Navy and neighbors can find a balance

There have been many complaints lately about jet noise in Coupeville. I have not seen any constructive feedback on the topic. I am going to try and bridge that gap.

NAS Whidbey is here on Whidbey. They need to train their pilots for deployment. That means training them at the OLF for carrier landings and launches. End of story.

I have lived here since 2005 and I can say that we have had flights this summer that I believe were not necessary. Is flying until 1 a.m. really necessary?

There is a compromise here. I was told that before “Sept. 11,” the flight schedule had been published. I can understand why that changed after 9/11. However, it was just another case of the pendulum swinging right/left to extremes rather than offering up a middle compromise to meet the most needs.

Why can’t there be a balance between the two needs which would appease most folks? The jet noise definitely impacts the community. It is physically detrimental to hearing for people outside. Why can’t NAS Whidbey alert Coupeville residents when the flights will occur? The community can plan around it.

I could even plan around having them fly until 1 a.m. (even though I will never be convinced they need to) if I just knew the day before they would be doing it. Would residents need to sign off on something to get that information? I would gladly do so.

Joanne McMillen
Coupeville

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