Colorado Springs residents sound off about noise from Air Force Academy training flights

CSM Michael Lynch — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:51:50 -0400

This article kind of rubs a nerve with me. I'm sure if we do some background and research, I'm just guessing here no fact finding as of yet. I'll almost bet though the AFA was there long before the housing subdivisions were built.

With that said, hmmm moving into the neighborhood I might have oh checked out what that Air Base thingy place might be for and what they do and maybe not moved in.

What do these people think that move around installations nationwide? I know when I was in the Springs in Artillery you could damn well be rest assured you would hear our rounds. Get DIV Arty involved and you would have thought CO was under attack.

Are we supposed to train service members in war situations with silencers, pretend use of items, Magic Wands or what?

Maybe I'm off mark here and I'm sure folks on RP will let me know, but if I lived there I would be pleased to see and hear them training to do their job.

Hell move the AFA here to Salt Lake City and I'll by a house near your flight path. Those little Cessna's don't make as near as much noise as the 747's and C141's that use a flight pattern over my house now and I'd be happy to see them out training every day.

The Air Force Academy worked to quiet noise complaints from neighbors Thursday as the school's powered flight training takes off for summer. Residents have gotten louder about noise from the school's fleet of single-engine training planes since 2013, when the academy's changed airfield flight patterns put more flights over homes east of the campus. The university's neighbors have also raised safety concerns about student pilots flying over...

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jun 5 at 2015 11:53 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:53:21 -0400

Well you would think that they knew what they were getting into when they moved near an airfield? Like anyother airport there will be noise!

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jun 5 at 2015 12:25 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:25:52 -0400

We had the same problem in Tucson in the '60s. When Davis-Monthan AFB was built it was out in the middle of the desert. Then town moved up to the wire, and residents complained about the noise from the jets taking off.

The Base instituted noise abatement procedures that limited power on takeoffs - and an F-4 that got behind the power curve dropped into a 7-11. The locals then proceeded to throw rocks at the base fire fighters that responded to put the flames out.

The early '70s were a strange time in this country.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 12:44 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:44:39 -0400

Oh pobre citas! What the hell did they expect moving into the neighborhood of an Air Force facility?!?

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 12:51 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:51:15 -0400

Unfortunately, that seems to be a recurring theme around places like that. Fort Sam Houston is a great example being completely surrounded by San Antonio. When I was there, before the "joint base", ranges and field exercises had to be conducted at camp bullis, until the Dominion neighborhood went up and the complaints started.
Where I live now, we have a private gun range/club that was established thirty years ago (or more) in the worst godforsaken piece of swamp in the county. About ten years ago, houses started going up in the area and the complaints started. Now we have houses directly behind berms on the rifle and subgun ranges.

Response by SGT Aaron Barbee made Jun 5 at 2015 12:56 PM

SGT Aaron Barbee — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:56:37 -0400

I have no sympathy for anyone that decides to live near AFA. I live in central COS and when the mortars and artillery are doing ranges we can hear them, and that's miles out from both outgoing and impact.

Response by SSG John Erny made Jun 5 at 2015 12:56 PM

SSG John Erny — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 12:56:59 -0400

WFW, move if you do not like living next to a military base.

Response by CSM Michael Lynch made Jun 5 at 2015 1:08 PM

CSM Michael Lynch — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:08:55 -0400

Be like WHAT the river behind my house has Gators oh hell NO DNR do something. HAHAHAHA

Response by SSG Clayton Blackwell made Jun 5 at 2015 2:56 PM

SSG Clayton Blackwell — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:56:03 -0400

Between the time I have been stationed here, and the time I choose to live here after getting out, I have lived in Colorado Springs for 20 years. Every couple of years there is an article whinning about the noise at the AFA. These people are ridiculous. First the AFA was founded in 1954, and CS was not within 8 miles of it, so you built next to the existing facility, so tough luck. Secondly, most of their training is done in small training aircraft that are reletively quiet. The only time it's noisy is when the Thunderbirds are practicing for graduation, or when Air Craft from Peterson AFB are flying and they believe it's related to the AFA. With Ft. Carson and 4 air bases as part of this community, the economy here is very dependant on the military. These idiots that built next to the academy need to shut up.

Response by SGT Anthony Bussing made Jun 5 at 2015 2:59 PM

SGT Anthony Bussing — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:59:56 -0400

they had the same issue with Tustin MCAS back in the day....

Response by MSgt Brian Welch made Jun 5 at 2015 4:06 PM

MSgt Brian Welch — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:06:33 -0400

It's the sound of freedom...

Response by SFC Ken Heise made Jun 5 at 2015 6:02 PM

SFC Ken Heise — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:02:08 -0400

Only an idiot would by a house next to a military base then complain about the noise.

