After request from congresswoman, March 30 event is added
TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today announced that the U.S. Air Force will hold a March 30 meeting in Sierra Vista before deciding whether to base the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Tucson.
Five F-35 meetings already have been held throughout Southeastern Arizona. A sixth – the meeting in Sierra Vista – was added at Giffords’ request.
“I am pleased that the Air Force realized that residents of Sierra Vista, the second-largest city in Southern Arizona, should have the opportunity to get information and be heard on this important issue,” Giffords said. “If the F-35 is based in Tucson, some training flights will take place at the Army airfield at Fort Huachuca.”
The meeting will be March 30 from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Buena High School, 5225 East Buena School Road in Sierra Vista.
“I encourage every resident of Sierra Vista and the surrounding area to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the F-35 and to submit their comments,” said Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
At the meeting, Air Force representatives will be available to answer questions and various stations will be set up for the public to learn about the F-35 features, flight patterns and other relevant information. After all the meetings have been conducted, an Environmental Impact Statement will be drafted for additional public comment.
The Air Force announced in October that it had selected the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona National Guard at Tucson International Airport as one of five locations under consideration as a site for pilot training to fly the F-35 Lightning.
Giffords has strongly supported basing the F-35 in Tucson, calling it a smart move for Arizonans and for the Air Force. Basing the new jet in Tucson, the congresswoman said, would continue Arizona’s longstanding role in the defense of the nation and provide a tremendous economic boost to Southern Arizona.
Tucson’s unrivaled flying conditions as well as its unprecedented access to the Barry M. Goldwater Range make the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson an ideal basing option, Giffords has said.
And basing the F-35 here also would create additional opportunities for collaboration with U.S. allies and permit persistent and continuous operations that will greatly benefit the Air Force’s overall readiness, according to Giffords.
However, Giffords noted that some of her constituents have concerns about the noise of the F-35. So she asked the Air Force to provide complete noise data on the plane, including an evaluation of all potential flight paths and the development of a noise mitigation plan.
The Air Force noise data collection tests for the F-35 are the most thorough ever performed for any fighter aircraft. That data must be considered when the Air Force determines where to base the F-35, Giffords has said.
The public meetings are being held as part of the required process to determine the jet’s environmental impact. Five meetings were held last week – two in Tucson and one each in San Carlos, Thatcher and Bisbee.