This work, Groundbreaking for New Water Storage Tank at Naval Air Station Lemoore, by Katie Cadiao, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright 2025Stream Central California's News and Original Shows 24/7WASHINGTON (KFSN) -- An F/A-18 fighter jet assigned to a squadron based out of NAS Lemoore rolled off the side of an aircraft carrier and sank to the bottom of the Red Sea on Monday the aircraft was being towed out of the hangar bay of the USS Harry S Truman when the crew lost control and the aircraft and a tow tractor went overboard There was one crew member aboard the jet and a second on the tractor during the move both were able to jump clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard The extraordinary mishap involving the $70 million jet was attributed to human error Truman has been operating in the Red Sea since last September when it was deployed to help protect commercial ships against near-constant attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen (FOX26) — Naval Air Station Lemoore reported an aircraft incident on the base on Tuesday Public Affairs OfficerSarah Thrasher said a civilian aircraft declared an emergency just after 10:00 a.m A PA-31 Navajo light civil twin-engine plane landed short of the runway She says the two people on board were not injured The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the mishap The runway closed briefly but has since reopened A pair of F/A-18 jets were diverted to FAT until the runway reopened 2024Former Diamond Dog Aaron Judge is not the only Valley tie for this year's World Series.LOS ANGELES (KFSN) -- Former Diamond Dog Aaron Judge is not the only Valley visitor at Dodger Stadium for this year's World Series Four fighter jets from Naval Air Station Lemoore took part in Game 1's flyover in Los Angeles Friday The jets included three Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and one Navy F-16 Fighting Falcon This work, Naval Air Station Lemoore Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Aircraft Hangar, by Katie Cadiao, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright In the foreground is the main base where where the headquarters are located and all the support facilities are located off in the upper right is the operational part of the base a couple miles away — Tucked into the heart of central California's farm country this West Coast hub of the Navy's strike fighter community has an image problem It's a base with an image problem that needs to be fixed While the air station will see tremendous a significant growth over the next couple years but Navy officials say many sailors are reluctant to select it the California base as home for a tour of duty — mostly because of its rural location where the base is located and vague fleet rumors around the fleet that's it's an undesirable place to call homeabout the base that won't stop Most sailors would be hard-pressed to locate it on a map Now he and other Navy officials are actively working to turn around the reputation of this little known is preparing the base — selected last year as the Navy's first home for the F-35C joint strike fighter — for one of the biggest plus-ups of any Navy base will experience over the next few years And that number just includes the active-duty personnel who will be arriving not the thousands of dependents who will undoubtedly accompany them that's a significant increase and we need to make sure we have the capacity to we need to make sure we can absorb that growth," he said Roughly 7,200 military and 1,300 civilians now work at Lemoore and almost 11,000 military dependents call it home is expected to relocate to the base from it's current home at Eglin Air Force Base VFA-136 and VFA-11 will move from Naval Air Station Oceana changes at the base are either underway or being discussed and planned and Ashliman says it's his job to show Navy officials where and how the base needs to grow to accommodate the new arrivals NAS Lemoore will have nearly 60 percent of Navy strike fighter airpower a megabase worthy of the "master jet base" moniker it's had since it was designed Lemoore has one of the most unique designs in the Navy The mMain side of the base houses all the administrative functions Four miles to the northeast is the operations side of the base along with some smaller medical and dining facilities and a small gym and the fact the base is surrounded by miles of farmland that makes it good for training strike fighter crews I think it's the best air station in the world to prepare aircrews to go out to aircraft carriers," Ashliman said "We have here what I like to call unimpeded training." away from any and and he fact it's not near any densely populated areas allows the Navy the ability to do things it simply can't in conduct business in a way you can't do in fleet concentration areas "Our air traffic patterns and how we do operations around the airfield is exactly how we conduct operations around an aircraft carrier at sea," Ashilman said "You don't get that anywhere else in the Navy." NAS Lemoore has all the amenities a sailor would expect on a base of its size The baseLemoore has all the military base amenities sailors would expect: find anywhere in the Navy with a an exchange and commissary; a military hospital; morale and a very robust off-duty education programs available to those stationed here all packed into the base's main side compound The 66,000 square-foot facility includes two college-size basketball courts exercise rooms and athletic fields used by many sports leagues and more than 20 fitness classes each month "The feel of the base is more like an overseas base because of the remote location," Ashliman said and families of deploying squadrons have a very robust support system around them in a way you don't find in other fleet concentration areas." Because the median price of an off-base house is just $175,000 many families choose to purchase homes in the nearby towns of Lemoore and Hanford but with 1,630 on-base homes — 1,436 enlisted and 194 officer units — there's plenty of housing for those choosing to stay on base most of the base housing is less than 12 years old and meticulously maintained Units range in size from two to four bedrooms and the housing areas have community centers which routinely have family events scheduled throughout the month "It's high-quality housing with a very small town feel," said Tom Brown who manages base housing for Lincoln