Saufley Naval Outlying Landing Field

Saufley Field did not close entirely but ceased active flight operations in 1976. The closure as an airfield was due to a realignment of U.S. Navy training requirements and the consolidation of primary flight training activities at other facilities, particularly the extensive network of Naval Outlying Landing Fields (NOLFs) managed by Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The Navy retained ownership of the property for other non-flying missions.

The site is still an active U.S. Government installation, but it is no longer used for flight operations. The former airfield is now known as NETPDC Saufley Field. The primary tenant is the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC), which manages Navy-wide enlisted advancement examinations, educational programs, and tuition assistance. Additionally, a significant portion of the property is occupied by the Federal Prison Camp, Pensacola, a minimum-security federal prison that opened in 1988. While the original runway and taxiway layout is still clearly visible from the air, the runways are marked with large 'X's, indicating they are permanently closed to aircraft, and are used for vehicle training and other ground activities.

Commissioned in August 1940 as Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Saufley Field, it was named in honor of Lieutenant (junior grade) Richard C. Saufley, a pioneering naval aviator who died in a 1916 plane crash at Pensacola. During World War II, Saufley Field was a critical component of the naval aviation training pipeline at NAS Pensacola, becoming one of the busiest airfields in the world. It was instrumental in training thousands of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviators, as well as pilots from the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Operations focused on primary and basic flight training, carrier landing practice, and formation flying using aircraft like the Stearman N2S Kaydet and Vultee SNV Valiant. After the war, it was redesignated as a Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) and continued to support training operations for decades with aircraft such as the T-28 Trojan and T-34 Mentor.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen Saufley Field as an active airfield. The site has been successfully repurposed for critical non-flying military and federal functions. Furthermore, significant residential and commercial development has encroached on the facility's perimeter over the decades, making a return to flight operations impractical due to safety and noise considerations. The Navy's current flight training needs are fully met by other existing airfields.