Aircraft carrier-based flight training for aircraft stationed at NAS Whidbey Island is scheduled to occur at Ault Field from Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, Jan. 17, 18 and 20. No Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) operations are scheduled to occur at the Outlying Field (OLF) in Coupeville.

People living in local communities should remain aware that the aforementioned operations are not the only operations out of NAS Whidbey Island, particularly at Ault Field, which is a 24-hour-a-day operational facility. There are many other training evolutions that people may hear. However, the aircraft carrier flight training operations are types of operations that involve lower altitude flight training in close vicinity to the airfield.

Both runways at Ault Field are now open. The base will make every effort to let the community know if there are additions to published schedules.

Ault Field carrier operations

• Tuesday, Jan. 17 – from late afternoon to early evening.

• Wednesday, Jan. 18 – late afternoon into the night.

• Friday, Jan. 20 –- morning to late morning.

Ault Field will be used as a backup field for scheduled flights at OLF Coupeville if cancellations become necessary. The base will make every effort to let the community know if there are additions to published schedules for FCLPs and CCAs.

The FCLP and CCA tempo are driven by the Fleet Replacement Squadron student training curriculum and pre-deployment carrier EA-18G Growler squadron flight qualifications. It can also fluctuate due to weather, maintenance and operational requirements.

NAS Whidbey Island remains open continuously to support flight operations and training. FCLP and Carrier Controlled Approach schedules for OLF Coupeville and Ault Field will continue to be released weekly for community planning purposes. Comments, including noise complaints, can be directed to NAS Whidbey Island’s comment line at (360) 257-6665, or via e-mail: comments.NASWI@navy.mil.

Comments regarding flight operations should note the time an event occurred, where exactly the event occurred and as much detail as possible about what was seen. We also ask that people leave their contact information for our tracking purposes. All other questions can be directed to NAS Whidbey Island Public Affairs Office at (360) 257-2286.

The Navy’s OLF at Coupeville is a critical national security asset that provides essential training for Navy pilots based at NAS Whidbey Island to conduct safe and effective aircraft carrier flight operations around the world.