You Just Can't Fix Stupid.

StangDreamin'

StangDreamin'

Founding Member
Aug 10, 2002
583
0
16
2nd Ocotillo bush east of the Colorado River; Sout
#1
Been a while since I saw a thread like this. I know there are a few military members and supporters out there......
<------(Not that I know any personally, though) :p
Anyhow, a friend of mine - from back when he was a Scout and I was a fairly-new Asistant Scoutmaster- passed this along to my via myspace. Thought I'd pass it along:

You can't fix stupid.

"After reading this I just had to repost it."

Luke AFB


Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.


A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.


The complaint:


"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 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 flyby 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.
 

  • Sponsors (?)


#4
as far as i am concerned, US military pilots can fly over my house 24/7 if they like, even in zone 5 burners. especially if they are honoring our war dead. and people like the letter writer need to get over it.
 
#6
I wonder if the jets ruined that dumbass's day at the mall, or was the lazy SOB serious when they said 'wake up call' and still asleep at 9am.

Either way, it must be nice to live a life where all you can have a baby fit about is a little noise.

It's the same with racetracks...
You have a drag strip that's been operating in the woods for 40-50 years, then someone builds a subdivision nearby. The folks then complain about the strip, when it was themselves that built their house next to a strip.
The strip is forced out of business and folks wonder why races hit the public roads.
Dumbasses!
 
#7
ratio, I'd imagine you've listened to more than a couple of turbofans screaming overhead there in P'cola. :p

It's the same all over.... an airport gets planted seemingly miles out of town; then the town grows toward the airport; and sudden;ly you hear cries of "Don't these idiot flyboys realize my house (which is supposed to be pristine and quiet) is right under them?" :mad: They never stop to think that the senior pilots watched them move into that house (or watched the slab being poured on which to build the house) and thought "Don't these idiots realize that bedroom is right under this 40-year-old runway approach????" :bang:

Almost 2 years ago, an AV-8B "Harrier" belonging to VMF-214 had a "flameout" while on final approach to MCAS-Yuma. He was already on the standard "low and slow" final, barely had time to try angling towards an abandoned Sam's Club parking lot and triggering his seat booster. The plane crashed into somebody's back yard swimming pool and burned; with "20-double-mike" rounds cooking off and one "safed" 500 lb bomb bouncing into another pool nearby. Our company's former "Local Customer Rep" -now a tech on my crew- is a retired Marine Air SgtMaj (retired as the SSM at Pendleton); he was at home when the plane came over his house 2 blocks north of the crash; and thought it sounded "wrong" as it passed over. Got out his front door in time to see/hear the flameout, a quick pitchover, correction, and then the punch-out.

The base (which shares the runways with our Muni Airport) was first built as an Army Air Corps training facility in 1940. After 1946, it was closed and used as a really big crop-duster strip until 1949; when two former Naval Aviators (local boys) climbed into a 1948 Aironca Sedan (think like a Piper Cub), took off, and didn't land for 1147 hours - being refueld by the passing up of 15 gal milk cans from a 1948 Buick "Fireball 8" convertible. They set a world record for time aloft; and more importantly got the attention of the Pentagon. The Air Force came back in early 1951, and they built the north-south runway that was the pilot's intended landing area. In 1954 the facility was turned over to Marine Aviation; which has been there continously ever since. The subdivision was built in 1975, the WalMart and former Sam's Club were built in 1988-89. So guess what the tone of the first hue and cry sounded like? :rolleyes: Yeah, you guessed it.

Fortunately, the "old heads" prevailed in the editorial pages; one guy (not to mention the names of any fathers of military members of this forum) even went so far as to ask if the whining homeowners had been temporarily deaf when they bought their houses :p Military, Commercial and General Avition planes fly over that subdivision daily; what made them think it was gonna stop when they moved in??? "Anybody ever hear of caveat emptor???? " I knew about the flights because, when I first moved back to Yuma in 1987; we were renting a house 1/2 mile directly north of the crash site -one of the reason we didn't buy that house. (BTW, while we lived there, Delta rented a disused Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas testing facility; for testing/training of newly-hired pilots; sometimes even today -19 years later- luggage from those training flights finally arrives at our airport :rlaugh:

People are "too safe" these days. All they can complain about is being inconvenienced if they make a stupid choice. Spetmeber 11, 2001 showed us that. Less than six years later; almost nobody remembers anything :nonono:
 
#8
in the defense of some people who complain about aircraft noise over their houses, for instance mine(i am NOT complaining however) used to only have air force aircraft fly over in the davis monthan afb traffic patterns. now however, thanks to the FAA, we now have jumbo jets on the final leg of the landing pattern before they turn to land at tucson international airport, several miles away. the FAA changed the spacing between aircraft, and planes that never lfew over our house, now fly over constantly, though i think the traffic patterns have been changed again recently as they dont seem to fly over as often anymore. by the way dmafb is only 3 miles from my house, tia is closer to 10 miles away.
 
#10
StangDreamin' said:
ratio, I'd imagine you've listened to more than a couple of turbofans screaming overhead there in P'cola. :p
Click to expand...

I live right off the back gate of NAS.
I get to watch the Blue Angels practice twice a week!
If that idiot was upset about 4 jets at 500', flying over ONE time, they would go insane in my 'hood'.
I got 6 of them doing loops and playing 'chicken' right over my trees!
 
