Re: Fly Overs / District subdivisions
Dave Loomis (dloomis@NH.ULTRANET.COM)
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 18:59:41 -0500
CHUCK BRAMLET wrote:
> In regard to the question of Fly Overs at Philmont, my opinions
> might not be welcomed by many of the others on this list.
>
> First of all, these planes _must_ train someplace. Whether it's
> over the Southern AZ desert, Philmont, Puget Sound, or wherever.
> Accidents are just as likely over your house if you sit at the
> end of the runway as they would be out in the middle of nowhere.
> few of these planes crash for no reason, regardless of what the
> media has to say about it.
I have lived under the flightpath - 2-3 miles off the end of
an active runway - of major airbases for more years than I can count, and
have only had once incident occur. A C-124 leaving Norton AFB in San
Bernardino, California, blew an engine during take off, and spewed about
70 gallons of very dirty engine oil out the bottom of the engine. My
mobile home was underneath its flightpath, so we got some oil spots on
some laundry on the line and our home. Within hours, representatives
from the JAG office on base were beating the bushes to locate any one
who's property may have been affected. I think we were offered $50 in
damages, which we refused.
The "sound of freedom" is so damaging to wildlife that air
field managers must go to great lengths to deter ground nesting birds
from the grassy areas beside airbase runways, seagulls from trash
disposal sites around the base, and deer, moose, and caribou from active
runways. A frequent Notice To Airmen - an airfield warning to aircrews -
at Elmendorf, near Anchorage, Alaska was "beware of moose along and off
the ends of the runways", and we had to make runs down the runway with
noisemakers, at our Aleutian air base to frighten away seagulls, who used
the hard surface to crack open clam and mussel shells.
All sorts of game animals abound at most military
installations since hunting by local people is banned, and the animals
are not otherwise harassed. Groundhogs and raccoons abounded at my last
base, that had medium bombers and tanker aircraft similar to the Boeing
707 making daily flights. One family of coons decided that it was far
too much trouble to walk the half mile from the edge of the base to the
dumpster that served the base snackbar, so they set up housekeeping in a
nearby storm drain for several years, and got fat and sassy off of
leftover fried chicken from the snack bar.
Yes, aircraft do crash - I've been around 5 accidents in my
26 years in the military - but each was during the take off or landing
phase of a flight. Other accidents around the Air Force involving
in-flight emergencies, had aircrew staying with the aircraft, often well
past the "last minute" to insure that the wreckage would not fall on
homes, schools, or groups of people. This is the personal contract most
pilots make between their own conscience and the general public - "I am
willing to sacrifice my own life that others may not lose theirs from
events leading from my flying."
Heavy bombers may fly around Philmont, but the wildlife and
Scouts are in more danger from the cars and trucks in the area than from
the aircraft.
Dave
To reply, remove the word, "nospam" from my return address.
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* Dave Loomis * *
* 164 Tuttle Lane * (603) 431 5342 *
* Greenland, NH 03840 * dloomis@nh.ultranet.com *
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