HMAS Albatross (air station)
HMAS Albatross is the main naval air station for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm. The base, located near Nowra, New South Wales, was formally established in May 1942 as Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra, then was transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington in 1944, and operated as a naval air station until it was decommissioned in late 1945. In 1948, the airfield was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Albatross, as the primary shore base for the Fleet Air Arm. Since 2011, five squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm operate from Albatross. The current commander of the base is Captain Robyn Phillips, RAN.
A RAN Bell UH-1B Huey VH-NVV hovering at NAS Nowra in January 1996 on the occasion of the 1996 Air Day at HMAS Albatross.
A-4 Skyhawk at Nowra in 1969.
The control tower at NAS Nowra photographed in early 2003, shortly before it was demolished and replaced by another tower, just visible in the background.
A naval air station is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy. These bases are typically populated by squadrons, groups or wings, their various support commands, and other tenant commands.
MH-60S helicopters at NAS North Island, California, circa 2011
Flight line at NAS Key West, 2007