— from Mike Welding, Public Affairs Officer, NAS Whidbey Island —
Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) operations for aircraft stationed at NAS Whidbey Island are scheduled to occur at the Outlying Field (OLF) in Coupeville, Wash., from late afternoon to early evening Dec. 1 and 2, 2014.
The FCLP tempo is driven by the Fleet Replacement Squadron student training curriculum and pre-deployment carrier EA-18G Growler squadron flight qualifications. It can also fluctuate due to weather, maintenance, and operational requirements.
Flight schedules for OLF Coupeville will continue to be released weekly for community planning purposes. Comments, including noise complaints can be directed to NAS Whidbey Island’s comment line at (360) 257-6665, or via e-mail: comments.NASWI@navy.mil. All other questions can be directed to NAS Whidbey Island Public Affairs Office at (360) 257-2286.
The Navy’s OLF at Coupeville is a critical national security asset that provides essential training for Navy pilots based at NAS Whidbey Island to conduct safe and effective aircraft carrier flight operations around the world.
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While I support our military in it missions and protecting our and our allies interests around the world the Navy and our government has failed to address the concerns and wellbeing of residents and children in the area of the flights.
Children and adults are being subjected to jet moise in excess of 130 to 140 db. This sound level is enough to damage to cause hearing damage immediately to our citizens and especially our children. This must be addressed.
The school children in the area must be educated about the effects and damage this level of noise can cause.
Parents must be educated to the damaging affects of this noise also.
We are not the enemy and collateral damage to our citizens is not acceptible for our national defense.
The Navy and our goverment has never done an environmental impact statement on these noises to our citizens.
Daniel G.Ferguson
PS: I am already partial deaf so it doesn’t matter much to me but to others that still have their full range of hearing it is quite important.