November 8, 2010
Western Low-Fly Zones: Not in My Sky
An Osprey in flight during a training exercise at Cannon AFB in June. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Maynelinne De La Cruz)
The Air Force is looking for places in the American West where pilots can practice flying special operations missions over terrain similar to the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. One proposal would call for a new Low Altitude Tactical Navigation area straddling the border of Colorado and New Mexico.
Local citizens worried about noise and disturbance have objected to the plan, however, according to the Wall Street Journal, and action groups have sprung up to oppose it. The proposed flights of C-130s and CV-22 Ospreys would be out of Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, and would be mostly at night.
Similar concerns have been raised about planned low-flying exercises in Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. Says one rancher: ““I would never wish on anybody the noise impact that comes from a B-1 bomber flying over at Mach One.”
Such training must be performed within our borders. Why not move the practice area to along our border with Mexico, and kill two birds with one stone? The deterent effect of a V22 and a C130 might well make illegal border crossers think twice.
Comment by steve dillon — November 8, 2010 @ 6:04 pm