Team members from NAWCAD Lakehurst displayed their capabilities, including augmented reality technology, during the Power in the Pines Air and Space Open House at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst May 19. (U.S. Navy photo)
NAWCAD Lakehurst displays capabilities at Power in the Pines Air Show
As thousands of people descended on the McGuire side of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst during the weekend of May 20 for the Power in the Pines Air and Space Open House, teammates from Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst (NAWCAD LKE) showed a small sample of the work they do as part of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) display during the show.
NAWCAD LKE Staff Technical Advisor Jeremy Street said the event was a chance for NAWCAD LKE to do some community outreach while also raising the profile of the group’s mission.
The first day of the event was reserved for students and Department of Defense personnel. Street said he was glad the show allowed students to learn more about NAWCAD’s work.
“With the students, we really want to promote STEM and encourage the young minds to go into a STEM field when they graduate,” Street said. “We want people to know who we are and show some of the cool stuff that we do.”
The NAWCAD LKE display included a 3D scanner and printer, while the Collaborative Research, Engineering, Analysis and Training in Immersive Virtual Environments (CREATIVE) Laboratory allowed visitors to explore some of the augmented reality technology they use on a daily basis.
While the air show included air demonstrations by the F-16 Viper Demo Team and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team flying through the sky, attendees saw examples of some of the work done at Lakehurst without even knowing it. One aircraft prominently featured as a static display at the show was the C-130T Hercules, which NAWCAD LKE has worked hard to support, including replacing support equipment and upgrading the plane’s GPS system.
This was the first show since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated attendance of around 85,000 people.
"This was a great opportunity to show the public what we do here every day and inspire the next generation of leaders in aviation,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Elizabeth Hanson, 305th Air Mobility Wing commander in a release about the event. “I loved seeing all the smiles and the appreciation for a mission we’re very passionate about.
The next Power in the Pines event is scheduled for 2025.
NAWCAD Lakehurst team members Jeremy Street (left) and Josh Falk were part of a group representing NAWCAD Lakehurst at the Power in the Pines Air and Space Open House during the weekend of May 20 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. (U.S. Navy photo)