Back to school: Tax-free holiday Aug. 7-16 ... The state of Florida 2015 back-to-school sales tax holiday is taking place today, Aug. 7, through Aug. 16. This holiday began at 12:01 a.m. today and ends at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 16. For more on what the tax relief covers and back-to-school shopping, see Gosport’s page B1.
Vol. 79, No. 31
VT-10 change of command Aug. 13 From VT-10 PAO
Cmdr. Mark Yates will transfer command of NAS Pensacola’s Training Squadron 10 (VT-10) to Cmdr. Brian Solano, during a change of command cremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard NAS Pensacola Aug. 13 at 10 a.m.
Cmdr. Brian Solano
After more than 15 months in the top spot, Yates will release the reins of the squadron to his executive officer, who helped the squadron earn numerous accolades during his tenure. Under Yates’s command, VT-10 executed more than 46,000 mishap-free flight hours, encompassing more than 25,000 sorties, while training 1,075 Navy and Marine Corps
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August 7, 2015
NASP Air Ops ‘arresting gear’ sails through certification From ABH1(AW/SW) Dervin Gardner NASP Air Ops
NAS Pensacola Air Operations Division Officer Lt. Gregory Smith recently reported that NASP’s E-28 Emergency Runway Arresting Gear Division passed its annual certification with flying colors. “My goal was to not only to pass the gear cert, but to correct all deficiencies to ensure that safety guidelines and proper operations are up to par and maintained,” Smith said. Otherwise known as “arresting gear,” the divi-
sion of 40-plus Sailors led by Smith and maintenance leading chief petty officer ABEC Marshall Gault of the NASP Air Operations Department, has been working around the clock for the last few months to prepare for certification, which was administered in the last week of January. Passing the certification proves that NASP arresting gear is equipped to safely arrest tail hook equipped aircraft, from T-45 Goshawks to F/A-18s, in the event of an aborted takeoff of emergency landing – a function
See Gear on page 2
CNATRA onboard NAS Pensacola ... Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) Rear Adm. Dell D. Bull arrived onboard NAS Pensacola Aug. 3. Bull visited with Training Air Wing Six (TraWing-6) and attended a command brief on airfield improvements. (Above, left-right) TraWing-6 Commodore Capt. Edward Heflin, NASP CO Capt. Keith Hoskins and Bull cross the tarmac at NASP’s Forrest Sherman Field. Photo by Mike O’Connor
Water line repair; expect construction traffic delays From NavFac SE
A project to repair a water line under Navy Boulevard will require the southbound lanes to be shifted at the 600 block of South Navy Boulevard at the Gateway Inn Motel. Construction is expected to begin in the later part of August and continue through late
September. Work on this project will take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and will impact traffic flowing into the NAS Pensacola front gate. Electronic message signs will be activated to inform motorists of the construction zones and traffic delays flowing into NAS Pensacola. Motorists are reminded to
slow down when driving through construction zones (speeding tickets are doubled when construction workers are present). Escambia County’s District 2 Commissioner Doug Underhill urges drivers to be patient during the infrastructure improvements. “Regarding the road work, the County and FDOT are working
two major projects that affect the approach to the front gate, the Sunset Bridge replacement and the Barrancas/Gulf Beach Highway intersection of Navy Boulevard,” Underhill said. “The NavFac work is going to add a few minutes to an already challenging commute, but
Reminder: Don’t plug smartphones, thumb drives into NMCI
‘Seaplane’ taking off again in Pensacola By Bridgette Williams NASP PAO Intern Cmdr. Mark Yates
student naval flight officers (SNFOs), flight surgeons, NASA mission specialists, test pilot school students and international navigators. The squadron’s award-winning record of accomplishments during this period of high productivity included back-to-back Secretary of the Navy Safety Excellence Awards, the Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award and the 2013 Chief of Naval Air Training Excellence Award. Yates leaves the
See VT-10 on page 2
After more than 20 years, “Seaplane,” a musical with ties to Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP), is about to be reborn for a new audience. Performances are scheduled for Aug. 28, 29 and 30 at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre. “Seaplane” captures the innovative, determination and courage of early avia-
tion pioneers. It also celebrates the rich history of early flight and the nation’s first naval aviation flight school in Pensacola. The story, originally written in 1989, focuses on the first crossing of the Atlantic in 1919 by the NC-4 aircraft designed by Glenn Curtiss, “the father of naval aviation,” and Jack Towers, the naval aviator that led the expedition. A portion of
See Seaplane on page 2
“Seaplane” authors Jack and Carolyn Fleming with National Naval Aviation Museum’s NC-4. Photo by Lindy Brown
See Construction on page 2
From Ron Borlan NASP Information Assurance Manager
Singaporean staff officer visits ... Lt. Col. William Donnelly, VT-86 commanding officer, briefs Singapore Brig. Gen. Kum Leong on the capabilities of the T-45 jet trainer during his visit to NAS Pensacola Aug. 3. Leong and a group from Singapore were onboard NASP to meet senior leadership and review aviation training facilities. The group was hosted by Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA), who serves as the U.S. Navy’s agent for international education and training. Photo by Ed Barker
Users of NMCI workstations must be aware that plugging in personal thumb drives and cell phones, even just to charge the device, is not authorized. Doing so results in the account of the person logged in being disabled. In addition, a recent system change will also disable the accounts
See NMCI on page 2
Published by Ballinger Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.