By Kaylee LaRocque

NAS Jax Deputy PAO

Air traffic controllers and maintenance personnel from the Brazilian Air Force - Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) visited NAS Jacksonville Nov. 17 to get a detailed look at how the U.S. Navy performs logistics and air traffic control involving the P-3 Orion.

The FAB group, led by Maj. Gen. Jose Malta, spent several hours touring Air Operations, Fleet Area Surveillance and Control Facility (FACSFAC) Jax, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) and the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Jax to learn the missions of the commands and the different jobs of personnel working here.

This was the group's second trip to NAS Jax which was coordinated by the Navy International Programs Office in support of the P-3 Foreign Military Sales Program.

"We are here today to learn how NAS Jacksonville does business and to get new ideas to take back with us. This visit will help our students by giving them knowledge to create new ways of doing their jobs," said Malta.

"We appreciate the naval air station for hosting us again and allowing us to see how the American Sailors handle aviation operations."

NAS Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffery Maclay stated, "CNO's Guidance for 2011 discusses how the Navy will evolve and establish international relationships to increase security and achieve common interests in the maritime domain."

"NAS Jax is honored and privileged that Maj. Gen. Malta and the Brazilian Air Force opted to return this year for a second visit. Successful exchange visits like this highlight how NAS Jax is doing its part to execute one of the CNO's primary mission focus areas," he added.

"These visits also give us an opportunity to exchange ideas and to come up with more efficient and innovative ways on how we conduct business."

At Air Operations, the students were given a brief on the airfield and tours of the radar room and air traffic control tower.

"We discussed air traffic control procedures, airfield layout, national airspace modernization upgrade. We gave them a tour of the temporary radar facility and new facility currently under construction," said Air Traffic Control Facility Officer Lt. Mike Fahnestock.

"We also took them to the control tower and gave them the birds-eye view of the airfield."

"This is very good because we get to see how American Sailors control aircraft and manage air traffic so we can take procedures and ideas back home to Brazil to improve our operations," said Brazilian Air Force student Marco Sernagiotto.

The students also visited FACSFAC Jax. "Our air traffic controllers gave them a walk-through of our spaces and discussed the areas we control, warning areas and provided an overview of how we manage air space and work with the Federal Aviation Administration," stated FACSFAC Jax Operations Officer Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Covey.

The Brazilian students seemed quite impressed by what they saw. "This is a great opportunity for us. We are learning about the base and how the Navy protects and manages its airspace in Jacksonville. Our Air Force is buying the American P-3s so we are learning how the air traffic controllers handle these aircraft. We are sharing a lot of knowledge with each other," said Brazilian Air Force student Gustavo Fortes.

The group also visited FRCSE, where the group toured the P-3 production line. Cmdr. Joseph Buckler, the P-3 Orion production officer, led the tour group through the massive P-3 hangar that can house up to 10 aircraft. He explained how 300 FRCSE artisans work three eight-hour shifts to provide depot-level maintenance, overhaul and repairs to the aircraft.

The visit concluded with a group photo in front of a static display of the P-3 Orion.