NAS Patuxent River Commander
Lexington Park, MD – For two days the crowds came to Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River (PAX) for the base’s first air show in several years. Pax River Air Expo 2016 was held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29 and 30. The throng enjoyed pleasant late October weather, toured exhibits, had their fill of food served by numerous local restaurants and caterers and scanned the skies to watch amazing aerial maneuvers performed by some of the world’s top pilots in aircraft of all sizes and speeds.
NAS Patuxent River has played a major role in U.S. Defense for over four generations. Not to mention, it has been a major part of Maryland’s glorious naval history. One Maryland native in particular was quite pleased and proud with what he witnessed.
“It’s been an awesome job by these performers,” said NAS Patuxent River Commanding Officer Captain Scott Starkey. “They’ve really stepped up.”
Starkey is a native of Mitchellville, in Prince George’s County. The Virginia Tech graduate was commissioned as a naval officer in 1991 and was designated a naval aviator three years later. He assumed command of NAS PAX back in mid-April.
Starkey told TheBayNet.com that the air expo organizers did a fantastic job of handling the challenging logistics to make the two-day event successful. The captain expressed confidence that the expo could be held on a more frequent basis going forward. “Five years is a long time,” said Starkey. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons.”
Starkey was effusive in his praise of the St. Mary’s County community, noting that air expo officials and performers made the rounds at local schools and at a Saturday evening celebration in Leonardtown. That event at the midway point of air expo weekend had been originally visualized as a celebration for the show’s original marquee performers, The Blue Angels, who subsequently had to cancel their performance. “We have a phenomenal partnership with the community,” said Starkey.
As for the base he helms, Starkey called NAS PAX “unique because of the incredible things that go on here” in the field of testing and evaluation. “Everything the Navy’s flying right now is here at PAX River,” he said.
Starkey did concede that traffic is an ongoing issue at the base, but that officials are working with the Maryland State Highway Administration and county officials to address the challenges.
After the Sunday, Oct. 30 opening ceremony, which featured a duo of Navy personnel leading the crowd in the singing of the Star Spangled Banner and a patriotic display in the sky, Starkey addressed the air expo attendees. “Thanks for coming and have fun,” he declared.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
More stories about performances and exhibits at NAS Pax River Air Expo 2016 will be featured soon.
