# Navy To Use Franklin, Va. Airport For Training



## ccheese (Oct 29, 2010)

The Navy in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area has been searching for years for an "Outlying Landing Field"
[OLF] to train pilots. Everytime they think they have found a sutable site, it's the old story of "not in
my backyard". When a city or county hears that the US Navy is consideringt an OLF, they immediately
pass laws, change ordanances and threaten to sue if the Navy goes ahead with their plans.

The Navy has made an agreement with the city of Franklin, Va. to use Franklin Airport for training of
E2C "Hawkeye" and C-2 "Greyhound" pilots. The Navy says they will use the airport about 200 days
a year, and probaly about three hours per day.

The runway at Franklin is only 5,000 feet..... too short for jets, so only prop aircraft would be using
the runways. According to Admiral John C. Harvey it would save the Navy about $1.5 M. a year to
use Franklin, instead of sending the planes to airfields in Florida for practice.

And, of course, the City of Franklin stands to reap the monitary benefits.

Charles

[Thanks to RabidAlien for converting the file]


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## vikingBerserker (Oct 29, 2010)

Pretty cool. With all the budget issues, surprised more places are not jumping at the chance.


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## mudpuppy (Oct 29, 2010)

Interesting news; I hope it comes through for Franklin. There's a lot of towns in Southside that could use some new employment opportunities.
Derek


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 29, 2010)

Very cool!!!!! Thank you for posting the information Charles.


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## RabidAlien (Oct 29, 2010)

Can't imagine why anybody would turn down an opportunity like this (other than a little extra air traffic noise)....especially can't see them scrambling to create laws that would block the Navy, and threatening to frikkin SUE the Navy??? That's just frikkin ignorant (most polite word I could come up with on a family-friendly site)!!!! 

(ps: I'm not a Mod, but I modded your photo, CC. Gotta do _something _right today!!!)

Thanks..... Charles


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## ccheese (Oct 30, 2010)

RA: You being from a place with "wide open spaces" don't understand the problem the people around NAS Oceana and 
NAS Norfolk have with the noise from F/A-18's. I don't mind the noise, but people who live right in the landing patterns bitch 
and moan all the time about the noise. The area around NAS Oceana use to be farmland, but the subject of _money_
caused many of the farmers to sell the property to developers. And, _with city council approval_, they built lots
of homes around NAS Oceana. Now they have noise, and some people have tried to sue the Navy because of the noise.

In order to rid the area of the noise problem, the Navy has been looking for a suitable place to build an OLF. But, it's
the same old story, "not in my back yard".

Using Franklin Airport for prop aircraft will save the Navy money, and put it in the hands of the people in Franklin.
A "win-win" situation. 

Thanks for taking care of the photo, I've edited the posts so we don't have a dupe.

Charles


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## RabidAlien (Oct 30, 2010)

Well, I grew up in an Air Force family, so to me the sound of jets in the background is nothing. I also currently live about 10 miles away from Dallas-FortWorth International Airport, so at any given time I can step outside and see a half dozen planes in the air, and while I'm not in the primary flight path, we can still hear them. Maybe its just me, but I tend to count the sights/sounds of a local military base as a very cheap price to pay for freedom (now that I'm out of the Navy). I wonder how many of these civilians that are whining now and threatening to sue were all gung-ho pro-military and clamoring for _more _protection in the days/weeks/months after 9-11? I see that happen all the time, people who either forget about or demand less military during peace, but are all for it during times of trial. Geez...pick a side and stay on it! I may not agree with it, but I'll respect you more for sticking to your guns.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Oct 30, 2010)

I grew up in that area and loved hearing jets, prop driven craft, and helicopters. Course, they always said I was crazy. I do agree with you RA on the small price issue.


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## Njaco (Oct 31, 2010)

Charles is that the same airfield with that forlorn B-25?


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## CliffyB (Nov 1, 2010)

ccheese said:


> RA: You being from a place with "wide open spaces" don't understand the problem the people around NAS Oceana and
> NAS Norfolk have with the noise from F/A-18's. I don't mind the noise, but people who live right in the landing patterns bitch
> and moan all the time about the noise. The area around NAS Oceana use to be farmland, but the subject of _money_
> caused many of the farmers to sell the property to developers. And, _with city council approval_, they built lots
> ...



Blame the VB City Council for allowing the land around Ocean to be developed in the first place. Those residents who live there and complain about the noise can all stuff it. Oceana has been there for over 60 years. It didn't crop up overnight AFTER they moved in. They knew what they were getting into when they moved. Buncha crybabies! That whole situation really #$%^^ me off!!! Especially when they tried to get Oceana shut down a while back!!! WTF???!!!! 

