The United States Navy operates some of the oldest military installations in the world, but not all of them are relevant to aviation. From early seaplane ramps to modern carrier air wing hubs, a few naval bases bridge the gap between pre-flight naval history and today’s globally deployed aircraft. This ranked list focuses exclusively on the Navy’s oldest bases that either host an airfield today or are directly integrated with permanent naval aviation operations. These are installations that either host naval air stations, support carrier aviation directly, or have maintained continuous aviation missions over time.

Some historically important shipyards are intentionally excluded because they never developed sustained flight operations. Each entry explains the base’s aviation role, historical significance, and why it ranks where it does for our aviation-focused audience. The result is a more focused look at how the Navy’s oldest aviation-enabled bases continue to shape USA power projection, not just from the sea, but from the land.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland

Established in 1943

Patuxent River Naval Air Station/Trapnell Field Aiport , commonly called Pax River, was established in 1943 and is unique because it was planned from the start as a flight testing and technical evaluation center rather than being adapted to aviation later; its runways, instrumented ranges, engineering labs, and telemetry systems were built to support experimental flying and long-term aircraft development.

Today, Pax River serves as the US Navy’s primary flight test and evaluation hub. Key organizations such as the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VX-1) operate from the base, alongside integrated Navy–Marine Corps test teams. Aircraft tested here include the F/A-18 family, E-2 Hawkeye, F-35C Lightning II, MQ-25 Stingray, as well as rotary-wing and unmanned systems. Pax River’s mission is to certify airworthiness, carrier suitability, and operational effectiveness, ensuring new aircraft are safe, combat-ready, and compatible with fleet operations.

Patuxent River ranks fifth on this list because it is the newest base among those compared. Its mission reflects a modern, technologically mature Navy focused on refining, validating, and certifying advanced aviation systems rather than pioneering naval flight itself.

Naval Air Station Oceana

Origins date back to World War I

Naval aviation activity in the Norfolk, Virginia region dates back to World War I, when early aircraft began operating alongside the expanding Atlantic Fleet. Over the decades, the area developed into the Navy’s most concentrated combination of aviation and surface warfare infrastructure, integrating runways, piers, maintenance facilities, and training centers. This strategic location allows the Atlantic Fleet to coordinate carrier operations, strike aviation, and rotary-wing units from a single, highly efficient hub.

Naval Air Station Oceana serves as the Navy’s primary East Coast master jet base. It hosts multiple F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighter squadrons, E-2 Hawkeye early warning squadrons, electronic warfare units, and HSC/HSM helicopter squadrons.

NAS Oceana is home to fleet replacement squadrons for training new aviators and supports carrier qualifications. Proximity to Naval Station Norfolk allows pilots to train alongside their homeported carriers, integrating flight crews, maintenance teams, and operational vessels.

Oceana ranks fourth because, while it developed aviation later than Pensacola and Pearl Harbor, it is one of the Navy’s most operationally dense aviation hubs. Its combination of deployable squadrons, integrated carrier air wings, and direct link to homeported carriers makes it indispensable for Atlantic Fleet operations, enabling rapid deployments and full-spectrum flight training in a forward-ready environment.

Naval Air Station North Island

Began flight operations in 1917

Naval Air Station North Island began flight operations in 1917, becoming one of the Navy’s earliest West Coast aviation installations. Its location along San Diego Bay offered calm waters, reliable weather, and direct access to the Pacific Fleet. Early operations included seaplane patrols, training flights, and experimentation with carrier integration.

Over the 1920s and 1930s, North Island evolved into a key site for testing carrier approaches, catapult launches, and deck-handling procedures, laying the foundation for the Navy’s growing carrier aviation capabilities.

During World War II, North Island coordinated carrier air group deployments across the Pacific. Today, the base hosts multiple carrier air wings, including CVW-11 and CVW-14, fixed-wing strike fighter squadrons, and rotary-wing units such as Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) and Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) squadrons. Types operated include F/A-18 Super Hornet, E-2 Hawkeye, MH-60R/S helicopters, and F-35C Lightning II for training. Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific (COMNAVAIRPAC) is headquartered here, ensuring operational coordination across the Pacific Fleet.

North Island ranks third because, while it is one of the earliest West Coast bases and remains a vital operational hub, it was established later than the Navy’s East Coast and Hawaii-based aviation centers. Its strength lies in hosting operational squadrons and integrating them with Pacific Fleet carriers, but it operates within a wider network of West Coast aviation infrastructure rather than serving as the foundational site of US naval aviation.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam

Origins date back to the 1930s

Naval Aviation in Hawaii began in the 1910s, with early seaplanes and patrol aircraft operating from Pearl Harbor and surrounding islands. By the 1930s, the Navy had recognized the strategic value of permanent airfields in the Pacific. During World War II, Pearl Harbor became a central hub for fleet aviation, training, and reconnaissance, and it famously endured the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, which reshaped US naval aviation strategy forever.

Hickam Airfield was originally built as an Army Air Corps base in the 1930s. Today, it is integrated with Pearl Harbor as Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, supporting both naval and joint aviation operations of maritime patrol squadrons (VP), Fleet Logistics Support squadrons (VR), and HSM helicopter units.

Aircraft include P-8 Poseidon, MH-60R Seahawk, C-40 Clipper, KC-130J Hercules, and UAV ISR systems. Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Pacific (CPRW-2) and Pacific Fleet logistics HQ coordinate operations. Aircraft stationed here conduct long-range maritime patrols, fleet support, and carrier integration exercises, maintaining Indo-Pacific theater readiness.

Pearl Harbor–Hickam ranks second because it combines deep historical significance with ongoing operational relevance. It was a key site in the early growth of Pacific naval aviation and remains strategically indispensable today, hosting squadrons that sustain long-range surveillance, fleet support, and carrier strike integration across one of the world’s most important maritime theaters.

Naval Air Station Pensacola

Established in 1914

Naval Air Station Pensacola holds a unique place in aviation history. Established in 1914 as the Navy’s first permanent aviation base, it became the cradle of US naval flight. Early seaplane operations in Pensacola Bay laid the foundation for flight training, aircraft maintenance, and operational integration with the fleet. During World War I and the interwar years, Pensacola grew into the central hub for pioneering aviation techniques, training doctrines, and early carrier aviation concepts that shaped the future of naval air power.

Today, NAS Pensacola hosts the Naval Aviation Schools Command, Training Air Wing Six, student aviator training squadrons, and the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. Aircraft used for training include T-6 Texan IIs, T-45 Goshawks, and TH-57 Sea Rangers. Every US naval aviator passes through Pensacola before joining operational squadrons, carrier air wings, or expeditionary aviation units worldwide, ensuring continuity from historical origins to today’s operational fleet.

Pensacola ranks number one and anchors this list because it is the oldest continuously significant naval aviation base. It is the birthplace of US naval aviation and the source of nearly every fleet pilot in history. Its combination of historical significance, ongoing flight training, and contribution to operational readiness ensures that the legacy of naval aviation continues to the present day.