Air Force should bring F-35 for visit
Air Force should bring F-35 for visit :
Arizona Daily Star
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Air Force is considering Tucson as a training base for its new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Advocates say getting the mission would bring jobs, an economic boost and be a win for Tucson.
But the biggest question remains: Just how loud will the F-35s be?
The answer will determine if Tucsonans support or oppose stationing the F-35s at the Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing, which flies out of the Tucson International Airport.
The only way to answer the question – and it does require an answer – is for the Air Force to bring an F-35 to Tucson and have the test pilot spend a week flying in and out of TIA .
Tucsonans will know immediately if the noise from F-35s is too high a price to pay for the benefits of stationing the training program in our city. The Air Force should do this trial run unannounced.
The Air Force should learn from Tucson’s recent experience with loud jet noise. Noise complaints through official channels, as well as calls and e-mails to the Star, spiked after four loud F-18s flew over Tucson on Feb. 3.
If the public reacts similarly to F-35 flights, without knowing in advance that they’re coming, then we’ll know that noise is a serious obstacle.
And if the F-35 comes and goes without much ado, that will answer that.
It is unreasonable to ask Tucsonans to support bringing F-35s to our community without the benefit of really knowing what we’re supporting and how it would affect daily life for a million people. We need to hear the jet for ourselves.
Posted in Editorial on Sunday, February 14, 2010 12:00 am
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