the following is the official military explanation giving by the Air National Guard public affairs officer via e-mail on this situation:
Last Sunday, we were performing nighttime training operations. These are
key to honing/maintaining pilot skills. The safety of our community (and our
Airmen)is a top priority. There are strict guidelines for departures and
landings, and we're pretty adamant about adhering to them.
I live near U City and often see/hear the jets from my deck. That sounded
low to me, so I asked the 110th Fighter Squadron Commander. He explained
that when they are departing from the local area, Air Traffic Control
assigns altitudes to them. Where we may normally fly at a certain
altitudes--it may certainly change.
It sounds like you've paid close attention to the news and understand our
mission more than most. I applaud you for that and thank you for asking the
question. If you / your neighbors are ever interested in coming out and
seeing the base to garner an even better understanding of what we do here,
please don't hesitate to contact me.
Very Respectfully,
//SIGNED//
BRIDGET S. ZORN, Capt, MoANG
Wing Executive Support Officer
Office: (314) 527-6284 / DSN 824-6284
E-mail:
[email protected]