I personally love the noise! I'm not over by Oceana but I am in the landing pattern for NAF Fentress. When a carrier is getting ready to deploy it gets rather noisy over here around the clock, especially at night. 

-Mike


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## ccheese (Nov 25, 2010)

Njaco said:


> Charles is that the same airfield with that forlorn B-25?




Yes it is....

Charles


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## ccheese (Nov 25, 2010)

Isle of Wight County, Va.

The Isle of Wight County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution *opposing* the Navy proposal to land military planes at the Franklin airport.

The planes the Navy wants to use for touch-and-go maneuvers at the Franklin Municipal Airport, which is in Isle of Wight County, aren’t jets
and are not as loud, LCDR Mike Kaffa, a Navy spokesman, Said Wednesday.

The Board of Supervisors passed the resolution last week opposing the Navy’s proposal to use the Franklin airport, *mainly to appease residents
in attendance,* who were against the use of the World War II-era field, said Al Casteen, Smithfield representative on the board of Supervisors.

The Navy wants to use the field for carrier landings and takeoffs, but it would not qualify as an outlying landing field [OLF] for Navy jets, Kafka said.

This from the Norfolk Virginian Pilot 11/26/10

Another instance of “Not In My Backyard !”

Charles


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 25, 2010)

I wonder how these twits think you can protect a nation if you don't practice. What a bunch of PANSYZ!!!!


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## RabidAlien (Nov 25, 2010)

Frikkin-A, that makes me sick. "Defend me, but defend me somewhere else!"


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## javlin (Nov 25, 2010)

I wish they could come down here and use the NG base in Gulfport but trust me we have some of the same whiners here.KAFB has been in Biloxi since what before WWII?remember "Biloxi Blues"? well I use to sit on our roof back in the 60s when the Thunderbirds would come and watch the manuvers,it was cool.Now we every so often get the Blue Angels because "it makes to much noise" please its one afternoon out of your godforsaken life give it a rest.


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## machine shop tom (Nov 26, 2010)

We have a CRTC (combat readiness training center) at the local airport near our town. The facility used to be a National Guard training center. Our airport has one of the longer runways around, C-5 Galaxys have used it. We have many different types of planes and unit training here. Last year there were Marine Harriers and EA-6B Prowlers (supposedly remote-controlled), as well as many other units utilizing Warthogs and Flying Falcons, C-141s, Hercs, C-17s, KC-10s, etc. Back in the early 1980s the F-15s of Langley AFB used our field while theirs was being repaved. Our community welcomes these heros' units with OPEN ARMS.

tom


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## evangilder (Nov 26, 2010)

Ridiculous. These are the same buttheads that helped close El Toro and Tustin. When you are in escrow for a home, one of the things that is in the paperwork is the disclosure for airports, trains, etc. We frequently get F-18s and other jets over our house on the way in to Point Mugu. Loud, a little, but a small price to pay. A little inconvenience because of noise is tiny compared to the sacrifices that folks that are out there serving are putting up with.


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 26, 2010)

Dam butt-heads


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## ccheese (Jan 7, 2011)

There has been a new development in the Navy's plan to use Franklin Airport for training.
The Navy has reminded the City Council of Franklin and the Board of Supervisors of Isle of
Wight County that the U.S. Navy does, in fact, own Franklin Airport !!! The Navy built it 
in 1942 as a training field, and turned it over to the city of Franklin after the war, with the
condition that the Navy could use it whenever they want to. Now, all the good citizens
of Ilse of Wight County want the Navy to pay for an environmental impact study. 

The Navy says it will begin training flights next month, but it has to move fire fighting 
equipment, maintenance stuff and personnel to Franklin first.

I expect the Board of Supervisors of Isle of Wight County to take legal action to prevent
the Navy from using it's own airfield. 

Charles


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## RabidAlien (Jan 7, 2011)

Boo-yah! Go, Navy! I hope they run ops 24-7.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 7, 2011)

I use to live in Isle of Wight County and they use to embrace the Military. I do hope the Navy shoves it down there throat.


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## RabidAlien (Jan 8, 2011)

I hope they're the exception rather than the average, only embracing the military when its convenient or popular, or they feel threatened. One of the nice things about the Dallas/FtWorth area (and Austin, as well), everybody here respects their military members/veterans, whether active, retired, or reserve.

Other than that, I pretty much hate Texas.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 8, 2011)

RA, it use to be that way, it now sounds like a bunch of whiny panty-waist are running the county now.


