With all due respect to Ms. Diana Nicholai ( Letters, July 9) , I suggest that she follow her own good advice and get her facts straight before giving advice to others.

I arrived on Whidbey Island in 1962 and at that time the following squadrons were here: VAH-123, VAH-2, VAH-4, VAH-10. These were here for sure plus at least two P2V squadrons and each aircraft had two jet engines, J 57’s on the A3D’s and J 34WE36’s on the P2V’s.

Regarding the flight patterns, they remain basically the same now as then. I know for I flew as a crewmember in the A3’s for ten years and we had the same patterns as now depending on the prevailing winds. We also used OLF Coupeville for day and night FCLP flight ops.

So, jets have been here for quite some time and I also echo the sentiment, “If you don’t like the “NOISE”, the bridge and Highway 20 await your departure.”

LARRY IRVIN

Oak Harbor