A Brief History of NAS Patuxent River’s Operational and Test Squadrons Part 3 – Airborne Early Warning Squadrons

by Bob Tourville The idea of placing air surveillance radars in aircraft dates from the earliest days of World War II, when the limitations of ground-based radar technology became evident. Exploiting the advantages of altitude, and positioned many miles from the land they defended, the first aircraft equipped with powerful air surveillance radars arrived late …

A Brief History of NAS Patuxent River’s Operational and Test Squadrons

Part 2 – Special Mission Squadrons By Bob Tourville During the Cold War, NAS Patuxent River was associated with some of the most sensitive surveillance aircraft in the Navy's inventory. The best examples are the Consolidated PB4Y-2 ‘Privateers’ operated by VP-HL-6 (later re-designated VP-26) beginning in April of 1948. (It should be noted that, although …

NAS Patuxent River: Breaking Ground!

by Dan Dickey NAS CONSTRUCTION AND PROBLEMS As covered in Segment 4, the Cedar Point land had been ceded to the government through eminent domain and the residents were officially given about 30 days to vacate their properties by April 1, 1942.  The contract to start construction of the Experimental Flight Test Center was issued …

The Navy Arrives

by Dan Dickey Up to this point we have looked at why the Navy came to Cedar Point, examined the town of Pearson, and the livelihood and activities that brought the sustenance, life, and enjoyment to the residents of Cedar Point.    So at this point we know the Navy is coming….but what process was used …

Livelihood, Entertainment, and Distractions at Pearson

by Dan Dickey Last segment I discussed the town of Pearson, the buildings, the layout, and what you could purchase there.   This segment will discuss how the residents lived. Livelihood Pearson was a small town surrounded by residents who were mostly farmers trying to grow enough produce to last them for at least a year. …

Before Pax River, There Was The Town Of Pearson. This Is How It Was.

By Dan Dickey The Town of Pearson In the previous segment I discussed that the Navy chose to move to Cedar Point to consolidate its testing facilities and to get to an area that was less congested with air traffic than the Anacostia area.   In this segment I will discuss the town of Pearson, central …

Welcome! Let’s start at the beginning…

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, and the 75th anniversary of the Naval Air Station Patuxent River.  To commemorate this momentous year in our history, we will be telling the story of the history of both the museum and the base in a 12 part series written and researched …