Military Housing which manages the units under the military's public/private venture agreement with Lincoln Military Housing "Cost of living is low and your money goes further here." Although housing stays full most of the time And with miles of leased farm land owned by the government surrounding the base something many at the base think will be necessary with the influx of the three new squadrons and it will be based on need and necessity." The housing stays full most of the time according to Tom Brown who manages base housing for Lincoln Military Housing which manages the units under the military's public/private venture agreement April during the F-35C first visit to Lemoore during a cross country flight from Eglin AFBThe median price of an off-base house is just $175,000 but there's now plenty of quality housing on base Navy officials are preparing for a large influx of residents A big plus for military families are the two California public schools that are located on the base both of which are in the top 10 percent of all schools in the state and offer education up to the middle school level Arguably the duty at the base is toughest for the most junior sailors who don't have cars and are stuck on base Ashliman said it's the command's responsibility to ensure that there are adequate facilities on base for these sailors so they to alsohave places to relax during off hours "The biggest things are communicating to our sailors what's available on base," he said "And then we have to deliver on that and be open when we say were open Navy officials say Personnel Command has a tough time selling orders to the base mostly because it's not located in a fleet concentration area whether it's from the service member side or the family side," Ashliman said "It's not that there's a lot of negative things floating out there about Lemoore Even the skipper himself says he wasn't very familiar with the base himself when he was selected for command after spending most of his flying career on the East Coast at Oceana "The great percentage of folks who say they don't want to go to Lemoore can't tell you why," he said What stops many people is the fact it's not in a fleet concentration area such as Norfolk or San Diego and even if a sailor hasn't been to either they know they'll be living in a large area where everything they will need is readily available It's because of the rumors and misconceptions that Ashliman and some of his staff traveled to Virginia Beach to talk to the two Oceana squadrons and educate them about his base and what it offers "It's not like the Navy is stationing you on the moon," he said "Most people's knowledge of NAS Lamoore isn't first hand — I can't tell you how many times people lead off their comments about the base with the 'I've heard' line and then you come to find out they really don't know where it even is." He urges sailors up for orders to research Lemoore and see for themselves what the base and the area have to offer instead of relying on fleet scuttlebutt about the base Many of those who do take orders opt for the geographic bachelor gig many of them opt for the geographic bachelor gig and leave their families in Norfolk or San Diego and spend their tour commuting when the can from the base back to their families. "By and large it's our senior folks who have heard the rumors and don't want to come here," Ashliman said "If you make that decision because that's really the best decision for you and your family but if you are making that decision only because you don't want to go to Lemoore and you've never been here boy are you missing out on a great opportunity." Such was the case of Chief Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) (NAC/AW/SW) Eldukl Ngiraingas a 19-year veteran who spent an initial tour at the base as a geo bachelor and commuted back to San Diego on the weekends "I never really got the feel for the place because I was either working on base or was commuting to see my family in San Diego," he said got a dual military three-year tour at the base and moved up with the family "It changed my perspective about the place "This is a great place for families to come it's a small-town environment and very safe base housing is great and it's very affordable to buy a home here and live off base The pace of life in and around the base is slower than in fleet concentration areas and Ngiraingas and his family would stay but he's about to retire and his wife is up for order but with fond memories of the base and area — wishing they could stay "Duty here is one of those hidden gems the Navy has to offer," Ashliman said "You don't run across too many folks who don't like it once they're here and some believe the base to be in the desert and have no idea the base is actually in California's central San Joaquin Valley and really a stone's throw from everything the state of California has to offer Ashliman himself didn't have a true picture of the base when he took command since June but hadn't spent any real time getting to know the facility and the area Nearly 15 of his 25-year career has been spent in flying billets at Naval Air Station and if he'd not been picked as the base CO he said he'd have missed out on a chance to experience how unique and special a place Lemoore really is "Instead of thinking this place is in the middle of nowhere you come to realize it's in the middle of everything with a one to three-hour drive to most of everything California has to offer," he said with the famous Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks It's also within easy reach of wine tasting or West Coast beaches you could want -- an hour and a half and you are there "If you want the big city hustle and bustle two and a half to three hours away is San Francisco or Los Angeles," he said they are always an hour or two away because there's no traffic here it might take you 20 minutes to drive somewhere but most times it's due to traffic where as here if you want to go to the town of Hanford it takes you 20 minutes but only because of the distance and it's always going to be 20 minutes "This is probably the most busy and stressful job I've had yet it's probably the best and most enjoyable personal time I've had in the Navy — the family time here is just out of this world." Faram served from 1978 to 1987 as a Navy Diver and photographer — The Navy's transition to the F-35C Lightning II — coupled with the U.S military's shift to the Pacific — is helping to turn this somewhat remote air station into the largest strike fighter hub in the Navy is on a collision course with the Navy's newest strike fighter The transformation began last fall when the Last fall the service announced that Naval Air Station Lemoore had beaten beat out NAS Naval Air Station EL Centro planning for the arrival of this new aircraft and the first squadron known as the fleet replacement squadron or FRS in aviator speak But the shift to the Pacific also convinced Navy planners to move two F/A-18 squadronstwo more strike fighter squadrons from will move from Naval Air Station Oceana That put the base into high gear planning for the arrival of this new aircraft and the initial squadron known as the fleet replacement squadron or FRS in aviator speak Currently it's based at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle and is in the process of gaining aircraft and training instructor pilots and maintainers it won't begin to transition fleet squadrons into the F-35C until a year its arrival in California that's the plan right now for the arrival of VFA-101,\" said who is the F-35C project officer on the staff of the Strike Fighter Wing too is expected to take about a year to accomplish though as more squadrons shift from F/A-18s to the F-35C they hope to shave some time off the transition phase.go through the process it's hoped they'll shave some time off that as the process goes on The plan is to take Lemoore from a base of 15 squadrons of F/A-18 C's E's and F's to a base of 17 F-35C and F/A-18E/F squadrons sometime between 2028 and 2030 VFA-101 will have 30 aircraft for its their training and transition mission The first F-35 fleet squadron is slated to start training with at VFA-101 in January of 2018 tThat's slated to be the Warhawks of VFA-97 \"Our hangars are built on a module concept where each squadron hangar gets its own module,\" Douglass said So four squadrons will eventually move into it. starting with the first squadron to transition,\" he said Lemoore will begin construction on what will become the all new Hangar 6 a totally new hangar that will take about two years to build an F-35C squadron will have what Douglass called a few more enlisted maintainers around an A current F/A-18E squadron has anywhere between 226 and 234 sailors assigned An F-35C strike fighter squadron will include range between 245 to and 250 sailors Most of the extra maintainers are due Much of the people plus up is due to the planned creation of a completely new maintenance shop for each that will be in a F-35C squadron that will be responsible only for maintaining the outside of the aircraft and which will be manned by aviation structural mechanics The skin of the F-35C is designed to deflect radar and make it tougher to see by a potential enemies This stealth capability is so important that there will be a complete new shop in the squadron manned by sailors with special training and skills to maintain it that's a significant increase and we need to make sure we have the capacity to we need to make sure we can absorb that growth,\" he said \"The feel of the base is more like an overseas base because of the remote location,\" Ashliman said and families of deploying squadrons have a very robust support system around them in a way you don't find in other fleet concentration areas.\" \"It's high-quality housing with a very small town feel,\" said Tom Brown \"Cost of living is low and your money goes further here.\" whether it's from the service member side or the family side,\" Ashliman said \"It's not that there's a lot of negative things floating out there about Lemoore \"It's not like the Navy is stationing you on the moon,\" he said \"Most people's knowledge of NAS Lamoore isn't first hand — I can't tell you how many times people lead off their comments about the base with the 'I've heard' line and then you come to find out they really don't know where it even is.\" \"By and large it's our senior folks who have heard the rumors and don't want to come here,\" Ashliman said \"If you make that decision because that's really the best decision for you and your family boy are you missing out on a great opportunity.\" This work, Naval Air Station Lemoore Hero Wall Mural, by Sarah Thrasher, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Naval Air Station Lemoore Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Runway Upgrades, by Katie Cadiao, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Navy pilot who was killed in a jet crash last Friday as Lt (KFSN) -- Authorities have identified the U.S Navy officials said Bullock's F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed during a routine training near Trona in the Mojave Desert Bullock was based at Naval Air Station Lemoore Authorities said he was from the San Diego area "The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family Bullock," the Navy said in a statement on Sunday The cause of the crash is still under investigation This work, Naval Health Clinic Lemoore Celebrates 50 Years of Caring, by Regena Kowitz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright 2022A sailor has been hospitalized after being injured while working at Naval Air Station Lemoore Wednesday evening.FRESNO (KFSN) -- A sailor was hospitalized after being injured while working at Naval Air Station Lemoore Wednesday evening The sailor was doing maintenance on an F-35C Lightning II aircraft when the injury happened The sailor was "medically evacuated" to a Fresno hospital The extent of their injuries hasn't been released (FOX26) — Navel Air Station Lemoore confirmed that a bomb threat was made on Tuesday forcing a lockdown Personnel were evacuated from affected areas and first responders and security forces responded The lockdown procedures were initiated on the operations side The lockdown was officially lifted a short time later and normal operations have resumed everyone is safe," said Public Affairs Officer Jessica Nilsson 2022A pilot has been killed in a crash involving a jet that was based at Naval Air Station Lemoore.FRESNO (KFSN) -- An investigation is underway after a pilot was killed in a jet crash The aircraft involved was based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore The crash happened around 2:30 Friday afternoon in the area of Trona in the Mojave Desert -- just east of Ridgecrest Officials confirmed the pilot of the Super Hornet jet was killed but the Naval Air Force