Response by CW2 John Brookins made Jun 5 at 2015 6:05 PM

CW2 John Brookins — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:05:41 -0400

I don't know if residents are really upset or just unoriginal journalist in the media. It seems every so often a news article appears about either the AFA or Fort Carson and noise. I frankly think the sounds of artillery fire, reveille, retreat and TAPS are pretty darned comforting. On the north end the sounds of Air Superiority again sound pretty nice to me.

If those little training planes from the AFA bother people then the Colorado Springs Airport flights to Denver and the C17 circling Peterson AFB should drive them crazy.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 6:10 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:10:36 -0400

I ran into the same thing attending Dept. of Homeland Security training in Socorro, NM. The Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings used to have 500lb detonations to simulate a potential strike, but complaints from the local residents have scaled down the payload. I asked the trainers if the town would even exist on the map if DHS wasn't conducting training there...they said the New Mexico Tech training venue was the number one employer.

Response by CMSgt Mike Esser made Jun 5 at 2015 6:12 PM

CMSgt Mike Esser — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:12:10 -0400

Sound of Freedom! See what Tyndall is like or Oceana

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Jun 5 at 2015 6:20 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 18:20:55 -0400

Same folks who bitch when they buy a house by an airport and are bothered by the jet noise....

Response by Capt Ron Sherlock made Jun 5 at 2015 7:00 PM

Capt Ron Sherlock — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:00:21 -0400

I grew up as an Air Force brat. My dad was a F-4 mechanic and therefore I lived on an Air Force Base with them and are used to it. Nice and loud. I love me the sound of freedom!

Response by MSgt Chris Adams made Jun 5 at 2015 8:20 PM

MSgt Chris Adams — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 20:20:39 -0400

LOL, these "residents" of Colorado Springs, in my honest opinion, are refugees from California. These folks lived in perfect harmony with the sounds generated by LAX or SF airport but could not stay because they ruined it and made it hard for regular people to afford living there. (I say this as a former California resident). Now they flock to a place they can afford, but can't stand the sound of freedom generated by our Cadets? Colorado, kick'em out :)

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 9:11 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 21:11:04 -0400

Then move you punk ass whiners. The same with auto racing and the noise complaints and the city councils who politicize an honest business.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jun 5 at 2015 9:32 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 21:32:23 -0400

It's called sounds of freedom.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 10:26 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 22:26:34 -0400

I live in Colorado Springs, not too far from the ACA actually. The trainers the ACA fly aren't that bothersome at all. What did piss me off was the B1B Bomber they had doing practice low level runs over the ACA for several days for their graduation last week or so. If you've never been near a low flying B1B Bomber you can't understand how extremely loud and literally earth shattering that aircraft is. To bring that kind of aircraft into a town like this where no aircraft of its type exist just to buzz the ACA for several days is annoying....and I grew up in Wichita, Kansas right under the daily flight path for B1Bs so I can appreciate the views of people who say deal with it if you live near an Air Force base but this was excessive just for a ceremony.

Response by SGT Bill Boyd made Jun 6 at 2015 12:01 PM

SGT Bill Boyd — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 12:01:53 -0400

Oh, yes, the AFA was there first, by a number of years. Having lived in Colorado Springs for over 20 years, I can say the noise from the AFA is minimal. I also have lived under the glide path of an international Airport, so maybe I'm not the best judge. Even if the Cesna-esque planes the cadets use flew 24 hours a day, the noise could be mitigated by closing your damn window.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2015 8:47 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 20:47:38 -0400

We had the same problem with our base. People built and bought homes directly under the aoch for landing/takeoff area

People also move next to build and move next to a dairy farm and complain about the odor.

Response by SMSgt Tony Barnes made Aug 1 at 2015 7:22 PM

SMSgt Tony Barnes — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 19:22:19 -0400

I live in the same neighborhood...but, I have lived on bases with real airplanes...this is nothing at all.

Response by SSgt Eric Kolesar made Apr 14 at 2016 1:31 PM

SSgt Eric Kolesar — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 13:31:59 -0400

Michael,

I agree with your post completely. I lived in the Northgate area of Colorado Springs, right across from the Air Force Academy (AFA), at almost a straight line due east of the football stadium, and we never had any issues with noise from any flights, training or otherwise. You could hear the skydiver planes, the glider tow aircraft, and even an occasional fast mover in the area, but none of it was "loud" and was easily dismissed.

I sold that house last summer, and noise from the AFA had nothing to do with it. The most noise we had from any of the AFA flights was during football season, and we were lucky enough to have the United States Air Force Thunderbirds fly over our neighborhood. We could easily watch the flyby show, at the stadium, from our bedroom window.

Anyone that is going to move into an area, should do some homework and know what they are getting into. Whether it is next to a military base, an airport, train tracks or any other reason that might have an effect on your decision, there is no reason to rage a complaint against something that was in operation long before the neighborhood even existed.

I remember reading the same nonsense from the people in San Diego while I was stationed at MCAS Miramar. Basically, if you don't want to hear aircraft in your neighborhood, don't move next to an airport.