Airforce at it again: C-17 Stirs fear and loathing in American hearts!

[FN FAL]

There used to be a day when people would look up and see a US Military aircraft or spot a US Naval vessel returning from see and think, "Dam, that's pretty neat...What a great country we live in!"

Now they call up and complain.

The Airforce goes right over my mom's boathouse on Lake Gaston on the deck at full bore. Must be a military training route. When we hear the first Eagle go by, we all run out and see if we can wave to the pilot of the second one. We know he/she can't see us...but we can see them. Maybe not close enough to see what style the sunglasses are...but it's fun to try and spot the second one before it's gone!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOM! There it goes! Noise? What noise! Call them mugs up at the base and tell them to try again...the dishes didn't even rattle on that pass!

By my dads house, they must live under a training route used for helicopters, because the navy and coasties fly the same route all the time. I always look to see what type it is.

Down by Beaufort SC, where I used to CFI, the B-52's were always an awesome sight to see when they would practice low level, high speed bomb runs on the marine base and of course, whenever a four engine airliner makes an appearance, I can't help but take a look.

Have we become a nation of whimps or have people's egos become so shallow, that when something bigger than them appears in the sky, they become compelled to react?

News
Relax, it's one of ours

Meg Godlewski
5/20/2005

The sight of a C-17 doing low approaches at a civilian airport in the San Francisco Bay area generated a flood of panicked phone calls to authorities and the news media on Tuesday, April 26.

The large transport, out of McGuire AFB in New Jersey, had come to Buchanan Field Airport (CCR) in Contra Costa County so that the crew could get experience flying into a non-military airport.

According to Keith Freitas, director of airports for Contra Costa County, the sight and noise of the C-17 alarmed the community because it was something out of the ordinary.

"Normally people see these planes flying at 8,000 feet, so when one comes over at 2,000 feet, that changes things for them," he said.

The C-17, named the "Spirit of Berlin," flew over the area for approximately 15 minutes.

Freitas said he received a phone call from the crew of the C-17 before they arrived to let him know the big airplane was coming. Freitas, realizing that the non-aviation public might become alarmed at the sight of such a large airplane at low altitude, suggested that the crew divert to nearby Travis Air Force Base instead.

"But they came here so the crew could get the experience," he said, adding that he doesn't have the authority to deny any aircraft — including a C-17 — access to federal airspace. He tried to explain that to the many people who telephoned to complain.

"There were a lot of calls," he noted. "In a single year we get at most 400 noise complaints. In a four-hour period we got 110."

The day after the visit, the local newspaper, the Contra Costa Times, carried a story about the visit. Sandra Ahart, one of the residents interviewed for the story, stated that the C-17 was "doing dips and drops" and that the pilot "had no business doing what he was doing." She said that the appearance of the C-17 left her shaken because she feared a Sept. 11th-type attack. The visit also alarmed children at a nearby elementary school. They were brought in from the playground and school officials called police.

An Air Force spokesperson countered the airplane was doing normal approaches on a routine training mission. The C-17 did not land at Buchanan.

However, there were some people who enjoyed the unusual visitor. Freitas notes among the hundreds of complaints he received, he also got messages from people who were pleased to see the C-17 close up.

General Aviation News - 800.426.8538
P.O. Box 39099
Lakewood, WA 98439

 

[irapilot]

I would be willing to bet that most of the people complaining had no idea it was a military a/c. I know I love to see planes flying around, but I am sure that if it is bigger, louder or different than most people are used to they will panic. The media attention to aircraft and the fact we are fostering a culture of fear in our society doesn't help.

 

[SWAnnabee]

Mind you, we are talking about San Franciscans here. Not the most stable populace in the country.

 

[FN FAL]

I would be willing to bet that most of the people complaining had no idea it was a military a/c. I know I love to see planes flying around, but I am sure that if it is bigger, louder or different than most people are used to they will panic. The media attention to aircraft and the fact we are fostering a culture of fear in our society doesn't help.

They should have a FEAR TAX. Maybe that would help alieviate the problem?

 

[CaravanMan]

Military aircraft = The Sound of Freedom.

 

[cforst513]

Military aircraft = The Sound of Freedom.

amen to that. we have an air nat'l guard wing here with 8 or 9 C-130's, and i LOVE to see them fly over. they're not very high up and usually 2-3 planes fly in a line. a great thing to see! these losers need to stop their b!tching.

 

[slacker]

People Complain All the Time

We get noise complaints nearly every low level route we do. You should hear some of them, in one case we made a lady's power go out. Another complained that she lives in a 2 story house with no lights on top and we might hit her house. We even had a complaint from a Maj living in base housing. I mean, come on, you are in the Air Force. The Maj probably could not name 3 planes in the Air Force inventory if she tried. I used to laugh at them all, but now we have to be "sensitive." Total wussification of America and the Armed Forces.