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## ccheese (Sep 24, 2012)

New info on the Navy's use of Franklin Airport for training. The Supervisors of Isle of Wight County requested an injunction banning the Navy from using the Franklin airport until an environmental impact study could be completed (which they want to the Navy to pay for). A federal judge refused to issue the injunction !! The Supervisors will now appeal to the state Supreme Court. The Navy has started training flights, but only on reciprocating engined aircraft, and only during daylight hours.

Charles


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## meatloaf109 (Sep 24, 2012)

Same mindset that would stop the construction of a hospital or school because of a threat to the habitat of a rodent.
I remember the stink raised over the pipeline in Alaska a few years back. They were worried about the Carabo's migration patterns, turned out that the Carabo just walked around the supports!


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## ccheese (Nov 14, 2012)

One of my spies, that lives in Franklin, VA, tells me she sees "Willy Fudds" flying around Franklin all the time. She use to live at the beach, and remembers the S2 Tracker, so anything with a ra-dome on top is a WF. She's probably seeing the E1-B and the E2-C. I havn't heard otherwise, so I guess the U.S. Navy is alive and well at Franklin's Airport, in Franklin, VA.

Charles


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## ccheese (Dec 18, 2012)

Heard on the news, today, the U.S. Navy had their first "emergency" landing at Franklin Airport, in Franklin, VA. An E2C had a nose gear collapse during a normal landing. No one injured, just lotsa sparks and a damaged nose. NAS Oceana is investigating, and will decide whether to repair the aircraft to a flyable condition, or fold the wings and tow it back to NAS Norfolk.

More as I find out more...

Charles


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 18, 2012)

Thanks for the update.


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## ccheese (Dec 21, 2012)

See my previous post (#26). The U.S.Navy has decided they can make repairs on site to enable to plane to fly to NAS Norfolk, where it will be repaired properly. As it's less that 50 air miles, it's not that big a deal. The newspaper says the flight will be gear down, all the way.

Charles


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## ccheese (Jan 27, 2013)

It seems the good citizens of Franklin have succeeded in booting the Navy out of Franklin Airport. They got Republican Sen. Scott Rigel to present a bill in Va.'s General Assembly to _*prohibit*_ the Navy from using Franklin Airport on the grounds it was unsafe for the citizens. On Monday the 28th of Jan. the Navy will start using the Coast Guard runways at Craney Island. What a crock !!

Charles


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## Glider (Jan 28, 2013)

RabidAlien said:


> Can't imagine why anybody would turn down an opportunity like this (other than a little extra air traffic noise)....especially can't see them scrambling to create laws that would block the Navy, and threatening to frikkin SUE the Navy??? That's just frikkin ignorant (most polite word I could come up with on a family-friendly site)!!!!
> 
> (ps: I'm not a Mod, but I modded your photo, CC. Gotta do _something _right today!!!)
> 
> Thanks..... Charles



Our Gliding club had simlar issues, I mean Gliders. In the end we could only use air tugs for three days a year so we could stay current. During the war it was a USAAF fighter base and when we opened a small memorial in the new hanger the USAAF sent an honour guard to assist. Part of the day was a visit from a P51 which landed. 
You will have guessed the next bit, the complaints that came in because it wasn't one of the three days you wouldn't believe.

I should add that when the new hanger about 13 years ago, Prince Phillip cut the ribbon. Local protesters were on hand to complain about the noise. He knew thew were coming and before anyone said anything he motioned everyone to just hush. Then commented that wasn't it nice to hear the skylarks in the grass and asked the rep from the protest what was it they wanted to say. They mentioned the noise pollution and he pointed out that the gliders were flying and all he could hear were the Skylarks. End of Protest.

Finally its worth mentioning that the club in miles from the nearest town and in the middle of a large farm.


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## davparlr (Jan 28, 2013)

I grew up on the approach end of Sherman field at Pensacola NAS. SNJs, T-28s, T-34s, F9Fs, T2A/Bs, Blue Angels, and a multitude of transient aircraft roared overhead. I used to run scared into my house every time an SNJ flew overhead. It was just part of living in America to me. I grew up loving planes and cars (my brother had a 57 Chevy). Ended up flying AF??? I think there are a lot of places that would love having more Navy training (except some young guys, like me, who always had to compete with all those Navy flyboys for the local girls). Take the training somewhere where it is wanted!


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## ccheese (Jan 29, 2013)

I need to make a correction to my previous post, about the Navy using the runways at Wallop's Island. I previously stated that the runways belonged to the USCG. They do not ! The runways are part of the NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I regret the error.

Charles


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