Eglin officials give community leaders JSF sound bytes

  • Published
  • By Jasmine DeNamur
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Local community leaders were given an inside look into noise and its relation to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter during a recent breakfast with Team Eglin commanders and officials.

Richard McKinley, the Joint Strike Fighter program office's principle acoustic engineer from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, presented leaders with intricate examples of noise levels ranging from a whisper to a gunshot and compared how those levels compared with the JSF in different flying modes.

"Noise can be defined in several different ways. Overall, the general definition of noise is a sound that is unpleasant to the listener," said Mr. McKinley. "What may be noise to you may not be noise to me and vice versa."

The new Joint Strike Fighter has been a topic of interest within Eglin's surrounding community since Congress announced its training mission will come to the base as a result of Base Realignment and Closure directives in 2005. Community focus on the aircraft has turned toward its noise production and the possible impact it may have on neighboring cities.

Current data has shown the aircraft will conduct more flight operations than other fighter aircraft currently at Eglin. As a result, some community leaders have expressed concern over the possible rise in noise levels. Because of the limited flying F-35s in existence, collection of noise measures is an ongoing effort.

"The F-35 can be compared closest to the F-22 Raptor and F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft in noise levels, but in comparing airframes, noise levels vary greatly depending on the height and speed the aircraft is flown, to include the time of day it's flown, said Mr. McKinley. "Both the number of flight operations and the aircraft's sound characteristics help determine the noise level contours shown in the environmental impact statement."

The F-35 is considered the next generation, state-of-the-art low observable aircraft and it is garnering a large interest for its use internationally. Eight international partners and the U.S. are committed to the aircraft's development program. As outlined in the BRAC recommendations, Eglin will be the premier location for the JSF pilot and maintenance training for the three U.S. services and several partners.

As a result of the BRAC decision, which includes the realignment of the U.S. Army's 7th Special Forces Group and mission support needs, if fully implemented, the two actions could bring the area more than 4,500 military personnel, 6,500 family members and more than $700 million in military construction projects.

A Record of Decision was signed last month for the relocation of the 7th SFG to a site north of Eglin, approximately five miles west of Duke Field. A decision for the JSF mission is pending.

Throughout this process, Eglin officials have worked to answer community leaders' questions and concerns about the program and clarify any misconceptions such as whether or not noise generated from the aircraft would cause damage to homes near Eglin.

"Typically, damage that occurs to structures from military operations is the result of sonic booms," said Mr. McKinley. "Damage from aircraft sonic booms or explosions occurs from the impulse or rapid shock of the sound."

According to Mr. McKinley, F-35 flight operations around Eglin's runways are not expected to produce damage to structures.

Following the breakfast, Mr. McKinley met with the mayor of Valparaiso, Mayor John Arnold, and his designated noise expert to discuss efforts to mitigate community concerns with noise and other issues. Eglin officials have stressed the importance of community support of the pending mission gain.

For now, the result of the decision for the JSF could range anywhere from not bringing the aircraft to Eglin to the full number of aircraft or something in between. A final decision on the program's future is expected to be made sometime early next year.