Jet noise keeping you up at night? Luke Air Force pilots are in the skies until midnight in summer
By Jen Fifield for Arizona Republic, May 17, 2019
Jim Palmer wore earplugs to bed on Tuesday.
The night prior, noise from military jets flying overhead kept the Goodyear resident up until after midnight. He called Luke Air Force Base in the morning to complain.
The base’s response, summarized by Palmer, wasn’t comforting: Get used to it.
Late night jet noise around the West Valley base is sure to continue all summer. Next summer, it might even get worse. And the next summer. And the next.
The base is the primary home for training F-35 pilots from across the world, and the program is growing. As more pilots come, there are more flights, including night training. In the summer, the sun sets later, meaning night training begins later and pilots fly later into the night.
Support for Luke Air Force Base in the West Valley remains constant from local leaders and residents. Because of that, those speak out about the noise are often criticized by their neighbors, who often evoke the “sound of freedom” catchphrase.
Residents who are irritated with the noise, though, say their annoyance has nothing to do with their support for the military, which is strong.