has confirmed the service member was from the San Diego area  Jul 3, 2019Fair winds and following seas, Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Michael D. Doherty. (Coast Guard image)A petty officer died last month after being struck by a vehicle near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Michael D. Doherty, 42, was walking in the westbound lane of Jersey Avenue in the nearby town of Lemoore at about 1:30 a.m. on June 10 when he was struck by a 2013 Kia Soul, according to the Navy and California Highway Patrol Troopers conducted a sobriety evaluation on the vehicle’s driver and booked him on suspicion of driving under the influence before an accident that caused a fatal injury CHP spokesman Officer Robert Byrd said the investigation into the accident continues Navy officer among 11 killed in skydiving plane crashThe mishap happened last month in Hawaii.By An Arkansas native Doherty enlisted in 2005 and pinned on first class in 2017 He was stationed at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training in Pensacola but had served at another command on Lemoore earlier in his career Doherty’s survivors include his wife and three children, according to his obituary Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com (FOX26) — A Sailor is now recovering in the hospital after being injured at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore According to Naval Air Forces Public Affairs a Sailor with the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 97 was performing routine maintenance on an F-35C Lighting II when they were injured Public Affairs says the Sailor was given medical treatment on scene and was then airlifted to a hospital in Fresno where they remain in critical yet stable condition The cause of the incident is now under investigation (FOX26) — Two military jets from Naval Air Station Lemoore had to land in Fresno Tuesday morning the aircraft arresting systems on both runways were not operational [RELATED]F-15 pilot declares in-flight emergency over Fresno The F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighter jets were returning to base and did not have enough fuel to stay in the air until repairs could be made The F/A-18 jets are flown by both the NAVY and Marine Corps It is a rare opportunity to see these frontline fighters fly Navy saysTwo Navy aviators from Naval Air Station Lemoore 'safely ejected' from their aircraft during a training over the Philippine Sea on Thursday Two Navy aviators from Naval Air Station Lemoore 'safely ejected' from their aircraft during a training over the Philippine Sea on Thursday (KFSN) -- Two Navy aviators from Naval Air Station Lemoore 'safely ejected' from their aircraft during a training over the Philippine Sea on Thursday The Navy said the two aviators are from Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154) also known as the "Black Knights" which is currently deployed on the aircraft carrier The names of the pilots have not been released Officials say they were flying an F/A-18F "Super Hornet" Navy officials said both pilots were looked at by medical crews and are in good condition 2016New information about what happened at NAS Lemoore last spring when a Jeep made its way on base and crashed with a parked F-18 jet (KFSN) -- There is new information about what happened at Naval Air Station Lemoore last spring Documents released to Action News reveal little about how the vehicle made its way onto the base but it does expose a communication breakdown between the California Highway Patrol and the base before the crash Action News obtained about fifty pages of Navy documents released under the Freedom of Information Act but what is left shows a lack of communication between the CHP and the base both before and after the Jeep got through the entry control point 29-year-old Anthony Castillo and his passenger 36-year-old Melissa Miller had been speeding away from a CHP officer after being pulled over near Highway 41 and Jackson Avenue in Lemoore at around 11:38 p.m As they made their way closer to NAS Lemoore new documents reveal CHP dispatch tried calling the base three times but that number was associated with a base building that was demolished ten years ago CHP dispatch finally reached an air operations duty officer who was notified of the pursuit at around 11:45 p.m. around the same time the Jeep somehow made its way past the entry control point on the operations side of the base A letter from Commander of Navy Region Southwest to Commander "While there were a number of human factors that contributed to this incident the most significant was the failure of timely communications between CHP and NAS Lemoore/NRSW dispatchers The incident would likely have ended at the ECP had NSF personnel been aware of the ongoing CHP pursuit prior to the vehicle arriving at the ECP..." The Jeep drove on base for about 17 minutes Navy investigation documents show the CHP helicopter with an infrared camera was the only unit to have eyes on the jeep while it was inside base gates It eventually landed on base to take Castillo into custody "A lack of direct communications between the CHP helicopter and the NASL naval security forces (NSF) combined with the lack of CHP's familiarity with the layout and nomenclature of NASL operations side prevented an effective coordination of pursuit by the CHP and NASL NSF patrol units." The documents say the incident "exposed vulnerabilities" and was "a valuable wake-up call" but was not an act of terrorism but rather an "unfortunate event" that resulted in two deaths The documents detail steps NAS Lemoore has taken to review and train after the incident occurred and also calls for all Navy installations and dispatch centers to update contact numbers for local law enforcement and public safety agencies and verify them throughout the year The documents also reiterate what officials said this spring about how the two died The Jeep hit the horizontal stabilizer of the F-18 jet and the stabilizer passed through the windshield CHP Hanford Spokesman John Tyler said he reviewed the documents and that they are accurate CHP and allied agencies were given the correct phone numbers to call the base at any time of day Tyler says those phone numbers will be tested on a quarterly basis to ensure they are correct The CHP and base personnel have also conducted drills and practical exercises together and Tyler says Navy personnel will attend training days