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Arizona Governor signs bill to protect Luke airfield
April 21, 2004 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has signed a bill that protects Luke Air Force Base's Auxiliary Field 1. The airfield, called Aux 1, is located about 15 miles northwest of Luke's main runway.
F-16 pilots practice instrument approaches and departures over the field, flying as low as 150 to 250 feet above the ground.
The bill, which takes effect Dec. 31, defines high-noise and accident-potential zones around the field and restricts development there to compatible uses.
It also establishes a box, called the territory, within the vicinity of a military airport. Luke would be informed of planned developments within the box, and it would have the opportunity to comment on them.
Potential home buyers within the box will also be notified they are buying a home in an area where F-16s fly.
Aux 1
The operations around Aux 1 are critical to the overall mission performed by the 56th Fighter Wing. The mission of Luke AFB is to produce F-16 pilots and crew chiefs. The wing trains roughly 900 pilots annually and the demand has increased to the point that the training operation is conducted nearly round the clock, year round.
Actual flying operations are conducted nearly 18 hours daily (and nightly), often six days a week, year round. Virtually every pilot who graduates from Luke will have accomplished a significant percentage of his training at Luke Aux 1. The amount of instrument training conducted at the Aux field simply cannot be duplicated at any other existing facility.
The bill, which takes effect Dec. 31, defines high-noise and accident-potential zones around the field and restricts development there to compatible uses.
It also establishes a box, called the territory, within the vicinity of a military airport. Luke would be informed of planned developments within the box, and it would have the opportunity to comment on them.
Potential home buyers within the box will also be notified they are buying a home in an area where F-16s fly.
Aux 1
The operations around Aux 1 are critical to the overall mission performed by the 56th Fighter Wing. The mission of Luke AFB is to produce F-16 pilots and crew chiefs. The wing trains roughly 900 pilots annually and the demand has increased to the point that the training operation is conducted nearly round the clock, year round.
Actual flying operations are conducted nearly 18 hours daily (and nightly), often six days a week, year round. Virtually every pilot who graduates from Luke will have accomplished a significant percentage of his training at Luke Aux 1. The amount of instrument training conducted at the Aux field simply cannot be duplicated at any other existing facility.
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