When it was first constructed, Luke Air Force Base was well outside of the small town that would eventually become bustling Phoenix, Arizona.  Now Luke suffers from a severe case of encroachment, with occupied houses literally right off the end of the runway.  That encroachment, reflected at many bases across the country, has led to noise complaints and community actions that have impacted the flight operations at major military bases.

Now the Tucson community, just south of Luke, is one among several that is weighing the pros and cons of trying to become host to a major F-35 training base.  Tucson hosts Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the current location of A-10 training.  The good part of the F-35: Such a training base would likely be a boon to the local economy.  The problem: Many believe that the F-35 is far noisier than the aircraft they are used to hearing, especially the relatively quite A-10.

“Jet noise” has routinely been called “the sound of freedom.”  Quipped one Tucson resident, near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base:

If they love the sound of freedom so much, I’ll be happy to sell them my house.

The opponents note that they don’t want to seem unpatriotic for opposing the presence of the new fighters.  Unfortunately, those who appreciate the sacrifice of the military yet begrudge them the necessary tools and training to effectively accomplish their mission are extraordinarily short-sighted.  (Particularly if they moved into a house under the airbase’s flight path.)

Perhaps most interesting was what the communities might prefer:

So community leaders in both places suggest they’d welcome a different mission for their hometown bases — like, perhaps, a smaller, quieter Predator drone.

Maybe they’d like to see the Thunderbirds switch to Predators as well.