File history File links United_States_Department_of_the_Navy_Seal. ...

External links

  • Naval Air Facility El Centro (official site)
  • FAA Airport Diagram (PDF)
  • Resources for this U.S. military airport:

  Results from FactBites:
 
Naval Air Facility El Centro (1049 words)
Naval Air Facility El Centro was commissioned on May 1, 1946, as a Naval Air Station.
In 1951, the Joint Parachute Facility was established and consisted of the Naval Parachute Unit and the Air Force 6511th Test Group (Parachute).
In 1964, the U.S. Naval Aerospace Recovery Facility was designated and on July 1, 1973, it was combined with the Naval Air Facility El Centro to form the National Parachute Test Range.
Historic California Posts: Naval Air Facility, El Centro (3620 words)
The town of El Centro, founded in 1906, was followed the next year by the forming of Imperial County from the eastern half of San Diego County.
Whether it concerns flying from an aircraft carrier or landing on the moon, NAF El Centro is proud of its past accomplishments, its expanding mission today, and its important role in the future.
Because if its unique location, NAF El Centro is known to every naval aviator and plays a key role in their initial and refresher training.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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