 

[MGlobemaster]

...must....killl.......pansies....

 

[Cardinal]

Beat them with rods.

 

[Pugh]

amen to that. we have an air nat'l guard wing here with 8 or 9 C-130's, and i LOVE to see them fly over. they're not very high up and usually 2-3 planes fly in a line. a great thing to see! these losers need to stop their b!tching.

At CNW we sometimes see C-5s doing touch and goes, really a sight to behold. Dubya also parks Air Force One here whenever he goes to Crawford, and that's a pretty cool sight as well.

 

[Sniper Bob]

Come on California! Fall off into the Pacific already!



/from that whack job of a state

 

[Iceman07]

I hate to state the obvious, but...

It's all about greed.

First step: Buy a house for cheap near an airport.

Second Step: Complain bitterly that the airplane noise is ruining your life, bringing down the value of your home, making your dog lame, etc.

Third Step: Get a local developer with his hands in the local politicians pockets to see how profitable it is to build on ex-airport land.

Fourth Step: Get the airport closed.

Fifth step: Sell your house for a huge profit.

Sixth step: Move to Phoenix with all of the rest of the Yuppie Scum.

 

[Wanna Fly!!]

"Sandra Ahart, one of the residents interviewed for the story, stated that the C-17 was "doing dips and drops" and that the pilot "had no business doing what he was doing." She said that the appearance of the C-17 left her shaken because she feared a Sept. 11th-type attack. The visit also alarmed children at a nearby elementary school. They were brought in from the playground and school officials called police."

 

[Wanna Fly!!]

"Sandra Ahart, one of the residents interviewed for the story, stated that the C-17 was "doing dips and drops" and that the pilot "had no business doing what he was doing." She said that the appearance of the C-17 left her shaken because she feared a Sept. 11th-type attack. The visit also alarmed children at a nearby elementary school. They were brought in from the playground and school officials called police."

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!

 

[FN FAL]

Beat them with rods.

What if we sent pretty little school girls dressed in plaid skirts, training bras and pony tails? Don't forget the knickers...knickers with attitude!

 

[CaravanMan]

Come on California! Fall off into the Pacific already!



/from that whack job of a state

Hahaha! Gonna have to wait a couple million years for that, lol! However, California is the Land of Granola......




...it's where all the Fruits, Nuts and Flakes are from. I can say that though, I'm from there...so, which category do I fall under??

 

[Mooseflyer]

A couple years ago the AFB where I work got a complaint about a night local trainer that I flew. The caller (a rent-a-cop security guard) said I was "hovering and flashing my lights". I don't recall flashing any lights in particular which don't flash normally, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't hovering. Gotta love it......

 

[jarhead]

The Airforce goes right over my mom's boathouse on Lake Gaston on the deck at full bore. Must be a military training route. When we hear the first Eagle go by, we all run out and see if we can wave to the pilot of the second one. We know he/she can't see us...but we can see them. Maybe not close enough to see what style the sunglasses are...but it's fun to try and spot the second one before it's gone!!!!! BOOOOOOOOOM! There it goes!

Man can I relate to that, FN FAL.

Good friends of mine own a cabin on a quiet little lake near Minong, Wisconsin.

We’ve been spending the 4th of July up at that lake cabin every summer since the mid 60’s. The ANG base located at Duluth, MN was not too far away from that lake. This will date me a bit, but every 4th or 5th of July, a couple of F-4 Phantoms would make a low level pass just off the end of their dock. They WERE close enough to see the style of sunglasses on the pilots. They’d always make a higher altitude circle over the lake that was about 5 miles long by 2 miles wide. That would be the alert for all to get down to the lake shore or dock and wait a few minutes.

Then you’d see them off in the distance, coming from the south at an altitude of about 60 feet off the water, relatively slow. Then, just as they passed my friends dock by a few hundred yards, these guys would light the burners and pull the stick back. Such a roar you seldom hear. They’d go just about to the vertical and do barrel rolls until they disappeared from view. Everyone on the lake enjoyed that display on the 4th of July.
We suspected that one of those pilots had relatives on the lake, and did a slight deviation from their weekend warrior mission. Don’t think anyone ever complained.

That yearly display ended when the ANG replaced the F-4’s with F-16 squadron. Probably different pilots as well.

 

[Sniper Bob]

Thread jack...


Any airshows this year with the F-4s flying?

 

[gern_blanston]

When I was a kid (I know, I'm dating myself) we lived 60 NM East of PDX, and the century-series fighters from the Guard base would go supersonic overhead on their way East. Rattled the windows just a bit. I thought it was the sound of freedom, and I thought, "Cool, this is the greatest nation on Earth!"
I'd love to hear it again.

 

[FN FAL]

Thread jack...Any airshows this year with the F-4s flying?

Private or Military? Who drives F-4's now days?

