DATES AND PLACES FOR THE F-35 PULIC HEARINGS FOR TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
All hearings include an open house information session from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by a presentation and formal public comment session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Representatives from the Air Force will be available during the open house session to provide information and to answer questions related to the Draft EIS
Date: Feb. 22, 2012
Location: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Tucson Airport North Ballroom
4550 S. Palo Verde Road
Tucson, AZ 85714
Date: Feb. 23, 2012
Location: Tucson Jewish Community Center Auditorium
3800 E. River Road
Tucson, AZ 85718
THE DRAFT F-35 EIS FOR TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS EXPECTED TO BE MADE PUBLIC IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER OF 2011. WE WILL POST THE DATES, TIMES, AND PLACES WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE.
Tucson is being considered as a F35 site. Also referred to as the Joint Strike Fighter or JSF, the F-35 is a next generation fighter aircraft that will replace the F-16.
According to AF sponsored documents, the F-35 is louder than any aircraft flown out of TIA
Listen to this recording of 6 seperate flyovers recorded on Eglin Runway 12, April 22, 2009. Which one do you think is the loudest? The F-15, F-35 or the F-16? (mp3 format) (wav format)
- Clip #1 – 33rd TWF F-15 landing
- Clip #2 – 33rd TWF F-15 landing
- Clip #3 – 33rd TWF F-15 landing
- Clip #4 – F-35 doing a Gear-Up Touch and Go pass on the runway
- Clip #5 – F35 landing
- Clip #6 – F-16 chase aircraft landing
- Note: All aircraft recorded with professional equipment by an audio professional within a 20 minute span of time and in one continuous file. No enhancements to audio level, only cutting out the “dead air” time between landings.
According to AF sponsored documents, if the new F-35 fighter comes to Tucson International Airport (TIA), the Air National Guard flights will sound three times as loud and the noise will spread over more than 4 times the area. In other words, a family 9 miles from the airport will experience daily noise like that of a family currently 3 miles from the airport. Again, according the AF sponsored documents, the F-35 will be 15 decibles lounder. For more on noise levels if the F-35 comes to TIA, click here.
Here are some Noise measurements of the F-35 by Bob Webb. Here is a recent article about “Consideration of Operational Noise Impacts on Land use as a Part of the Weapons Systems Engineering Process by Wayne R. Lundberg, Ph.D., Aerospace Engineer
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JFS) Lightning Specification
The costs to our community are great
There are, of course, costs associated with the presence of the F-35. These costs will be carried by the citizens and property owners in the flight-path; This will negatively impact the tax revenues used to support schools, police, and other vital services. The hotels and restaurants in the flight path will suffer. The economic claims fail to consider these costs.
The economic benefit of bringing the F-35 here are unsubstantiated
None of the claims are substantiated. And the economic benefits calculations are overstated as they fail to consider property tax subsidies given to the military, the cost of sound mitigation, and the fact that military personnel shop duty free .
The AF has better choices than Tucson
The AF bases in Idaho, New Mexico, and Florida are also being considered. Unlike Tucson, the bases do not fly over dense urban areas and as a result, they enjoy strong community support.
Idaho Website Supporting Basing the F-35
Luke Website Supporting Basing the F-35
Hand-outs from February 10, 2010 F-35 Informational Meeting
Thanks to the Democracy for America for hosting an information forum. Provided here are some handouts.
F-35 EIS Scoping Proposals Ver 2
F-35 Group Letter 02-07-10
El Mirage Website
F-35 JSF Hit by Serious Design Problems
03-Dec-2007 20:55 EST Defense Industry Daily
by Johan Boeder in The Netherlands. Earlier versions of this article have been published in the Dutch press and Defense-Aerospace. DID has worked with the author to create an edited, updated version with full documentation of sources.
On May 3, 2007, during the 19th test flight of the prototype of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a serious electrical malfunction occurred in the control of the plane. After an emergency landing the malfunction could be identified as a crucial problem, and it became clear that redesign of critical electronic components was necessary. Producer Lockheed Martin and program officials first announced there was a minor problem, and later on they avoided any further publicity about the problems…