Saufley Field facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
NOLF Saufley Field
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | U.S. Navy | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Escambia County, near Bellview, Florida | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 85 ft / 26 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 30°28′11″N 087°20′17″W / 30.46972°N 87.33806°W | ||||||||||||||
| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Saufley Field (IATA: NUN, ICAO: KNUN, FAA LID: NUN) is a special military airport and support base in Escambia County, Florida, USA. It's located about 5 nautical miles (9 km) west of Pensacola.
This base is an active part of the U.S. Navy. It used to be a full Naval Air Station where pilots learned to fly. Now, its main non-flying activities are known as NETPDC Saufley Field. Even though it's still listed as a Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF), its runways are currently closed for aircraft operations while they wait for upgrades.
As the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) Saufley Field, the base also supports many other Navy groups. These groups are all part of the larger Pensacola naval area. Saufley Field is about 10 miles (16 km) north of NAS Pensacola.
Contents
The Story of Saufley Field
How Saufley Field Started
The U.S. Navy first rented a piece of land called "Felton's Farm Field" in 1933. They used it as a smaller airfield connected to NAS Pensacola. The Navy then bought the 866.62-acre (3.5 km²) site on August 16, 1939.
The base officially opened on August 26, 1940. It was named after Lieutenant (junior grade) Richard C. Saufley. He was an early Naval Aviator (pilot number 14). Sadly, Saufley died on June 9, 1916, in a plane crash near Pensacola while trying a long-distance flight.
Changes Over the Years
- 1943: The base was first called Naval Auxiliary Air Station Saufley Field.
- 1968: It was renamed Naval Air Station Saufley Field.
Its main job back then was to give initial training to new Naval Aviators (SNAs). This continued until December 1, 1976. At that time, it was home to Training Air Wing SEVEN (TRAWING 7). This group had two training squadrons, VT-1 and VT-5. They flew planes like the T-34B Mentor and the T-28B/C Trojan.
In December 1976, these training groups were closed. The control tower at NAS Saufley Field was also shut down. The base changed from an active Naval Air Station to an uncontrolled Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF). This meant it still supported Naval Air Station Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field, but it wasn't a main flying base anymore.
Becoming a Training Center
In 1979, Saufley Field got a new purpose. It was still NOLF Saufley Field, but it also became the Naval Education and Training Program Development Center (NAVEDTRAPRODEVCEN) Saufley Field. This happened when the NAVEDTRAPRODEVCEN moved from a nearby base called Ellyson Field, which was closing. The non-flying part of the base was then called NETPDC Saufley Field.
The name of this training center changed a few more times:
- 1987: It became the Naval Education and Training Program Management Support Activity (NETPMSA).
- 1996: It was renamed the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center (NETPDTC).
- 2016: It became the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC), which is its current name.
NETPDC Saufley Field is now the main command for the base. It supports 10 other important military and Navy groups. More than 1,000 people work at Saufley Field.
Other Important Groups at Saufley Field
Some of the groups located at NETPDC Saufley Field include:
- The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES).
- The Navy Operational Support Center Pensacola (NOSC Pensacola). This center helps several Navy Reserve units. It also provides support for Reserve pilots and other personnel working at nearby NAS Whiting Field and NAS Pensacola.
The Airfield Today
As NOLF Saufley Field, the base still has two runways that are 4,000 feet long. However, they are currently not used for active flights. The base has a fire and rescue team. It also has over 34,425 square feet (3,200 m²) of hangar space for training aircraft. NOLF Saufley Field has often been used as a temporary home for turboprop and helicopter training planes when other local naval air stations were doing construction on their airfields. A special navigation beacon called a VOR is also located on the airfield.
Federal Prison Camp Pensacola
In 1988, the Federal Bureau of Prisons opened the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola at Saufley Field. This prison holds inmates with minimum security. These inmates help with labor for different parts of the Pensacola Naval Complex. This agreement is similar to others the Bureau of Prisons has with the U.S. Air Force at bases like Maxwell Air Force Base.
The prison camp's population changes, but it can hold up to 600 inmates. More than half of them always help with non-sensitive work. This work includes ground maintenance and supporting Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. The prison camp has about 85 staff members.
Hurricane Ivan and Airfield Changes
In September 2004, the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency used Saufley Field as a temporary place to gather supplies. This was in response to Hurricane Ivan, a very strong storm.
Unfortunately, a closed part of the Saufley Field airfield was used for a construction and demolition landfill. After Hurricane Ivan, waste disposal in this landfill was not managed well. This caused problems like harmful gas, a fire risk, and possible water pollution. It also created a danger for aircraft due to more birds. The company running the landfill went bankrupt. The landfill was planned to be cleaned up and closed by 2013.
Later, the Navy stopped using the T-34C Turbomentor training plane. It was replaced with the T-6 Texan II. The T-6 needs longer runways for safe solo student flights. While Saufley Field used to have four runways, by 2002, only two were operational, and they were only 4,000 feet long. The T-6 needs at least 5,000 feet for solo student operations. Also, the T-6's propeller cannot reverse to help slow down, and its brakes are not designed for short landings. Because of these reasons, NOLF Saufley Field was no longer suitable for solo training flights by students from NAS Whiting Field.
In 2016, a company called Gulf Power Company leased most of the airfield. They started building a large solar farm on 366 acres. This solar farm, which can produce 50 megawatts of power, was finished in August 2017.