for CHP dispatchers He says the dialogue between the base and the CHP hasn't stopped See below for a response from NAS Lemoore Commanding Officer Captain David James: my number one priority is the security of our installation many of the recommendations from the investigation have already been implemented This installation will continue to place Force Protection at the forefront and participate in training exercises that further enhance and solidify our protective posture we will not wait for real-world occurrences to identify areas of improvement as we are an installation that is continuously assessing its security measures and proactively safeguarding against any threat Force Protection is everyone's responsibility; if you see something Crowds at the Air Show had to wait in lines for hours to park their cars (FOX26) — The Air Show at Naval Air Station Lemoore is a huge spectacle This year's features a parade from the Budweiser Clydesdales Previous air shows at Naval Air Station Lemoore have gotten 80,000 to 100,000 people on each of the two days it runs Organizers this year were expecting more than normal since there's been such a long hiatus between the last Air Show 8 years ago and the one this weekend that "more than normal" estimation was more drastic than they'd planned for One woman told FOX26 she had to wait in the car for four hours during which she had to use the bathroom so badly she finally caved and peed in a cup inside the car Dani Tucker wrote on the Naval Air Station Lemoore Facebook Page Tucker and her husband had tickets and got to NAS Lemoore around 11 but didn’t make it to the gates until 2 PM random people were sitting in the seats they’d purchased tickets for but you can buy VIP seats that give you a better view Flight Line Club tickets were $135 for adults and $85 for kids age 4-12 You could also get Premium Box Seats for 30 bucks Dozens of people complained on Facebook about wanting refunds Carrie Welch didn't have as bad an experience Welch advised that if you are going to the event Sunday and parking at that time only took about 20 minutes Organizers at Naval Air Station Lemoore are making adjustments for Sunday there will be an additional runway open to allow access to and from the airshow 2018SAN DIEGO — A Navy sailor in California who confessed to dealing drugs and received a 14-month prison sentence will be dishonorably discharged from the military The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Appeals in Washington last week upheld the sentence handed down to Airman Jasmine McClendon during her court-martial in San Diego last May She’ll be reduced to the Navy’s lowest rank and removed from the service on a dishonorable discharge Her attorneys requested a less-severe bad conduct discharge The Union-Tribune newspaper reports Sunday that McClendon who was at Naval Air Station Lemoore in Central California A dishonorable discharge triggers a wide range of other sanctions including the loss of veterans’ benefits and the right to possess firearms 2016Naval Air Station Lemoore's Navy College Office is one of 16 closing in October.LEMOORE (KFSN) -- Naval Air Station Lemoore's Navy College Office is one of 16 closing in October but officials say sailors can continue to achieve their educational goals NCO Director Cynthia Moon says it's her pleasure to serve her sailors telling them about their educational benefits and guiding them through the process of finding the right school She says they may not always realize how soon they can get their degree or the incredible advantage of the Navy's financial aid program along with 15 other Navy College Offices across the country The Navy says Tuition Assistance will not be affected and the change is part of a restructuring effort to "increase virtual and self-service options to sailors." "I personally don't see the sailors being adversely impacted," Moon said "It is the Navy's goal I believe to keep the benefits and possibly even enhance them using the virtual method." But Moon will miss her sailors-- she's been at Lemoore since 2007 It was one year earlier that Senior Chief Petty Officer Shamar Bass was referred to the NCO in San Diego "A lot of the stuff is available online which I have already used a majority of it," Bass said "It's that person to person relationship that the Navy College Office does offer." she'll still be assisting her sailors I think you should be using them!'" Seventy graduates will be part of the NCO's final graduation ceremony next month broke into 28-year-old Ronald Mullins' car while he was parked at the gas station on the corner of Lemoore Avenue and Hanford-Armona Road on September 27 Investigators say one of the men shot Mullins before they both ran away Both men were extradited back to California and are currently being held in the Kings County Jail Heavy police presence on North Maroa and E Fedora Avenue filming has begun for the sequel to 'Top Gun' at Naval Air Station Lemoore Commander Ron Flanders says although there is now official name yet for the film The Navy says they have shot on an aircraft carrier and another base so far It says aerial combat scenes will include their Naval Air Station Pilots and they will be flying the F-18 E/F Super Hornet and the new F-35 Strike Fighter  A Lemoore Naval Air Station pilot died after his jet crashed in a remote area of the California desert during a routine training over the weekend Richard Bullock was training in an F-18 Super Hornet on June 3 when he crashed near Trona No civilians were injured in the fatal incident that is under investigation The Navy and local authorities secured the crash site and recovery efforts are ongoing "The Navy mourns this tragic loss alongside the family Bullock," the Navy said in a Sunday statement Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore both the Super Hornet jet and Naval Air Station Lemoore featured in the recent blockbuster Hollywood film "Top Gun: Maverick." Pilots there were in the cockpit for most of the movie's in-air acrobatics and dog-fighting sequences while actors were in the back seat filming.  The Kings County-based air station was commissioned in July 1961 The site was chosen because of its remote yet central location The base is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing More than half of the Navy’s Super Hornet aircraft are housed there and it is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.  Follow him on Twitter @VTD_Joshy. