About This File
FSX Scenery--NAS Sunnyvale California (KNUQ). In 1931, the city of Sunnyvale CA acquired a 1000 acre (4 km2) parcel of farmland bordering San Francisco Bay, then "sold" the parcel for $1 to the US government as a home base for the Navy airship USS Macon. The location proved to be ideal for an airport, since the area is often clear while other parts of the San Francisco Bay are covered in fog. This is due to the Coast Range to the west which blocks the cold oceanic air which is the cause of San Francisco fog. The base, originally named Airbase Sunnyvale CAL (it was thought that calling it Mountain View would cause officials to fear airships colliding with mountainsides), was accepted by the U. S. Navy on February 12, 1931 and dedicated NAS Sunnyvale on April 12, 1933. After the death of Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, in the loss of the USS Akron on April 4, 1933, the Air Field (but not the Naval Air Station) was renamed Moffett Field on September 1, 1933. By John Stinstrom and Jim Dhaenens.