Cecil Field vs. Oceana...not done yet!

[Navyfan06]

Numbers LIE!!

Flash - I promise, if you go down there between Beaufort and Port Royal, you will find all these new neighborhoods and developments poping up! I'm not saying its as big as Jax, Chas, Sav by any stretch of the imagination, but I still think its a great place...same boat at Scoober. Besides only about an hour from Charleston, and Market Street, good times.

Hopefully the Dogs can pull off an upset against Pitt!! Fight Dogs Fight! arty_125

 

[jmiller82]

What are the odds of Cherry Point or Beaufort getting the nod for Oceana's jets? I keep hearing that Beaufort can't support the numbers that Oceana has, and it would likely involve more $$$ to build/upgrade, etc. Or what are the odds of a MJB farther south, like NAS Atlanta (BRAC'ed out probably because of Hartsfield's air traffic) or NAS Key West? I think Mefesto is right in saying that Oceana is a local fixture (like or not as a Hampton Roads resident), and that the costs associated with relocating the equipment, crews, jets, etc. to a new or upgraded station doesn't justify closing it due to non-compliance of clearing out homes in a "potential" accident zone. I think that someone needs to put the foot down and let the locals in VA Bch know that Oceana has been there for a while (much longer than their beloved homes) and will continue to be there for a while, regardless of the amount of noise or the encroachment of new homes into the accident zone. I say they bring in B-52's or move the Dam Neck gun line to Oceana and begin a new firing range - that'd really piss off the noise-compliance protestors!

 

[BigIron]

I don't think so. It was Cecil or nothing. There were some other thougths about NC or TX taking a grab, but the law states very specific things in order for the move to happen. One of those things being Jacksonville making plans to relocate their current tenants at Cecil and making other arrangements by 12/31/06. Since Jax pulled out ahwile ago, this probably isn't going to happen by the deadline.

 

[2sr2worry]

Forget Beaufort and Cherry Point. The one option that almost made it to daylight was "NAS Seymour Johnson"

(Think Joint, Think JSF)

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...950916&spn=0.058251,0.171661&t=k&om=1&iwloc=A

 

[Pags]

Forget Beaufort and Cherry Point. The one option that almost made it to daylight was "NAS Seymour Johnson"

ah....Seymour Johnson...the basis for so many hysterical jokes.

here's a sample runway diagram:

 

[Zilch]

This is from way out there, but the Jax local NPR station featured some talk about turning Cecil into a...Spaceport! Yes, space tourism. The idea is that for something like $250,000 a trip, some lucky rich people could launch from Cecil and into the Final Frontier. Far-out idea, but there are some people seriously "working on it." I don't see it happening, but if people were whining about noise before, a space vehicle will bring new meaning to the definition. The Shuttle rattles windows for miles around back home, and that's only once a month or so. These launches were supposed to be a regular thing.

Anyway. Just an idea I heard on the radio, thought you might find it interesting.

 

[gregsivers]

There's one guy in Jax who is making big waves about trying to reopen Cecil. I don't remember his name, but he's got a petition going around trying to get it on a public ballot. Unless that earlier post about the judge was stopping this.

 

[Hozer]

His name is Ken Underwood, former Naval Aviator...
...bet it isn't over yet!

 

[BigIron]

His name is Ken Underwood, former Naval Aviator...
...bet it isn't over yet!

What's his current business? Is he some kind of contractor/developer now? He is obviously very interested in having Cecil reopen.

 

[jarhead]

having lived in Beaufort for the last 3+ years, i can attest to the fact that the area is growing ... not significantly in population (unless you want to count all the illegal Mexicans living in Bluffton & Hilton Head), but new businesses & houses going up at the rapid rate, even a Best Buy now.

as for MCAS Beaufort handling all the traffic from Oceana, don't think the base could sustain it without a major building effort. there is plenty of room to add all the buildings needed, but there are only 2 runways, 05/23 & 14/32, and really no place to add parallels. one thing MCAS has going for it is it's fairly rural, and the base & the county routinely goes in halves to buy property around the base, then they rent it out to farmers to grow whatever they grow out there. keeps the locals from getting to close to the base which equals to very few noise complaints.

the question is will the Corps keep MCAS BFT after all the squadrons are flying F-35's, i.e. move all the squadrons from BFT to Cherry Point (and maybe from Miramar to Yuma or vice versa). makes sense logistically and the Wing boss now has all his fixed wing in one place. be a sad day to loose BFT 'cause the airspace off the coast is easy to get in and out of, and nobody is ever in there but us (and some SCANG & FANG from time to time, as well as those pesky P-3's down below us). and on the west side of the 1x or 2x i can see BFT on a clear day, which means a 5.0/3.0 joker/bingo - great for BFM. the biggest drawback to BFT there really isn't any good bombing ranges closeby, though they just opened up Townsend for inert JDAM drops

2¢

 

[TurnandBurn55]

I say they bring in B-52's or move the Dam Neck gun line to Oceana and begin a new firing range - that'd really piss off the noise-compliance protestors!

I've said for the last year that there's a simple solution. Institute the carrier break for a month at NAS Oceana. Then go to normal course rules, and ask those retards if they realize how far we've gone to appease them.

 

[Huggy Bear]

I've said for the last year that there's a simple solution. Institute the carrier break for a month at NAS Oceana. Then go to normal course rules, and ask those retards if they realize how far we've gone to appease them.

Amen. Better yet. Let put all of the ccajn members in a cod and right before the trap explain to them the differences in landing patterns between oceana and the boat.

There is nothing that beats the training of coming into the break at 1500' then trying to fly a normal cv approach.

Those noise complainers are idiots. I would not build my house next to a volcano then complain when it erupts. These people build their houses next to an airfield that has been there since the '40's then complain about noise.

 

[BigIron]

This won't die....the latest news

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=5436944

 

[VFA-203 Forever]

Population comparison:

Charleston- 106,712 (2005 estimate)

Savannah- 313,883 (2005 estimate)

Beaufort, SC- 12,950 (2000 census)......12,058 (July 2005 estimate)

Growing?.......

Oh, yeah....Fight Dogs, Fight!

Guess the population would be up more had VFA-82 not went away from BFT last year :icon_tong

I mentioned in one of the threads before, I went to Beaufort in 2004 and pretty much hated it. REALLY Small town. Loved the VB/Norfolk area the two times I've been.

Pensacola & Ridgecrest,CA (China Lake) are far from Gems either, But they get the nod over Beaufort. (Ridgecrest just BARELY)

Adam

 

[Fly Navy]

Pensacola & Ridgecrest,CA (China Lake) are far from Gems either, But they get the nod over Beaufort. (Ridgecrest just BARELY)

Adam

Wow, I've flown to China Lake. There isn't ANYTHING there. It's not near anything either.