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today Moments after the F/A-18E Super Hornet hit the ground, a witness captured cell phone video of the fighter jet burning in the middle of a dirt field near Highway 198 and 27th Avenue - a few miles away from a runway on base. It was a training mission gone wrong according to Captain Monty Ashliman, the commanding officer at the base. "We could have been seconds away from a tragedy," Captain Ashliman added. "It's definitely a subdued environment but we remain confident in mission capability." Captain Ashliman says there was only one person on in the jet, a fighter pilot who was in contact with the tower during flight. He ejected in mid-air and parachuted safely to the ground. The multi-million dollar jet, however, didn't survive. "As far as some salvage, we'll take a look and see but the aircraft is a loss," Captain Ashliman said. At this point, he can't release the pilot's name or the squadron the jet belonged to. It's too early to say. It's also not clear what caused the crash but investigators are trying to piece it all together. Captain Ashliman said, "It's certainly, how did this happen? Everything from mechanical to personnel to whatever the mishap cause may be and identifying that." When the smoke clears, training will continue. Navy officials say there's something to be learned from the crash and the base will ultimately get stronger from it. Captain Ashliman says the pilot will be able to fly again. He was checked out at the hospital and he's in good condition. No matter what social media platform you prefer, you can become one of our ABC30 Insiders. Simply include #abc30insider in your tweets, and posts to Facebook and Instagram. Saint Jude is only 150 ticket sales away of reaching their goal. Tickets are 100$1-800-543-5887 until 5 p.m. today Naval Air Station Lemoore holds 15th annual festive jet-lighting ceremonyby FOX26 News (FOX26) — Things got a little festive recently at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore the Naval Air Station held its 15th annual jet-lighting ceremony joined together to put Christmas lights on the A-4 Skyhawk “It’s a lot of fun and well attended by our service members and their families,” said the Naval Air Station Lemoore LEMOORE, Calif. (FOX26) — Three Naval Air Station Lemoore-based squadrons assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group are scheduled to return to the Valley after nearly 11 months deployed in U.S The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group was the first carrier strike group to embark on a deployment for the U.S. Navy after the pandemic hit The strike group was comprised of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) FOX26 News will stream the arrival live online and on the FOX26 Facebook page “The Sailors and Marines of Nimitz Strike Group and their families have given it their all for almost a year They successfully kept COVID out of the strike group beginning in April of 2020 and stayed healthy throughout our time standing the watch for our nation,” said Rear Adm “These young men and women worked tirelessly to incorporate mitigations that ensured the health They made important contributions to the security and stability in the Middle East and Western Pacific during a period of tension and transitions I am immensely proud of this team and all that they accomplished during this unprecedented deployment.” The flagship crew walked aboard Nimitz April 1 Sailors stationed in San Diego embarked later that week aboard Princeton and Sterett for a restriction-of-movement period to ensure the health and safety of the crew during the pandemic NIMCSG departed San Diego for deployment June 8 following strike group integrated training the strike group completed five dual-carrier operations in U.S 7th Fleet with the Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Groups and participated in the India-hosted multinational Exercise Malabar 2020 with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Australian Navy in the Bay of Bengal NIMCSG supported Operation Freedom’s Sentinel as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and Operation Inherent Resolve with close air support and defensive counter-air missions against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria NIMCSG also transited the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia in December to support Joint Task Force –Quartz and Operation Octave Quartz during a repositioning of U.S NIMCSG provided associated and direct support to the 33-nation coalition Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and the 8-nation coalition International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) to ensure the free flow of commerce and maritime security in three critical waterways “It's hard to express in words the overwhelming sense of accomplishment and pride felt by all hands aboard Nimitz as this long deployment comes to a close,” said Capt and the grit and teamwork they demonstrated day in and day out to complete all missions assigned They and their families have my deepest respect and gratitude.” Nimitz will transit back to Naval Base Kitsap – Bremerton after disembarking CVW-17 CVW-17 consists of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137 [all three NAS Lemoore-based] Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 116 Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic relevant training necessary to flawlessly execute our Navy’s timeless roles of sea control and power projection 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with other numbered Fleets to provide commanders with capable ready assets to deploy forward and win in day-to-day competition Click here for more information on the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Call sign “Dragon” isn’t typically surrounded by a swarm of reporters and photographers as she boards her Navy fighter jet this Stinger got a chance to make a little history Kristen Hansen shook the hands of her fellow pilots and Navy crew members just before she boarded the last F/A-18 Hornet “Charlie” flight from Naval Air Station She smiled as she geared up and gave a thumbs up to her ground crew A child watching from his father’s arms pointed to the jet as it taxied I’ve grown up flying the F/A-18 “Charlie” and it’s even more exciting to be moving forward to the Super Hornet,” said Lt who flew this specific jet in combat last spring “[Hansen] is the most