Saturday, January 05, 2013

T-45 Goshawk trainer jets to refuel at Palm Springs airport: Military had cut back flights after residents complained about noise

PALM SPRINGS — It’s been nearly a year since the Department of Defense announced it would cut back on the amount of military jets flying into Palm Springs International Airport following uproar from Palm Springs residents who were sick of the flyovers in their neighborhoods.

Since that March announcement, a few jets have flown through as part of training missions and refueling.

But over the next month, beginning on Wednesday, about 18 T-45 “Goshawk” trainer jets from the Navy Training Air Wing 2 based in Kingsville, Texas, will visit off and on between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., the Navy announced Friday. They’ll temporarily operate out of Naval Air Facility El Centro.

Palm Springs International Airport will be used for refueling, so residents can expect to hear and see about three jets a day, the Navy said in its email announcement to The Desert Sun.

This will be a different set of military jets than those that used to fly into the airport. Those were F-18s based at the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar near San Diego. The T-45s are considered quieter, which residents will likely appreciate.

Before the military cutback, Coachella Valley residents increasingly expressed concerns about the noise from military jets.

There were 2,202 military flights in and out of Palm Springs in 2011 — nearly double what was reported in 2008 and a nearly 58 percent jump from the 1,397 flights in 2010.

The Marine Corps has used the Palm Springs airport because of its “excellent service” as a contracted fuel provider and because the airport is close to key training areas, Defense officials told then-Rep. Mary Bono Mack after she brought the matter to their attention.

The Marines made use of the airport one of its “best practices” last year, defense officials told Bono Mack at the time.

The latest training activity is expected to run through Feb. 1, the Navy said.

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