Naval Outlying Landing Field Barin

Last updated
Naval Outlying Landing Field Barin
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
Owner U.S. Navy
Location Foley, Alabama
Built1942
In use1942-Present
Elevation  AMSL 54 ft / 16 m
Coordinates 30°23′21″N087°38′07″W / 30.38917°N 87.63528°W / 30.38917; -87.63528
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
ftm
9/275,0001,524Asphalt
15/335,0001,524Asphalt

Naval Outlying Landing Field Barin( IATA : NHX, ICAO : KNBJ, FAA LID : NBJ) is a United States Navy airfield located in Foley, a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. [1]

Contents

History

An auxiliary airfield for Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Whiting Field, NOLF Barin originally consisted of twin airfield complexes. The West Field was established on the site of the original Foley Municipal Airport that was constructed in the mid-1930s and leased by the U.S. Navy in 1942. An adjoining parcel of 656 acres was also purchased by the Navy for construction of a similar, but not quite reverse, mirror image runway complex that would become known as the East Field. [2] On 2 July 1942, the new facility was designated Naval Auxiliary Air Station Barin Field (NAAS Barin Field) in honor of Lieutenant Louis Theodore Barin (20 August 1890 – 12 June 1920), a Navy test pilot and one of the pilots of the flying boat NC-1 during the Navy's transatlantic flight in May 1919. [3]

Today, the East Field is still used as NOLF Barin, a satellite airfield for Training Air Wing FIVE (TRAWING 5) at NAS Whiting Field and Training Air Wing SIX (TRAWING 6) at NAS Pensacola. Two runways and the original centerfield flight line complex are still maintained, although the original 1940s/1950s-era hangars and control tower have been demolished and removed. The West Field of four runways remains abandoned, with a 4-lane highway, the Foley Beach Express, [4] having been built through the center of the West Field's runways. [5]

Facilities

NOLF Barin has two asphalt paved runways: 9/27 is 4,012 by 300 feet (1,223 x 91 m) and 15/33 is 4,000 by 150 feet (1,219 x 46 m). [1]

In 2010, officials from NAS Whiting Field announced plans to expand the runways for several NOLFs they operate (including NOLF Barin) to facilitate the use of the T-6 Texan II training aircraft, which had replaced the aging fleet of T-34C Turbomentors in TRAWING 6 and was replacing those in TRAWING 5. Those plans subsequently came under heavy opposition by some residents who were worried about aircraft noise or losing homes and land in the process. [6] In November 2011, starting with negotiations with the Foley City Council, the Navy began acquiring land parcels to expand NOLF Barin Field and military construction subsequently commenced in 2012. [7]

In November 2014, the Baldwin County Commission unanimously approved a land deal to enable the Navy to finally complete the expansion of the NOLF Barin Field runway lengths. [8]

Both runways at NOLF Barin were subsequently lengthened to their current length of 5,000 feet. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Whiting Field</span> US Navy base near Milton, Florida

Naval Air Station Whiting Field is a United States Navy base located near Milton, Florida, with some outlying fields near Navarre, Florida, in south and central Santa Rosa County, and is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases. NAS Whiting Field provides training for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force student pilots, as well as those of several allied nations. NAS Whiting Field is home to Training Air Wing Five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Meridian</span> US Navy training base in Mississippi

Naval Air Station Meridian or NAS Meridian is a military airport located 11 miles northeast of Meridian, Mississippi in Lauderdale County and Kemper County, and is one of the Navy's two jet strike pilot training facilities.

Naval Air Station Whiting Field – South, also known as South Whiting Field, is located three miles (5 km) north of the central business district of Milton, in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. This military airport is owned by the US Navy. It is one of two airfields located at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, the other airfield being NAS Whiting Field – North.

Naval Outlying Landing Field Spencer is a military airport located two miles (3 km) northeast of Pace, Florida, United States, in Santa Rosa County. It is owned by the United States Navy. NOLF Spencer is one mile north of U.S. Highway 90, 3.5 miles (6 km) west of the City of Milton, just over 6 miles (10 km) east of the Escambia River and about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of NAS Whiting Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville</span> Airport near Coupeville, Washington

Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville—or NOLF Coupeville—(ICAO: KNRA, FAA LID: NRA) is a military airport located two miles (3 km) southeast of Coupeville, Washington, in Island County. The airfield is owned and operated by the United States Navy. NOLF Coupeville nearly touches State Route 20 and is about 10 miles south of the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saufley Field</span> Military airport in Escambia County, Florida, US

Saufley Field is a military airport and support facility located in unincorporated Escambia County, Florida, United States, five nautical miles (9 km) west of the central business district of Pensacola.

