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F-16 (Viper) noise complaint...and response


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From the Arizona Republic online.....

A complaint post from a moron, and the reply:

Complaint:

Quote: A wake-up call from Luke's jets

Jun. 23, 2005 12:00 AM

"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 reply is classic, and a testament to the professionalism and heroism of the folks in the armed services.

The response:

Quote:

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 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.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus

CO 63rd Fighter Squadron

Luke Air Force Base

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Guest skipplet

"Tom Cruise-wannabes" has be the most assbackwards thing to call an F-16 pilot.

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Guest samsdog

I wonder if that guy enjoys the taste of his own shoe? The response was outstanding. Thanks for posting it, CH.

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Anyone have the wing/cc's response as well? I'm out here at Luke and saw that above post already, but I hear the cc came back with another response. His was supposedly a little more direct and along the lines of "I can't believe at a time of war we need to defend our actions to ignorant..." you get the picture. Anyone have that response?

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Fantastic! That's the kind of response I would expect to hear from a Fighter Wing Commander. And to think, we defend freedom for folks like this. People need to look beyond the end of their noses!

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Love it. Very appropriate responses to a back-handed complaint. If you have a complaint...call PA. When they blow you (the public we all serve) off, that should be the first hint that you're ass wrong for complaining about noise when you live NEXT TO AN AIR FORCE BASE.

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People in Phoenix complaining about jet noise can eat a d*ck. Luke has been training fighter pilots since 1941. If you moved to the area any time after 1941 and complain about airplane noise, you are an idiot. Luke was in the middle of nowhere when it was built. People moved near it then started complaining about it.

Own a house under the approach or departure cooridor? Don't be surprised when an F-16 lands in your back yard. That's why the town is called "Surprise!" Shit happens.

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The correspondent received a response from Col. Robin Rand, commander of Luke AFB's 56th Fighter Wing, in the pages of that same newspaper the following day:

Luke Air Force Base was asked to respond to a letter writer's question about a "morning air show" he observed recently ("A wake-up call from Luke's jets," Letters, Thursday):

The "wake-up call" witnessed the morning of June 15 was a formation of F-16 jets from Luke Air Force Base lining up for a memorial service in Sun City at the gravesite for Air Force Capt. Jeremy Fresques, an officer assigned to Air Force Special Operations. Fresques gave his life in defense of our country while serving in Iraq.

It is unfortunate that at a time when our nation is at war someone would believe we have less than honorable and professional reasons for such a mission.

The commander of the fighter squadron was given the difficult duty of informing the family of Capt. Fresques on Memorial Day that the officer, a husband, son and Arizonan, had died in Iraq.

On behalf of the men and women at Luke Air Force Base, we continue to keep Jeremy and his family in our thoughts and prayers.

Col. Robin Rand

Luke Air Force Base

Snopes had it posted here.

Cheers! M2

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Guest Rainman A-10

If the LPA was worth a sh!t they would find the letter writer's name and take out an ad in the paper for a mint '68 vette must sell for (pick a reason) $3800 OBO call after 9pm.

He will blow his brains out from the phone calls.

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Guest SpyGadget

It's surprising that he lives this close to the base and is not used to it by now.

sunrisemem.jpg

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Guest AV8NSP

Beaver- You won't hear me complain about the noise...I love it (but too bad it ain't a KC-135 ;) ). I live near Luke, and my wife and I heard and saw the jets overhead when we bought the house...Of course, I think my tour at Nellis desensitized me to the noise. And BTW, before the BRAC list came out, Surprise sure made a good push to eliminate the encroachment from developers...now that Luke has been mostly spared, I wonder if that will change??

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Guest waxgoblin

who is sleeping wednesday at 9:11 AM? kids on summer vacation? shit i'd be christmas-morning-happy if i was awakened by four f-16s..

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Guest UT-38stud

The guy's name is Tom MacRae from Peoria, AZ. He is unlisted and can't find an email address. So, those of you who have time or are better at searches than i am, feel free to post it if the moderators allow it.

So, while i was searching for an email address for this clown i came across a forum where most of the folks there are actually apoligist for this guy...UNREAL!

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.as...5&enterthread=y

Cheers!

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Guest Jetjock19

Hey this same article and some different type of responses is posted as well on flightinfo.com under the military forum. And there is one jacka$$ I would like you to meet who thinks diffently about the military and makes it known.

http://www.flighinfo.com

= :D

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This quote is awesome. It was on that flightinfo site.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)

Pretty eloquent way to state how I feel about the love-not-war liberals around the world and an idiot that would complain about being woken up at 9 in the morning in the middle of the week by a memorial service.

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