knowledgeable pilot on this aircraft flew Wednesday from Lemoore to Naval Air Station While west coast Navy bases are retiring the Hornet east coast bases will keep them in the air a little longer Most have gone to a military bone yard or museums But a handful of the top Hornets will get some minor work done and be back in service soon “The F/A-18C Hornet has been a dependable asset on countless deployments from NAS Lemoore for over 30 years,” said Capt commander of strike fighter wing pacific deputy commodore we have been transitioning squadrons from the F/A-18 [Charlie] and other aircraft to the newest variant Today is significant for NAS Lemoore because it marks the beginning of that transition for the last local squadron to fly the F/A-18C were the first squadron in the United States to get the Hornet in 1983 Most are retired after 6,000 to 8,000 hours of flight time –– the equivalent of 800,000 miles on a car The jet that flew east Wednesday was closing in on 8,000 hours in the air The total production cost of the Hornet is $29 million Jones said the Stingers are looking forward to the transition to the more modern Super Hornet The biggest advantage the Super Hornet has over it’s predecessor is longer range lethality and improved carrier suitability everything is better on the Super Hornet,” Jones said the jets are on and off aircraft carriers at least five times a day the Super Hornet continues Lemoore’s dominance in the military “Not only does this transition signify the commitment of our nation to equip our men and women with some of the most sophisticated hardware,” Gudmundsson said “It also illustrates NAS Lemoore's continuing relevance in projecting our national power.” NAS Lemoore and NAS Oceana are the only bases that support all types aircraft and carriers Lemoore now hosts the Navy’s entire west coast fighter and attack capability The Valley base provides jobs to upward of 5,000 sailors 2015April during the F-35C first visit to Lemoore during a cross country flight from Eglin AFBNAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE is expected to relocate to Lemoore from it's current home at Eglin Air Force Base Lemoore will have nearly 60 percent of Navy strike fighter airpower a megabase worthy of the "master jet base" moniker it's had since it was designed in the 1950s 2005) - An F/A-18F attached to the "Flying Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron One Two Two (VFA-122) sits on the line at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore Navy photo by Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class Michael Krasniewski (RELEASED)An F/A-18F attached to the "Flying Eagles" of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) sits on the line at Lemoore Last fall the service announced that Naval Air Station Lemoore had beaten out Naval Air Station EL Centro for the honor of hosting the Pacific Fleet's F-35 aircraft that's the plan right now for the arrival of VFA-101," said "They'll be standing up as an organization for about a year before they begin to take an existing squadron on this base and transition it to the F-35C." "Right now the dart is being thrown at VFA-97 for that first transition and I've seen it change multiple times since I've been here over the past three years," he said such as changes in deployment schedules and other factors Jonathan Greenert holds an all-hands call about the importance of Naval Air Station Lemoore now and in the future of naval aviation with the recent announcement of NAS Lemoore being selected as the West Coast master home base for the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Seven F-35C squadrons of 10 aircraft and a Fleet Replacement Squadron of 30 aircraft will be based at Lemoore starting in 2016 Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Peter D Lawlor/Released)During an all-hands call at Lemoore in November Jonathan Greenert talked about the growing importance of the base "How quickly we're able to get to that state depends on how quickly the Navy is able to purchase the aircraft," Douglass said The "end state" squadron lineup will see seven F-35C squadrons six F/A-18F squadrons and four F/A-18E squadrons Douglass and planners from the base have been working on getting a home ready for VFA-101 when it arrives in a year and a half "We've plotted out military construction over the next 10 years it's going to be a constant drumbeat of construction as our F-35 footprint grows on this base," he said They'll begin by reworking an existing hangar to be VFA-101's initial base of operations "Our hangars are built on a module concept where each squadron hangar gets its own module," Douglass said starting with the first squadron to transition," he said "That is through design now and out through contractor bid shovels hitting the dirt here on July 1," Douglass said they'll begin rehab on the remaining three modules of Hangar 5 work that's going to take an additional two years to complete the FRS and our first transitioning fleet squadron will take up residence in Hangar 5 "Our hangers are built on a module concept where each hanger gets it's own module So four squadrons will eventually move into into it "The low observability of of the F-35C is considered a weapons platform and that's going to be a huge mind shift for us to treat the exterior of the airplane and the maintenance with such care," Douglass said "It's not that we don't care for the exterior of our aircraft today because that's part of the weapons capability NASL is located roughly 45 miles south of Fresno. The base is a center for the Navy's West Coast FA-18 fighter jet operations. Naval Air Station Lemoore released the following statement: Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article The F/A-18E Super Hornet jet from the Lemoore Naval Air Station crashed during a routine training flight in the Superior Valley, just south of China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, according to a statement by the Lemoore station. The pilot was taken to a medical facility for examination, according to Navy officials. No information on the pilot’s condition was available. Officials with the Kern County Fire Department confirmed that an aircraft went down shortly before noon near Highway 14 and Highway 178 in Ridgecrest. The crash sparked a brush fire that has since been extinguished, said Andrew Freeborn, Kern County Fire Department spokesman. The California Highway Patrol was