Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
U.S. Navy airbase in Washington state / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) (IATA: NUW, ICAO: KNUW, FAA LID: NUW) is a naval air station of the United States Navy located on two pieces of land near Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island, in Island County, Washington.
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Naval Air Station Whidbey Island | |||||||||
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Ault Field | |||||||||
Oak Harbor, Washington in the United States | |||||||||
Coordinates | 48°21′07″N 122°39′21″W | ||||||||
Type | Naval Air Station | ||||||||
Site information | |||||||||
Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||||
Operator | US Navy | ||||||||
Controlled by | Navy Region Northwest | ||||||||
Condition | Operational | ||||||||
Website | Official website | ||||||||
Site history | |||||||||
Built | 1942 (1942) | ||||||||
In use | 1942 – present | ||||||||
Garrison information | |||||||||
Current commander | Captain Eric Hanks | ||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||
Identifiers | IATA: NUW, ICAO: KNUW, FAA LID: NUW, WMO: 690230 | ||||||||
Elevation | 14.3 metres (47 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] |
The main portion of the base, Ault Field, is about three miles north of Oak Harbor. The other section, called the Seaplane base for the PBY Catalina flying boats once based there, holds most of the island's Navy housing as well as the air station's main Navy Exchange and DeCA Commissary. The NASWI commanding officer also has command of a satellite airfield, Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Coupeville, on central Whidbey Island at 48°11′24″N 122°37′48″W, roughly nine miles south of Ault Field. Primarily used for Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) by carrier-based jets, this field has no permanently assigned personnel.
NASWI supports the EA-18G Growler, MH-60S Seahawk, P-8 Poseidon, EP-3E ARIES, and C-40 Clipper aircraft.