When I was a kid (I know, I'm dating myself) we lived 60 NM East of PDX, and the century-series fighters from the Guard base would go supersonic overhead on their way East...I'd love to hear it again.

I heard that...during the late 60's, I was a Protestant stuck in a private Catholic school, because the Navy base at Charleston had such a crappy school system.

Every time we'd hear a sonic boom in class, Sister Virginia would make us bow our heads and make us pray for peace. Unknown to Sister Virginia, I was praying for a piece...a piece of that Catholic girl sitting in the seat next to me!

Yea...I remember those days and I remember hearing sonic booms once in a while, back in the day. Unless those were TNT blasts from a neighboring construction site?

Also a treat; we did our grocery shopping at the Charleston Air Force Base and sometimes we'd catch the movie matinee on base, Saturdays. You got to see a lot of planes driving to and from the grocery store...lots of C-130's and C-141's. And the base theater had some sort of alert system for flight crews in one corner...kind of gave it that, "Dr. Strangelove" effect.

...Everyone on the lake enjoyed that display on the 4th of July.

As far as I'm concerned, they could do it every Friday afternoon...I'd be sitting in the water in an inflated innertube getting my drink on, waving. Saturday night the beer light would be reserved for later...just in case we needed to make a night move on any "complainers". Nothing serious, but if they didn't like Phantoms putting on a show, they sure as heck wouldn't like getting their front yard tree toilet papered.

 

[Tim47SIP]

I can relate!

Reminds me of a deployment we made to El Toro MCAS (when it was open). We were out there doing Deck Carrier Landings (DLQ's) and were traversing some high affluent areas towards San Clamente Island. We received a phone call to read a letter from a lady with a noise complaint to the editor in the LA times. It was a lengthy complaint about the military helicopters that don't care about anyone and are out hot dogging and making noise just to make her misserable.

Long story short, the reply letter to the editor (that was published the next day) was a rebuttal to be proud of. It described the deployments to the desert (SW Asia) and what we went through while we were training to terrorize the inocent people back in California. It talked about the many, many months away from our families training to ensuring we knew exactly how to piss off the California population. In other words, we trained overseas in hostile areas specifically to piss off that lady.

We never heard another peep from anyone in the area for the next few months we were there. Imagine that!

 

[TurboS7]

Oh no it is a big one....I am not sure we can handle it.

 

[FN FAL]

Reminds me of a deployment we made to El Toro MCAS (when it was open). We were out there doing Deck Carrier Landings (DLQ's) and were traversing some high affluent areas towards San Clamente Island. We received a phone call to read a letter from a lady with a noise complaint to the editor in the LA times. It was a lengthy complaint about the military helicopters that don't care about anyone and are out hot dogging and making noise just to make her misserable.

Long story short, the reply letter to the editor (that was published the next day) was a rebuttal to be proud of. It described the deployments to the desert (SW Asia) and what we went through while we were training to terrorize the inocent people back in California. It talked about the many, many months away from our families training to ensuring we knew exactly how to piss off the California population. In other words, we trained overseas in hostile areas specifically to piss off that lady.

We never heard another peep from anyone in the area for the next few months we were there. Imagine that!

The base commander should have called her up to assuage her fears (fear tax) and asked her if the aircraft had "red stars" on them...when she said, "No!" they should have replied, "Thank God!" and hung up on her.

 

[jarhead]

Reminds me of a deployment we made to El Toro MCAS (when it was open).

What a great place to be stationed. I lived on base for two years, and enjoyed every day of it. A-4 Skyhawks, F4H Phantoms, F8-U Crusaders, and the venerable C-130.

Great little civilian bar outside the main gate called "Tail of the Bull", and my favorite bar of all time, located in downtown Santa Ana called "The Honeybucket", with live Dixieland jazz.

Getting nostalgic now.....sorry.

 

[Metro752]

Beat them with rods.

No! They'd like that!

 

[AA717driver]

Military aircraft = The Sound of Freedom.

If you're from San Fran 'acquiescence is the sound of freedom' .

How F'ed up is that?

HEY! Can you FORCE a state to seceed? Or....Maybe the residents of AZ and NV should invade CA and force them to find their own ****ing water and charge them market rates for electricity! That'd fix 'em.

Sorry about the rant.TC

 

[FN FAL]

HEY! Can you FORCE a state to seceed? Sorry about the rant.TC

Yes you can...just test a few of those bunker busters on a fault line and let slip the dogs of... continental plate construction.

 

[Huggyu2]

It warms my heart to hear how brave our populace is. Is there a yellow stripe missing from a highway near that airport? It was probably stolen and placed on the backs of those residents.

 

[Rick James]

People are such friggin pussi#s. I would pay money to see that beutiful bird do touch and goes. If you arent able to seperate an airplane doing low approaches from 9-11 then I'm not sure you should play a role in our society.