October 13, 2018 - Brunswick, Maine
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Approaching Brunswick Executive Airport, formerly Brunswick Naval Air Station. I spent three years here in the early 80's in VP-26.
Brunswick has two parallel 8,000 x 200 ft runways. Four times as long as what I'm used to.
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Passing by the base golf course. Squadron life was pretty busy. I played golf here exactly once in three years.
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A good look at the former Naval Air Station. There used to be six P-3 squadrons based here. But two would be on deployment at any one time.
The last squadron -- which happened to be my old one VP-26 -- left in late 2009 and the base was offically closed in 2011.
The town of Brunswick in just beyond the runways at top centerleft. The Androscoggin River is visible center right.
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| Now looking south southeast with the ocean visible at top. |
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| Looking west at Brunswick alongside the Androscoggin River. |
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| Looking north across the river at Topsham, where we lived. I used to commute across the bridge. The factory looking building at center was abandoned back in the 80's but now they have turned it into an upscale shopping and business center. |
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Down below is Merrymeeting Commons where we lived in a condo.
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| Before buying the condo, we lived in base housing: Topsham Annex. It is still in use, although I'm sure it has been privitized. |
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A closer look. We lived in the building at bottom right.
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| Turning downwind for 1R. |
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| On downwind for 1R. I did a low-pass down runway 1R which is kind of fun when the runway is 8,000 feet long. |
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Leaving Brunswick, I headed east to check out Bath Iron Works. I was surprised to see a Zumwalt-class cruiser down below and another one under construction, along with an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer under construction.
The Zumwalts are hulls #2 and #3. They were going to build 32 of them, then 7 and now just the 3.You know how much each one costs? $4 billion. Yikes. I remember when you could buy a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier for $2B. It has been publically stated that the ship's problems "are emblematic of a defense procurement system that is rapidly losing its ability to meet our national security needs."
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I landed at Wiscasset Airport where I had made arrangements to rent a car, and hangar the RV-7. (I was worried it being too cold in the morning for starting the engine if I left the plane outside). Talking with the airport manager, it turns out he was a P-3 NFO like me, had been in a Brunswick squadron the same time as me, and knew one of my VP-26 commanding officers very well. Small world!
I stayed at an inexpensive motel in Brunswick. Looking out the window next morning, I was shocked to find it raining with a low overcast. The forecast had said Maine would not get the rainy weather that Maryland was getting, but they blew it this time! It was rainy and overcast all day, so no flying for me this Saturday. Instead I drove around and reminisced. I started out by having a big breakfast at my favorite breakfast place in Brunwick: the Miss Brunswick Diner! They still serve the Truckers Special but I can't eat that much anymore.
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Next, I drove driving around the old Naval Air Station. This ramp was covered with P-3s back in the day. Now just a few general aviation airplanes, including two RVs!
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| The old tower and base operations building. Its been renovated and now houses the FBO. |
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Looking back at one of the two big hangars on the base. After I left, they tore the old big hangar down and put up this new one.
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| The other big hangar, which would house two squadrons at a time. Of course, only two or three squadron P-3s could fit in it at a time; the rest were parked on the ramp. |
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| Through these doors, I reported for my first real job back in 1983. The hangar building doesn't appear to be in use at the present. |
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| They have built three housing communities on the base grounds, including this retirement and assisted living home. |
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The old trainer building. I can still remember my old department head John Watkins yelling "Man the trainer!!!"
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| The old Wing 5 and Anti-Submarine Warfare Operations Center (ASWOC) building. |
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Now turned into a private-sector data center.
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| The venerable static display P-3 Orion remains. |
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All the squadrons that were based here.
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| The P-3 did swing some big fat propellers. |
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The old base chapel building has been turned into a little museum. Unfortunately, it's only open two days a week and today was not one of them.
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Much of the base area is wooded and was quite pretty to drive through.
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| A huge tree a full peak. |
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A suspension foot bridge crossing the Androscoggin River.
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Androscoggin River
I had a tasty lobster roll for dinner, and bought eight lobster to take back home.
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Foot bridge.
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