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Naval Air Station Ellyson Field was a former
Naval Air Station Ellyson Field was a former U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
training base, established in Escambia County, Florida
Escambia County is the westernmost and oldest county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is in the state's northwestern corner. At the 2020 census, the population was 321,905. Its county seat and largest city is Pensacola. Escambia County is incl ...
in 1940 at the outset of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
as an auxiliary facility to Chevalier Field at Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (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", is a United State ...
, 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.
The short length of the air station's runways became increasingly incompatible with the introduction of higher performance piston aircraft followed by first generation jet aircraft in the post-World War II era. Fixed-wing operations were subsequently by exception until approximately late 1970 and limited to only a few certain models of propeller-driven training aircraft (e.g., T-34
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...
, T-28
The T-28 was a Soviet multi-turreted medium tank. The prototype was completed in 1931, and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry support tank intended to break through fortified defences. The T-28 was designed to complement the hea ...
, etc.). However, rotary-wing operations at the air station continued to flourish as helicopters saw ever-increasing use in the U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...
in the 1950s and 1960s, with NAS Ellyson Field becoming the sole intermediate and advanced training site for rotary-wing Naval Aviators in each of those services.
NAS Ellyson Field last served the Navy as a helicopter training facility through December 1973, by which time conflicts with air traffic patterns for general aviation and commercial passenger jet traffic at Pensacola Regional Airport
Pensacola International Airport , formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public use airport northeast of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, Unit ...
/ Hagler Field, now known as Pensacola International Airport
Pensacola International Airport , formerly Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport and Pensacola Regional Airport (Hagler Field), is a public use airport northeast of the central business district of Pensacola, in Escambia County, Florida, Uni ...
, located just south of the station, coupled with the reorganization of Naval Air Training Command
The Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) is a one star command that conducts flight training of student Naval Aviators, and Naval Flight Officers. Though it does not conduct Naval Aircrew training which is conducted by Naval Education and Trai ...
, led to a decision to close the airfield but retain the installation for non-flying operations. Helicopter training was moved to NAS Whiting Field
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 (the ot ...
, Florida, and flight operations were discontinued on 28 December 1973.
The base was taken over by the Naval Education and Training Program Development Center (NETPDC), which renamed the installation as NETPDC Ellyson Field. Following NETPDC's move to the former NAS Saufley Field, Florida, in 1979, Ellyson Field was closed.
Conveyed to the City of Pensacola, the former NAS Ellyson Field is now the Ellyson Industrial Park with only a few of the former Navy buildings still standing. These include the base operations building (minus its control tower cab), the three hangars, the academic training building, the dispensary and the Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ) that served the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and NATO/Allied officer flight student personnel assigned to NAS Ellyson Field for rotary-wing training. Portions of the ramp areas also still exist but the runway grid has been completely redeveloped.
References
*https://web.archive.org/web/20101128200115/http://tailhook.org/Ellyson.htm {{Authority control Defunct airports in Florida Ellyson Field Buildings and structures in Escambia County, Florida Military installations closed in 1979 Military installations in Florida 1940 establishments in Florida 1979 disestablishments in Florida Closed installations of the United States Navy