While looking around military bases in Google Earth, I spied something at NAS Pensacola that I can't for the life of me figure out what I'm seeing. Just west of the northern end of runway 1-19, there's what looks like a baby runway. Its only about 775 feet long, so its probably not a runway (aside from the part where NPA has three runways and not four). My first instinct was to think it was some sort of mock carrier deck but that seems very unlikely for a wide variety of reasons. It doesn't seem to have arresters on it, first off. Didn't notice anything like this thing at any other NAS I looked at either.So is there anyone out there that knows what this strip of concrete is?http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/178152.jpg

I'd say it IS the old area for field carrier landing practice.

Looks kinda like a depot or a storage facility to me...I'd upload a better picture, but for some reason it keeps giving me a size error (it's below 150k). Here's a link where you can explore it better:http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=p...60390&encType=1EDIT: What Staggerwing said too.

Yeah, it seems it probably was for carrier landings. It looks like all the gear for the arrest cables are there on the left/south end but the cables themselves are long gone. Thanks.

It might be a runway for small UAVs.Or the Pensacola RC Flying Club.

Very interesting.Maybe not the "old" either (in terms of activity).Note the difference between the Google Earth and MS Live shots.The building appears to have been added on to, and the "runway" footprint is larger in the MS shot, though not as complete. Appears to be some form of a sectional RWY . . .Joe Lorenc

I think MS Live is more recent than GE. GE still shows buildings that were demolished following Hurricane Ivan or buildings that weren't there when I was down there in February. A friend of mine from college just recently completed API down there. I called her to see if she might know but hasn't called me back yet.

My first instinct was to think it was some sort of mock carrier deck but that seems very unlikely for a wide variety of reasons.I've watched Navy trainers doing carrier practice on that strip. Though it was the summer of 1970 - so some things might have changed since then :-)Back then there was still are runway over near the carrier pier.The strip was also used as a trainer for flight deck crewmen - before most of that training was moved to Millington (Memphis).

This is our local carrier landing site for Whidbey Island NAS. This is the Coupeville OLF.http://www.maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...78750&encType=1