Naval outlying landing field
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An outlying landing field (OLF) is a satellite airfield, associated with a seaborne component of the United States military.[1] When associated with the United States Navy (who operate the majority), they are known as naval outlying landing fields (NOLFs) or naval auxiliary landing fields (NALFs); when associated with United States Marine Corps, they are known as Marine Corps outlying fields (MCOFs) or Marine Corps auxiliary landing fields (MCALFs).
Usage
[edit]NOLFs were primarily built field carrier landing practice, and to also mitigate noise caused by louder aircraft from existing fields. Having no based units or aircraft, and minimal facilities, an outlying landing field is used as a low-traffic location for flight training, without the risks and distractions of other traffic at a naval air station or other airport.[2]
However, the construction of a NOLF imposed various environmental issues, including bird/animal strike hazards (BASH), which can stress the bird population in the area. The Navy used various techniques to mitigate BASH, such as managing these hazards through the usage of radar detection and habitat management.[2]
List of active OLFs
[edit]NOLFs
[edit]NALFs
[edit]| Field name | FAA ID | Location | Associated air station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fentress | NFE | Chesapeake, Virginia | Oceana |
| Orange Grove | NOG | Orange Grove, Texas | Kingsville |
| Sherman | NUC | San Clemente Island, California | North Island |
MCALFS & MCOFs
[edit]| Field name | FAA ID | Location | Associated air station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 12NC | Atlantic, North Carolina | Cherry Point |
| Bogue | NJM | Swansboro, North Carolina | Cherry Point |
| Camp Davis | 14NC | Holly Ridge, North Carolina | New River |
| Oak Grove | 13NC | Pollocksville, North Carolina | Cherry Point |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Poythress, Katherine (31 May 2012). "Navy fields questions on aircraft noise study". San Diego Union-Tribune.
- 1 2 Defense Technical Information Center (8 February 2005). Handling the Noise Issue: Why the Navy Should Not Construct Another Outlying Landing Field (OLF) (DTIC Report). Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to United States Naval Outlying Fields at Wikimedia Commons
Source: AirNav.com airport search
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