> I haven't been there long enough to get tired of the aircraft noise yet,
>> although some of the locals are. It's still cool when a P-3 or EA-6B flies
>> by low enough to see the pilot. My Dad was career Navy; I spent some time on
>> three different aircraft carriers in my service years in the Navy, and
>> whenever I have a chance to see the Blue Angels, I go. I'm told that they
>> will be phasing in a new F-18 variant for the ECM mission, so we'll see (and
>> hear, and feel) fewer EA-6Bs and more F-18's in the future. Cool!
haven't been there long enough to get tired of the aircraft noise
yet,........... You WILL be!!!
I've been an airplane guy my whole life, Dick, and live 10 NM south of
the Whidbey training strip (at Pt. No Pt.) (also on high bank with its
benefits.) I've previously posted on the value of the high bank vis a
vis antenna height. I used to think the EA-6Bs were noisy - until the
F-18G Growlers showed up. They do nite training at the remote strip
(Coupeville) from 2100-2400 local and, despite being 10 miles away, they
kept everyone up at nite when they started entering service last summer.
I never heard the Prowlers at this location.
Hope you got a good deal on that property, and remember their billboard
"The Sound of Freedom." You'll need that understanding in the days to
come, when all those Prowlers convert to Growlers (Screamers would be a
better name!)
It's not clear from all the chatter on this reflector that military
airports don't have different requirements than civil airports. For
sure - as you've already stated (cool to look a P-3 pilot in the eyes!)
military flying involves a lot of low altitude work in the VICINITY of
the the airport that is not seen (or allowed) at civil airfields. The
aero chart for the Whidbey NAS, for example, shows a number of MOAs
(Military Operational Areas) in the vicinity.
My knowledge base runs out in this area - specifically as to whether the
FAA has the sole (or ANY) jurisdiction with regard to military airfields
and the NAS. The FAA documentation all refers to a "Public Use Airport."
NAS Whidbey is NOT a Public Use Airport. You might want to run the
trapline at the NAS as well.
For 'what-it's-worth', it's not clear with your site location, that
you'll need a very tall tower. My HFTA analysis at my high bluff site
shows basically a foot-for-foot benefit for my height above SL and
allows a low tower to appear to be a tall one.
Good luck,
Bob Bogash
W7DDD
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