BOISE --Ten F-16 fighter jets with the Vermont National Guard will be flying from both Mountain Home Air Force base and Boise's Gowen Field through May 12 as part of a training exercise.And reaction to increased take-off noise levels was mixed in neighborhoods near Gowen Field.
Some people say the fighter jet noise bothers them and worry it will get worse with potential arrival of F-35 squadrons.
"If they want a noisy town, they're getting it," said Mick Gorostiza who lives near Gowen. "And people say you can move. Well, yeah, I can move after I paid for this house and lived here 37 years."
Others say the jet noise is an acceptable price for military preparedness.
"It's just noise," said Glenda Day. "Who cares? I mean they're defending us. Should we complain because we're being defended?"
Idaho Air Guard spokesman Col. Tim Marsano says the jets do take measures to reduce the noise levels, using after burners only when necessary, gaining altitude rapidly, and keeping flights in the less populated areas.
If these whiners think that F-16's are loud, they should be grateful that they're not being visited by old F-4 Phantoms, A-6 Intruders or B-52 bombers. Now Those...they made real noise. You felt those when they went to full power.
There used to be an Air National Guard A-10 Squadron based in Battle Creek, MI, and when visiting my in-laws there you would always see them (and hear them) out training. And Warthogs are "low and slow" kind of aircraft, so you definitely heard them.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was cool, personally, although I'm perhaps more used to it than most, as I live a mile from the airport in Lansing, and there are always jets coming and going.
I live in Boise, not more than a mile or two from Gowen Field. I love the sound of the jets, A10s, and helicopters that fly over. It's especially exciting when the Blue Angels come to town, which doesn't happen nearly often enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm a contractor at Laughlin AFB outside Del Rio, Texas.
ReplyDeleteT-38 and T-1 take-offs and landings always sound like Freedom to me. I'm lucky enough to hear Freedom 200 times a day.
Every time I hear it, it sounds sweeter than the last.