PATUXENT RIVER — Expect helicopter noise after dark Wednesday around Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Pilots at the base will conduct nighttime helicopter operations Oct. 21 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the installation announced in a noise advisory issued Oct. 19. The advisory covers communities surrounding NAS Patuxent River, along with Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck of Virginia, where residents may notice increased noise during those hours.
The Navy said night testing and training is essential for the precision and safety of military aviators and for the success of their mission. As with all operations, the base said it takes precautions to lessen the impact of testing on the community.
The three-hour window is shorter than some recent advisories. Earlier this month, the base scheduled a week of carrier-landing drills through Oct. 13, and in late August it issued a 16-day noise advisory.
Pax River is home to the Navy’s primary aircraft test and evaluation work, and flight testing shapes how land near the base can be used. The base’s 2026 Air Installations Compatible Use Zones study, released in August, maps noise and accident-potential zones around the installation.
Residents with questions can call the base’s noise line at 1-866-819-9028. All current advisories are posted on the NAS Patuxent River noise advisory page.
