Back to Base..ics

Just a short read for wednesday

I had occasion to go over on “the base” yesterday. For non-locals, it’s the Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division located here in Lexington Park also known as “Pax River”. As with most military bases, tradition and history are a large part of the culture. Two of the time honored institutions there are the “O-Club” (Officers Club), and “the Q” (Bachelor’s Officers Quarters) . Most bases have some equivalent (for fun google “officers club” and look at the list). Originally I suspect it was military only, but over the years, maybe due to financial necessity, they have gradually opened up to lowly contractors such as myself (when I was employed). The O-Club was a convenient place for lunch, once serving a nice club sandwich, and the “Q” (actually the bar associated with it – the Flight Deck Lounge) was the watering hole of choice after a long day of flight testing, or drudging through data. Its walls and ceilings were a veritable museum of flight testing with numerous signed photos, pieces of gear from aircraft (tail hooks), a “wall o’mugs” for test pilot school alum, and various other pieces of memorabilia. When I first started coming out here in the early eighties, it was “the” place to be, and a very popular spot for those interested in, um, meeting young ladies (you might know a more popular phrase but I’ll let you think on that). If you just happened to be a fighter pilot and wore your flight suit, your chances of success went up astronomically. (How do you know there’s a fighter pilot in the room? He’ll tell you ~ insert rim shot here). Contractors were pretty much out of luck, but the beer was cold and there were a lot of friends.

Anyway, the point of all this (yes, there might just actually be a point) is that over the years, the O-Club has fallen into disrepair, and the quality of the food (while never high in my experience) also declined. So, the base decided to close the elderly one, and construct a new one and also to abandon the Flight Deck Lounge and consolidate it into the new facility. The new one is far away from the old one by the golf course (and the runways) and is called “River’s Edge”. Back to the top, since I was on the base yesterday, I decided to check it out and drove over to its location near the yacht basin. It is a pleasing facility with a nice view (possibly including the digs, but I didn’t check). It in no way reminds you of any military connection, and is done in relatively appropriate waterside architecture. I wandered in and looked around when a nice lady approached and asked if I would like a “mini-tour”. I was shown the multiple conference and ball rooms, the dining area which will still feature a buffet, but will be an “action” buffet with carving stations and that sort of thing. They hope to draw in conferences, meetings, and “events”. Oh, the bar area which is pretty tiny compared to the old Flight Deck Lounge.Not sure there will be much high jinks and nefarious opportunities going on there!

So, if you have the chance, you might check it out. I’ve had a couple of reports that the food is pretty good. MFO and I will try to investigate that..and, we’ll be

DFD