Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
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| Marine Corps Air Station Miramar | |
|---|---|
| Miramar, California | |
| Image:Mcas miramar.jpg MCAS Miramar Insignia | |
| Type | Military base |
| Built | |
| In use | Present |
| Garrison | 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing |
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, formerly Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is an airfield of the United States military, located about 10 miles (16 km) north of downtown San Diego, California, USA, at . Its ICAO airport code is KNKX. The United States Marine Corps installation is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
MCAS Miramar is best known for the TOPGUN training program (formally entitled Naval Fighter Weapons School), immortalized in the film of the same name that starred Tom Cruise. In 1996, the program was relocated to Naval Air Station Fallon in western Nevada. During the heyday of TOPGUN at Miramar, NAS Miramar was nicknamed "Fightertown U.S.A."
MCAS Miramar is home to the Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum, which is open to the public.
The Miramar Airshow is a major airshow held each October at MCAS Miramar.
On November 30, 2006 an F-18 Hornet fighter jet from VMFAT-101 crashed in a field just east of Miramar. The pilot ejected safely to the ground three miles east of the airfield.<ref name="CNN.com">CNN.com. F-18 jet crashes, pilot ejects and is safe. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.</ref><ref name="NC Times">NCTimes.com. F-18 crashes today east of Miramar. Retrieved on November 30, 2006.</ref>
[edit] See also
</div>[edit] External links
- Base Web site
- Miramar Air Show held each October
- Flying Leathernecks Museum web site
[edit] Footnotes
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