directing traffic in the area, and drivers can expect the highways to be affected for “at least some time,” Freeborn said shortly after the crash. Freeborn said the Navy and local law enforcement agencies will be working with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Authority as they investigate the crash. Hayley Smith is an environment reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she covers the many ways climate change is reshaping life in California, including drought, floods, wildfires and deadly heat. Lila Seidman is a reporter focused on California wildlife and the outdoors for the Los Angeles Times. Since joining The Times in 2020, she has investigated mental health policy and jumped on breaking news. A native Angeleno, Seidman holds a bachelor’s degree from Reed College and a master’s degree from Pepperdine University. California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map 2018The first photo confirming movie star Tom Cruise was at Naval Air Station Lemoore to film some of the scenes from the sequel to Top Gun has been shared online.LEMOORE (KFSN) -- The first photo confirming movie star Tom Cruise was at Naval Air Station Lemoore to film some of the scenes from the sequel to Top Gun has been shared online Cruise was spotted shaking hands with some of the military personnel on the base This picture was posted on the "Eggs Bacon and Joey Morning Show" Facebook page ABC30 Insider Rachel White posted a few photos to our Facebook page She says this is Tom Cruise's private plane that he was flying to and from his home in Southern California White also managed to get a somewhat blurry photo on September 14th of Cruise in the cockpit being filmed by some of the crew members Tom Cruise is reprising his role as Maverick for the sequel and the name of the new movie is "Top Gun: Maverick." Production is ongoing and the film isn't due to be released into theaters until June 26 (KFSN) -- A suspect vehicle managed to get onto Naval Air Station Lemoore before authorities caught up with the suspects The California Highway Patrol started the pursuit around 8 p.m Monday along Highway 43 after the car was traveling way too fast but then the Kings County Sheriff's Department found the vehicle and continued the pursuit onto the base Two people jumped out of the car and were arrested shortly thereafter They were arrested for the pursuit and the driver being impaired 2022A pilot has been killed in a crash involving a jet that was based at Naval Air Station Lemoore.TRONA Navy fighter jet crashed Friday afternoon in the Mojave Desert The F/A-18E Super Hornet involved in the crash was based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore Naval Security Forces responded to the scene as did firefighters based out of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake The cause of the crash remains under investigation Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 1:46:37 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 2016An investigation is underway at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore after a CHP chase ends with two people dead.NAVAL AIR STATION LEMOORE -- An investigation is underway at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) chase ended with two people dead Officials say the incident started around midnight at Highway 41 and Jackson Avenue south of Lemoore They said the suspect's Jeep Grand Cherokee appeared to be disabled and an officer stopped to help That's when the driver took off at high speed and began driving erratically CHP ended the ground pursuit after the driver went the wrong way on Highway 198 -- heading west in the eastbound lane A CHP helicopter continued to follow the vehicle as it passed through an entry point of the airfield on the operations side of the base and then crashed into an F/A-18 fighter -- about 7 miles northwest of the airbase main entrance a CHP helicopter landed and took the driver into custody The driver was taken to the hospital where he later died of his injuries The female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene CHP said they do not know why the couple was running from authorities They do not believe the Navy base was intentionally targeted and the suspects are not affiliated with the military The United States Navy and the California Highway Patrol are investigating the incident Last month we saw the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder enter the record books as the world's fastest open-top production car The all-American hypercar reached 265.6 mph during a scheduled run at California's Naval Air Station Lemoore with independent speed-testing firm Racelogic on hand to confirm it This was enough to displace the previous record holder, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, which reached 254.04 mph with its roof removed in 2013 DON'T MISS: 2018 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 prototype crashes on the ‘Ring What’s only come to light now is that the Venom GT Spyder was down on power—to the tune of 300 horsepower—due to one of the car’s three fuel pumps failing Hennessey’s crew managed to get the remaining two pumps to provide sufficient fuel though it was no easy task as detailed in the video the Venom GT Spyder delivers 1,451 horsepower and 1,287 pound-feet of torque from its twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V-8 making it the most powerful car currently in production That title will pass on to the Bugatti Chiron once it’s in production DON'T MISS: Camaro ZL1’s 10-speed auto quicker than dual-clutch ‘boxes, says Chevy The Venom GT Spyder puts all of this power to the rear wheels, via a 6-speed manual transmission. In combination with some seriously wide Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, the car’s tremendous output rockets it to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and to 200 mph in 13 seconds. A Venom GT coupe previously reached a top speed of 270.49 mph though only a single run was made and for a record two runs in opposite directions are required Hennessey plans to offer a limited run of three World Record Edition Venom GT Spyders to commemorate the car’s achievement and as a tribute to the company’s 25th anniversary this year Hennessey is now focused on building a successor to its Venom GT, a model known as the Venom F5 The goal for the new car is a top speed of around 290 mph Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.