NASA and the Navy plan a ceremony Monday, November 4, to mark the official opening of Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) to field carrier landing practice (FCLP) for Navy E-2 Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound aircraft.  These twin engine turboprop aircraft will conduct up to 20,000 FCLP passes annually at Wallops Flight Facility.  The first FCLP operations will take place on Monday, November 4.

The Navy has completed all necessary minor construction, including installation of runway lighting and markings to simulate the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, as well as the pouring of concrete pads for an Improved Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (IFLOLS) and a work station for Landing Signal Officers (LSOs).  With construction complete, the facility is now capable of hosting E-2 and C-2 FCLP operations.

Conducting E-2 and C-2 FCLPs at WFF will provide the Navy the ability to relieve some of the capacity issues at Navy Auxiliary Landing Field Fentress, in Chesapeake, Va., and reduce or eliminate the need for VAW-120, the E-2/C-2 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), to conduct out-of-area detachments to NAS Jacksonville, Fla., four to six times per year to complete required FCLP training.

This initiative entails positive net economic benefits to the region.  In addition to the recently-completed construction, the Navy will pay for expanded service requirements at the airfield to support FCLP, and also provide NASA direct payment for airfield use. Additionally, the ability to conduct two-week detachments will result in the requirement to obtain messing, berthing and transportation services on the civilian economy.

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 NOTICE TO MEDIA:  Media interested in covering this ceremony should arrive at the Wallops Flight Facility Visitors’ Center no later than 9:40 a.m., Monday, November 4.  Directions to the Visitors’ Center can be found at this link:  http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/visitorcenter/location/index.html#.UmrE05V1R6Q 

Interested media should RSVP to Jeremy Eggers, WFF Public Affairs, at (757) 824-2958 or jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov, or to Ted Brown, U.S. Fleet Forces Public Affairs, at (757) 836-4427 or theodore.brown@navy.mil, no later than close of business Friday, November 1.  Media will have to opportunity to observe a brief ceremony to mark the commencement of FCLPs and the opening of an E-2/C-2 FCLP display at the Visitors’ Center; conduct interviews with the WFF Director and USFF Deputy Commander; then conduct interviews at the Landing Signal Officer platform and obtain b-roll and photographs of the first FCLP operations.