Flagler Executive Airport (ICAO: KFIN, FAA LID: FIN) is a county-owned public-use airport located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Bunnell, a city in Flagler County, Florida, United States. The airport's former FAA location identifiers were X47 and XFL. The airfield was originally constructed by the United States Navy during World War II as Naval Outlying Field Bunnell (NOLF Bunnell), an auxiliary airfield for flight training operations originating from nearby Naval Air Station Jacksonville, NAS Daytona Beach and NAS DeLand. Following the end of the war, the airfield was transferred from the Navy to Flagler County for use as a general aviation airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Glynco</span> Former military air base

Naval Air Station Glynco, Georgia, was an operational naval air station from 1942 to 1974 with an FAA airfield identifier of NEA and an ICAO identifier of KNEA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleton Field</span> Airport

Middleton Field is a public-use airport located 5 nautical miles west of the central business district of Evergreen, a city in Conecuh County, Alabama, United States. According to the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2009–2013, it is categorized as a general aviation facility. Although the airport is owned by the City of Evergreen, it is primarily used for flight training by the U.S. Navy as Naval Outlying Field Evergreen under Whiting Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brewton Municipal Airport</span> Airport

Brewton Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located 3 nautical miles (6 km) south of the central business district of Brewton, a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. Originally constructed by the U.S. Navy during World War II as an auxiliary field to the Naval Air Station Pensacola complex, it was later redesignated as Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Brewton before being conveyed to the city of Brewton as a public use facility. Although under civilian ownership, the airfield still functions concurrently as NOLF Brewton and is used by Navy training aircraft located at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foley Municipal Airport</span> Airport

Foley Municipal Airport is a city-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Foley, a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Outlying Landing Field Summerdale</span> Airport in near Summerdale, Alabama

Naval Outlying Landing Field Summerdale is an uncontrolled military use airport located in Summerdale, a town in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. It is under the operational control of NAS Whiting Field and is used for flying training.

Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Santa Rosa is a military use airport located five nautical miles (9 km) southeast of the central business district of Milton, in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the United States Navy and has four asphalt paved runways all of which are 4,500 by 150 feet. The airfield is under the control of Commander, Training Air Wing FIVE at NAS Whiting Field, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Crows Landing Airport</span> Airport in Crows Landing / Patterson, California

NASA Crows Landing Airport is a private use airport owned by the NASA Ames Research Center, 1 nautical mile northwest of the central business district of Crows Landing, in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The airfield was formerly named Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Crows Landing or NALF Crows Landing when operated by the U.S. Navy. In January 2011, Airport-data.com reported the airport status as closed permanently. In March 2022, Stanislaus County announced the former airfield would be redeveloped into a business park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Ellyson Field</span> Airport

Naval Air Station Ellyson Field was a former U.S. Navy training base, established in Escambia County, Florida in 1940 at the outset of World War II as an auxiliary facility to Chevalier Field at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. It had three red brick hangars common to the various Navy airfields in the Pensacola area, and eight paved runways, the longest of which was 3,550 ft in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Outlying Landing Field Choctaw</span>

Naval Outlying Landing Field Choctaw is the United States Navy's designation for an auxiliary airfield that was originally constructed during World War II as Eglin Field Auxiliary Field # 10. It is located 16.6 miles northeast of Pensacola, Florida.

Naval Outlying Field Goliad is a military airport located five nautical miles north of the central business district of Berclair, Texas, in Goliad County. It is owned by the United States Navy. The airfield has two runways, both 8000 feet long by 150 feet wide. Its mission is to support operations of the Naval Air Training Command, specifically Commander, Training Air Wing FOUR located aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. It is under the control of Commander, Navy Region Southeast.

Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Holley was a naval outlying landing field of the larger Naval Air Station Whiting Field located within the city limits of the community of Navarre, Florida. The two runways were each 3,600 feet long. The runways were restricted to limited military use only; however, in 2017, the Gulf Power company was authorized to build a solar power plant on the facility grounds. The plant now provides power for some 18,000 homes, making it one of the largest solar fields in the region. The solar panels completely cover what were once the runways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Station Livermore Outlying Fields</span> 1940s US Navy runways in California

Naval Air Station Livermore has nearby airfield landing strips to support the training of US Navy pilots during World War 2. The airfield are called Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLFs). For the war many new trained pilots were needed. The Naval Outlying Landing Fields provided a place for pilots to practice landing and take off without other air traffic. The remotes sites offered flight training without distractions. Most of the new pilots departed to the Pacific War after training. The Outlying Landing Fields had little or no support facilities. Naval Air Station Livermore opened in 1942 and closed in 1951. The Outlying field closed in 1945, having completed the role of training over 4000 new pilots. To open the needed Outlying Landing Fields quickly, the Navy took over local crop dusting and barnstorming airfields.

References

  1. 1 2 3 FAA Airport Form 5010 for NBJ PDF . Federal Aviation Administration. effective 25 August 2011.
  2. "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Alabama, Mobile area". www.airfields-freeman.com.
  3. "Navy and Marine Corps Air Stations and Fields Named for Naval Aviators and Others (Appendix 11 in United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995)" (PDF). Naval History and Heritage Command. 18 August 1997. p. 595. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  4. "Beach Express - Home". www.beachexpress.com.
  5. "Barin Outlying Field". www.globalsecurity.org.
  6. Busby, Guy (September 2, 2010). "Navy expansion plans worry some Baldwin County residents". al.com.
  7. Busby, Guy (November 15, 2011). "Navy to buy 70 Baldwin County parcels for runway extensions". al.com.
  8. "U.S. Navy's long journey in completing $28 million runway project in Baldwin County nearing end". al.com. November 19, 2014.
  9. "AirNav: KNBJ - Barin Naval Outlying Field".
  10. "Airport Data and Information Portal". adip.faa.gov.