Flight Simulator Flights at KNRB Naval Station Mayport / Admiral David L McDonald Field

Naval Station Mayport / Admiral David L McDonald Field (KNRB) is a military airfield within Naval Station Mayport on Florida's Atlantic coast near Jacksonville. It offers a single long, hard-surfaced runway well suited to naval fixed and rotary-wing operations, though it lacks any published instrument landing system. For the simulator pilot, it presents an interesting study in military airfield procedure amid the busy Jacksonville area airspace.

Overview

Naval Station Mayport / Admiral David L McDonald Field, known by its ICAO code KNRB, is a military airfield located within Naval Station Mayport at Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It sits at a low elevation of 10 feet above mean sea level, reflecting its coastal position. As a naval installation rather than a civilian aerodrome, it is of interest to simulator pilots wishing to fly military-style approaches and operate alongside naval air traffic in the Jacksonville area.

Airspace & Location

The airfield lies in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Florida, with the city of Jacksonville itself around 7 kilometres (4 nautical miles) to the northwest and Neptune Beach a similar distance to the south. Its coastal position places it close to other airfields serving the Jacksonville area, and pilots should expect coordination with Jacksonville Approach and Departure when operating in the surrounding airspace.

Runways

KNRB has a single physical runway, 05/23, aligned northeast-southwest. It measures 7,997 feet in length with a hard surface and is lit, but there is no instrument landing system available for either direction.

Radio & Navigation

Radio communications at KNRB include an Air/Departure frequency of 124.9 MHz, an ATIS broadcast on 26.86 MHz, Ground on 126.5 MHz, a PTD frequency of 30.85 MHz, and Tower on 118.75 MHz. Jacksonville Approach/Departure provides the wider approach and departure control service for traffic using the field.

Visual Reference Points

Jacksonville lies roughly 7 kilometres (4 nautical miles) to the northwest of the field, while Neptune Beach is a similar distance to the south, both useful as general orientation points when approaching the coastal Mayport area.

The Airfield Today

KNRB remains an active airfield within Naval Station Mayport, a US Navy installation. As a military field, access is restricted, and prior permission should be expected for any civil or visiting traffic before planning a flight there.