The Naval Air Test Facility at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, was established with testing catapult and arresting systems as its main responsibility. Several models of the Crusader were employed during the 1960’s, including F-8A’s, -D’s and L’s. Tailcode: none

    The Squadron Duty Officer (SDO) is the squadron contact point, who communicates with former squadron members about squadron information, sea stories, squadron pictures, scuttlebutt, and gathers information about squadron buddies. Please contact the Squadron SDO as listed on this link. Sharing your stories, photos etc. is essential to the success of the Skyhawk Association and we invite you to JOIN with us in preserving the Skyhawk legacy.

Squadron Patches:

• 1915-1917 Ammunition proving ground for the Russian Imperial Government.

• 1917-1921 Acquired by U.S. Army as an ammunition proving ground. Named Camp Kendrick.
• 1921-1961 The country's (and, perhaps, the world's) Lighter Than Air (LTA) Center. In 1961, the Navy's LTA program was terminated.
• Hindenburg crashes at Lakehurst.
• 1958 The Naval Air Test Facility (NATF) was established.
• 1973 The Naval Air Engineering Center (NAEC) was relocated from Philadelphia as directed by a Shore Establishment Realignment.
• 1977 NAS and NATF were disestablished and merged into NAEC.
• 1992 The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) was established. NAEC becomes the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCADLKE).
• 1994 NAWCADLKE becomes the Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES) for shore station management and the Aircraft Platform Interface (API) Group for technical mission support.
• 1994 NAWCADLKE and the rest of the AIRCRAFT DIVISION reorganize into a Competency Aligned Organizaiton.
• 1997 The Aircraft Division and Weapons Division are integrated into the Naval Aviation Systems Team's Competency Aligned Organization.

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