June 10, 2003 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
For the next three months, F-16s normally based at Buckley Air Force Base, will be operating from Denver International Airport.
The temporary setup is needed while repairs are made to the runways at Buckley.
According to the DIA managers, the fighter jets won't have any impact on commercial traffic. The F-16s are stationed at one end of the airport. The F-16s are occupying a deicing pad in the southeast corner of the airport that is rarely used in summer months. Repairs at Buckley are scheduled to take until the end of August.
Since the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a number of the F-16s stand on constant alert as part of Operation Noble Eagle for homeland defense.
Because the pilots are on QRA, they are camping out in an RV near the runway. Maj. Chuck Caldwell admits it's not the most comfortable setup. "You're next to the runway, so you have a lot of noise," he said. "If the wind blows just right, you can literally hear the airplanes, see the airplanes, and smell the airplanes."
Many of the F-16 pilots now based at DIA just spent two months in Iraq.
