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Base Plans More Nighttime Training

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By MARK HOLAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 26, 2007

SOUTH TAMPA - MacDill Air Force Base is planning more nighttime training missions.

Such flights have sparked noise complaints from peninsula residents and others across the Tampa Bay area. Base supporters say the disruptions are a small price to pay to back the troops and reap the economic benefits of the base.

MacDill is beginning daytime and nighttime training missions for A-10 pilots this week, base spokesman Sgt. Miguel Espinoza wrote in an e-mail to The Tampa Tribune. The A-10s will be joined by F-16s and F-18s on Oct. 22 for day and night missions through Nov. 10.

To reduce noise, the base has asked pilots to minimize use of afterburners, Espinoza wrote.

'We are going to hear complaints. That is a common thing now,' MacDill community planner Christine Hummel told a gathering of regional airport officials last week.

MacDill has received at least three dozen noise complaints this year, according to logs provided by the base. Calls have come from Brooksville, Bradenton and Brandon, as well as neighbors such as Michael Waite of Ballast Point.

'They are just doing whatever they want to do,' said Waite, who claims the base has failed to update aircraft and noise level reports. 'They are bringing in missions that are not compatible with the base.'

Waite has failed to persuade members of Florida's congressional delegation to join his fight against MacDill

In June, MacDill invited several South Tampa neighborhood association leaders to the base to discuss nighttime aircraft noise and daytime vehicular traffic. The civic leaders said they wanted to invite base representatives to make a communitywide presentation.

So far, no plans have gotten off the ground.

'We think it will be a great opportunity to build our relationship with the community,' Espinoza wrote. 'We want to be good neighbors and work through challenges.'

Reporter Mark Holan can be reached at (813) 835-2102 or mholan@tampatrib.com.

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