Watch: Landlocked Memphis Base Was Once The Epicenter of Naval Aviation Training

Share
Tweet

The film “Beneath Navy Wings” was made during the late 1960s and showcases both the Lockheed P2V Neptune maritime patrol aircraft and the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Memphis located in Millington just north of Memphis in Tennessee. While it might seem strange to locate the epicenter of training for nearly every aviation-related rating in the Navy near landlocked Memphis, the centrally-located NATTC was located across the street from a Naval Air Reserve base. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm. I don’t recall receiving a “diploma” from my A school though. Memphis memories await!

Official US Navy Photograph

More Than Just a School for Aviation Ratings

The NATTC installation is now called Naval Support Activity Mid-South. The aviation-related “A” schools have been moved to NAS Pensacola. Back in the day NAS Memphis was home to Patrol Squadron SIX  SEVEN (VP-67) Golden Hawks. Sometimes referred to as the Thunder Chickens, VP-67 was a Navy Reserve patrol squadron whose personnel made 23 full deployments or detached deployments over 24 years of service. They flew the SP-2H Neptune and the Lockheed P-3A Orion and later the P-3B. The Neptune flown in the film is a VP-5 Mad Foxes machine though.

VMA-124 A-4E Skyhawk. Official US Marine Corps Photograph.

Calling NAS Memphis Home…or Just Stopping In During a Blow at Home

NAS Memphis was also home to Marine Corps Attack Squadron VMA-124 Checkerboards, who flew several types including Grumman F9F-8 Cougars, North American Furies, and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks for many years. Navy Reserve attack squadron VA-204 River Rattlers and their Scooters were also based in Memphis until 1978. Also calling Memphis home was Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIVE THREE (VR-53) Volunteer Express.

Image via Alec Wilson

Redesignated VR-60 when they turned in their aging Douglas C-118B Skymasters for ex-airline Douglas C-9B Skytrain IIs during October of 1982, VR-60 was disestablished in 1995. NAS Memphis is no longer an active installation, having become the Millington Regional Jetport in 1993. The base still hosts military aircraft from time to time- occasionally quite a few of them. Because of the expansive aprons aircraft from Gulf Coast bases often bug out to Millington when storms affect their home turf.

Navy Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters on the apron in Millington during a bug-out from Whiting near NAS Pensacola. Official US Navy Photograph

Bill Walton is a life-long aviation historian, enthusiast, and aircraft recognition expert. As a teenager Bill helped his engineer father build an award-winning T-18 homebuilt airplane in their up-the-road from Oshkosh Wisconsin basement. Bill is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and humorist, an avid sailor, fledgling aviator, engineer, father, uncle, mentor, teacher, coach, and Navy veteran. Bill lives north of Houston TX under the approach path to KDWH runway 17R, which means he gets to look up at a lot of airplanes. A very good thing.

Related Topics
You May Also Like
13 comments

  2. I was at NAS Millington from July to October 1977 for Avionics school. I was stationed at MCAS New River first to work on CH46 Phrogs. Loved my career in the Marines and working on aircraft. I miss the work! I tell my wife to this day…if they ever make men’s cologne in JP5, I’m wearing it! Thanks for the memories!

  3. I went thru AfunP school in Millington fromabout July15,1968 to October 30,1968 for my AMH rating and then on to Meridian, Mississippi with VT-7. Met my best friend who was an ADR while in Millington,still friends today!

  4. There in early ’67 AMH school. Went to my first McDonald’s ever where you actually got change back from your dollar! Group of us ended up in Mississippi where we went into a nightclub. We were the only white guys there so we didn’t stay very long. Years ago, there was a comedy movie where the same thing happened! Famous comedian, the name escapes me ! Ended up VP in Brunswick, ME terrific duty!

  5. Did Acft Structural Repair Course Jan-Jun ’67 at Millington. Then on to VMFA-531 at Cherry Point.

  8. Spent 5 months there after boot camp in 1966, Went to AMH A school. Then on to VF-74 Oceana deployed on the Forrestal several times including July 29, ’67.

  9. July-November 1969…AFUNP, Avionics “A”, then on to 1st duty station NAS KWest…20 years later retire ATCS, most of my career spent as an Aircrew …an IFT on P-3’s…great 20 years

  10. I went through boot camp as a reserve in Millington, in 1971. Four years later, with NARU and VA-204.

  11. I’m one the millions who went to A school in Millington. AO A school BEQ S423. Every one said we were all crazy LOL. That was October thru December 1983.

  12. went to Boot Camp at Millington May – June 1945, then on to NATTC at Norman, OK to Aviation Machinist Mate School. Radioman School was located at NATTC Millington. Norman NATTC was closed a few months after the end of WWII

  13. I went from boot camp in San Diego to Avionics A school June 69, then Avionics B, finishing in June 70. From Memphis, VS-30 in Quonset Pt, RI with S-2Es

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.