Conflicting statements have been issued by a top military official regarding F-35 fighter jets which will be based with the Vermont Air National Guard.
Navy Captain Paul Hass, the vice commander of the f-35 Lightning II Training Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, gave an interview to the Burlington Free Press last Wednesday when he said that pilots generally use their afterburners as a safety precaution.
“The reason is, it gives us more options if something goes wrong,” Haas said. He was then asked if the pilots with the Vermont Air Guard would be using their afterburners regularly. He simply replied: “I think that would be a fair statement.”
Captain Haas then went back on his earlier comments saying that pilots at Eglin are in fact only using their afterburners about five percent of the time on the F-35 fighter jets: “I left you an incorrect impression,” he said. “I was talking about military aircraft in general.”
When he was confronted about the fact that just a day earlier he had said the afterburners would be used in general he said: “I was wrong when I gave you that information.”
It is obvious why the local residents are up-in-arms. Rosanne Greco, a council member in South Burlington said that the Haas’ recent contradictory comments are typical of the military when it comes to the issue of noise pollution.
What do you think about Captain Hass’ contradictory comments? Do you think the pilots of the F-35 fighter jets should or should not be allowed to use their afterburners in residential areas? Share your thoughts in the comments feed below.