#12
Y'know, the Blue Angels are fun to watch; especially since they've gone to the F/A-18. The Hornet; like it's predecessor the F4-J Phantom is a powerhouse; once again making GE's statement to the world that, "given enough engine, a brick can fly"! But the '18 is no brick..... very maneuverable; sort of like the ultimate in opentracker-built '67 coupes.

Still and all; if you've ever watched two or three A-10 "Thunderbolts" practicing "fatal terrain" maneuvers at about 300' AGL (the best part of living out around Rattlesnake Pass south of "Old" Marana, AZ before it was overrun with condos), you start to think the Angels aren't all that hot stuff. Guys who strap on a single-wing heavily armed and armored crop-duster with a couple of LearJet engines on steriods strapped to the fuselage, and make that ol' Warthog still fly like a crop duster; those guys are the true Kings of combat flight :hail2: :flag:
 
#14
StangDreamin' said:
The complaint:
"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."
Click to expand...

The response to this complaint could not have been stated any better, IMO. Perfect. Ironic that the time he complained about was 9:11.

And a big ditto to the previously posted THANK YOU to our service personnel. God bless you/them all!
 
#15
Regardless of his Veteran's status, he obviously has no desire to check the background on local happenings; nor does he fit the profile of the vets with whom I am acquainted. Those folks, regardless of their outlook on their previous service, consider themselves part of a ("fraternity", if you will); and would think that the "missing man" formation flyover was the least the Air Force should do to show respect for the departed Cpt Fresques.

I've been to a few military funerals in my time; it is/was just another facet of the 45 years I've walked this earth. Whenever somebody dies, it is a loss to those of us still among the living. Whenever thier death occurs while safeguarding my way of life, my liberties, my existance; the sacrifice is greater and requires greater effort in memorializing it.
 
#16
' said:
Hey, rbohm.... have you by any chance noticed that Tucson Int'l Airport has the same initals as "Transient Ischemic Attack"; which the BBFCM will tell you is the fancy term for a Stroke :p

Always glad I lived a lot closer to Marana Air Park than TIA.
Click to expand...

i guess that is why i always feel like my house is being dive bombed by jumbo jets.:rlaugh: :rlaugh: :rlaugh: :rlaugh: by the way StangDreamin, if you decide to have your car windows tinted, have the specialist on thornydale near orange grove do it. my friend works there doing tint.
 
#17
Not having lived in Tucson/Marana (actually, it was "Cortaro Township") for nearly 20 years; I'm amazed at how the entire Ina/Orange Grove/Thornydale/Old Father area has grown. To say nothing at my amazement in seeing the Cortaro/Silverbelle area growth. I know, I know; they've channelized the Rillito and the Santa Cruz; but after the 10/6/83 flood, I still wouldn't by a condo in that part of Continental Ranch unless it had pontoons! :lol:

When we were up there visiting my MIL over Memorial Day; I was really surprised to see new office buildings along the south bank of the Rillito at 1st Avenue. :eek: They are built almost exactly on the site where two other buildings fell and were washed away during that flood. I remember watching it on the Ch. 13 Evening News, Oct 7, 1983.

There was nice restaurant/club across the parking lot from those buildings (about where the Chevron pumps are nowadays); which M-I-L had reserved for our Wedding Reception two weeks later. Fortunately, they got the sunken dining room and patio pumped out and cleaned in time for the reception; which was the last event held there. The owners had all of their liquid assets tied up in the brand-new office buildings; and their flood insurance wasn't adequate to cover the total loss of them - the owners went into bankruptcy and the place never re-opened. :nonono:
 
#18
my house is right under the southern approach for our airport but sufficiently far away as to not really be bothered by the planes. i grew up around the AF trainers at Reese AFB before it got shut down in the 90's, used to drive to school (college) right by the base and within 1000 feet of the end of the runway, there is nothing in the world like having an Air Force jet doing touch and go's less than 200 feet over your head!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don't seem to recall too many people around here complaining about the jets back then. and we occasionally got to witness the "missing man" formation here too, thankfully not very often, though and usually because a trainee wasn't trained well enough. i think there were only 3 or 4 fatalaties at Reese during the jet age.
 
#19
When I was growing up, we lived about 4-1/2 miles from Yuma Int'l Airport (and MCAS-Yuma); and I remember "back in the day (60's)" that the noise from those Phantoms (VMF-101) and Skyhawks (VMF-102) "running up" their engines on the runway was loud enough to wake you up in the morning, even at our house. Mom and Dad always called it "The sound of Freedom"; which was good enough for me. :flag:
Then we got air conditioning to replace evap coolers and the windows stayed closed. Then the town grew - especially in the direction of YIA/MCAS-Yuma - and the jets were drowned out by "city noise". And then the big battle wagons were replaced by other warbirds which didn't need as much runup. Nowadays, most of the sqdns are flying McDonnell-Douglass (now Boeing) AV-8B Harriers; and people living around the runways complain about their slow approaches with nozzles rotated downward. Of course, they'll also complain about the guys from VMF401 with their "Red Flag" F5's; and they scream like stuck pigs about the Tomcat and Hornet squadrons that come into town for training (READ: "For the Red Flag guys to toy with") :rolleyes: More people that must have been stone-deaf when they boguht houses in those subdivisions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
New
Hot
Menu