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Berkley

Berkley

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This was on the Arizona Republic online.....
A complaint post from a moron, and the reply:

Complaint:
A wake-up call from Luke's jets
Jun. 23, 2005 12:00 AM
"Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show?
Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 a.m., a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune!
Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special?
Any response would be appreciated."

The reply is classic, and a testament to the professionalism and heroism of the folks in the armed services. The response:

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):
On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt Jeremy Fresques.
Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.
At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son, and friend.
Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.
A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.
The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?"
The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
CO 63rd Fighter Squadron
Luke Air Force Base
 
It's true...I checked at Snopes and talked to a friend there.

.
 
Great story, Berkley. The 63rd are indeed professionals for the way they handled the complaint if nothing else.

Back in '01, I was in RSO school shortly after 9/11. Each day, at around 1600, a flight of Prowlers would pass overhead at low altitude, perform a Missing Man formation almost directly over the range, then reform and land. About the third day folks started griping about it.

"It's a Missing Man formation," someone explained.
"Who for?"
"Dunno, but would you stop complaining?"

And that was the end of it. I never did find out who they were performing it for. They were quite good at it. I hope that they were just practicing.

Of course, I've seen the other side of it. As a child on Otis ANGB, I remember the pilots trading in their old birds for the then-new F-15's. After a bit of hotdogging, things were relatively quiet...for most of the year.

Each spring the air show would come to the base. It was a big deal each year. We'd have the Thunderbirds, the Blue Angels, the works. Planes of every description would fly in all during the previous week in preparation. In addition, several of the local pilots would get to show their stuff in their shiny new F-15's. I'm not sure how the selection process went but for a few weeks prior to the air show the hotdogging would begin: aerobatics, mock air battles, and the inevitable Mach flyby just over housing. No one seemed to mind the intense noise and occasional broken window, and as a kid...well, sonic booms were cool. (Hell, I still think they're cool.)

I should mention that these were the days before car alarms.

To this day, I can't believe that there were no accidents, or even that this sort of thing was allowed to happen in the first place. (While it may not have exactly been allowed, I can only assume that it wasn't severely punished.) In fact, the only accident that I recall during the five years I was there was the time a gun crew managed to park a 105mm round in the highway just outside the base. As I remember, no one was hurt but several commuters got a bit of a surprise. That's the Cold War for you. :)

Sometimes I wonder...have things gotten crazier since then, or have I? :)
 
Good stuff and thanks.


Jumping to conclusions is a big problem in this world.


munk
 
It's true
Click to expand...
As a natural-born skeptic, I would have doubted it myself, if I didn't know the source - came to me from a gentleman who did quite a few carrier landings during the late unpleasantness in southeast Asia, and is reputed to have a few nice kukris! :D

Grew up in a small Texas town whose major employer was the local Air Force base (Now a junior college, used for landings only by Air Force One when W goes to the ranch). Sonic booms were the sound of money!

And you could tell where the pilots lived - apartment complexes with MGTDs, XK-Es, Corvettes and GTOs in the parking lots!
 
It's important for the military to adhere to the same professional standards and safety rules as a civilian company, be it airplane-related or not.
I worked for Bombardier for a few years and I met a number of military pilots from many branches.
(One time, we nearly had a black hawk slice the corner off of our office bldg.)

ITs not an easy balance to maintain. nobody wants a sonic boom while they're eating breakfast.
Training and tradition are important, but so is safety and noise abatement.
I can only wonder what the reply letter looked like concerning that USAF plane that accidentally fired its cannons into an elementary school a few months ago....
 
Good stuff which I passed on (after checking snopes.com myself) to a military reporter...


Ad Astra :mad:

vBulletin Message
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Berkley again.
 
I'm fortunate to live in a city where we have a huge airshow every year. The performances are spectacular, but it's the chance meetings with some of the great aircraft and pilots that have served in the armed forces that have stayed with me. The top 3:

1 A Vulcan making a low, slow turn in the morning mist just off the beach at Ashbridge's bay.

2. A formation of 3 Hueys seen through the trees flying in formation at 150' directly overhead.

3.The reassuring drone of a Lancaster during tea.

Those guys can make all the noise they'd like : )
 
http://www.adn.com/24hour/iraq/photos/story/2465753p-10792755c.html
ira1910.5.jpg


John
 
John,
Thank you.

Morgane,
My favorite - a Harrier cruising along the beach in Belize, no doubt checking out the bikini babes :D If there's anything louder than a Harrier, I've never heard it!
 
I think you're probably right. Anytime you try and put a curve on jet exaust the decibels really stack up. The training they put Harrier pilots through was unbeleivable. Again, they can make as much noise as they'd like, although I'd prefer to watch.
 
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