Pensacola has long been considered the cradle of naval aviation, but Fairhope could one day become an incubator. The Fairhope Airport Authority voted unanimously Friday morning, Aug. 3, to authorize Chairman Chuck Zunk to open a dialogue with U.S. Navy officials about the possibility of moving a portion of its flight training operations southwest seven miles, from the Silverhill Navy Outlying Field to the H.L. “Sonny” Callahan Airport on County Road 32.

Zunk said it’s too early to know if Navy officials would even be interested in such a partnership.

“All I’ve heard are just rumors that they’re considering (moving the Silverhill airfield),” he said. “I’ve not had anyone approach me directly or indirectly.” He pointed out the vote was necessary, however, because the Navy will only entertain proposals from those properly authorized by the agency they represent.

City Planning Director Gregg Mims said he and Mayor Tim Kant met with the area’s Congressional delegation earlier this year in Washington, D.C. and brought up the possibility of talking with the Navy.

“The Navy’s expense for the aging facility (at Silverhill) is really high,” Mims said. He added the flight operations there are restricted to weekdays, and are all daytime flights, but with subdivisions encroaching, the military might be tempted to sell the site and trade up.

NOLF Silverhill is a satellite of Whiting Field Naval Air Station, which is located in Milton, Fla. The airfield includes three runways: 5/23, 9/27 & 16/34, all around 3,150 feet long, according to a Web site dedicated to military history and statistics.

It was built prior to 1945 as one of a large number of World War II-era airfields used by Whiting and Pensacola NAS. The Navy operates similar landing strips near Summerdale, Foley and Orange Beach.

Lori Aprilliano, Whiting Field public affairs officer, said the Navy is not currently considering a shift from the Silverhill airfield, but they would listen to what Zunk has to say.

“Since no official request has been received, it’s too soon to say,” she said. Once the Airport Authority opens the channel of communication, she added, a detailed analysis of the current operation would be conducted.

NOLF Silverhill recorded 158 sorties, or regular training missions, and 880 touch-and-go landings in June, according to Aprilliano. The field hosts young aviators training in T-34 Turbo Mentor fixed-wing aircraft, she said.

The airfield does not have the facilities needed to refuel aircraft, something that might be possible in Fairhope. The only crew stationed at Silverhill with any regularity, Aprilliano said, are maintenance personnel as well as crash team members poised for fire and rescue operations.

Zunk said the Navy would also want a crew at the ready in Fairhope to respond to accidents.

Although it is too early in the game to determine whether the city or the Navy would be responsible for emergency response, he noted there is already fire equipment on the ground at Fairhope. That includes two regular fire trucks along with another truck equipped for air disasters that was purchased from the Dallas, Texas Fire Department.

Eastern Shore air traffic would not increase if the Navy did accept an invitation to conduct flight training out of Callahan Airport, according to Zunk. He said, “If they were to be based at Fairhope instead of Silverhill, it won’t change the math. It wouldn’t change the area of training.”

Navy training flights originating from Silverhill already fly over the communities bordering Mobile Bay.

Zunk also pointed out air traffic safety could be vastly improved if the Navy were to relocate their Silverhill operations.

“It would be safer in Fairhope,” Zunk said. “At least everyone would be talking on the same frequency.” Navy and civilian aircraft flying over the Eastern Shore currently keep track of each other visually to avoid collisions, he added.

Zunk said a new facility would be built at the Fairhope airport to suit the budding naval aviators. He noted it would be constructed using the city’s building codes and “built to last.”

But, bringing the Navy to Fairhope would depend on whether it would be beneficial for all concerned. Zunk said training operations could bring in usage fees and federal funding for any capital improvements that might be needed to accommodate military flights.

“If we go ahead, it would have to make economic sense,” he said. “I certainly wouldn’t do it if it were going to have a negative effect. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would make people less safe than they are now. Since we really haven’t engaged in discussions, we don’t have all the facts.”

City Councilman and Airport Authority member Mike Ford agreed. He said, “These are all questions we would answer in a give-and-take with the Navy. I don’t want to make it sound like we’re aggressively going after it. We’re just talking.”

Zunk said he will meet with Navy officials and then make a recommendation to other members of the Airport Authority when he determines if an agreement is in the city’s best interest. The public would also have an opportunity to comment before the full board makes any commitments, he said.