For more than a decade, Chief Master Sgt. Dwight Rolston has been helping prepare the Vermont Air National Guard base and its members for the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
Early Thursday afternoon, he was the first to confirm that the long wait was over.
“There they are!” Rolston called out across the bright tarmac crowded with media and guard officials.
He pointed south across the runway to a spot on the horizon between Camel’s Hump and the control tower at Burlington International Airport.
First just two specks, the shapes grew steadily larger and more distinct as the angular profile of the most sophisticated, expensive and — for Vermont — controversial weapons system in the nation’s military arsenal came into view.
Cheers and whistles erupted from the crowd, but they were soon drowned out by the piercing roar of the powerful fighters. Lt. Col. Tony Marek and Lt. Col. Nathan Graber, the pilots, flew directly overhead and then banked right.
After several low passes and sharp turns to demonstrate the agility of the $85 million aircraft, each headed over Winooski, turned left and landed at a base that welcomed them with relief and pride.
“What a proud and exciting moment this is for all of us,” Col. David Smith said after the planes taxied in and grounds crews covered components considered secret. “I just want to make sure it sinks in and remind everyone of something: You are all the first F-35 wing in the Air National Guard. The very first.”
Smith said the Vermont Air National Guard began working to get the F-35 based in Vermont 13 years ago, culminating in Thursday’s arrival. He said it had been a long and difficult effort, requiring sacrifice by members of the guard, active and retired, and their families.
The elected leader of the Vermont National Guard, Adjutant General Greg Knight, gave similar glowing remarks, praising his charges and their tireless work to prepare for the jet’s arrival.
“You’ve earned this mission,” Knight said,.
The day began with the pilots picking up the aircraft at the Lockheed Martin manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas. They took off around 10:30 a.m. and had an uneventful three-hour trip to Vermont, Marek explained.
The planes had only been flown a few times, so Marek said his “still had that new car smell.” The pair headed north, toward Indiana, at about 500 miles per hour, refueled in midair, and touched down in Vermont around 1:36 p.m., Marek said.
Another 18 F-35s will arrive at Burlington International Airport over the next 10 months. It’s not clear when they’ll take off again. For the first few weeks, anyway, the focus will be more on familiarizing the maintenance crews with the planes than flight training, Marek said.
When they do begin regular flights, Smith pledged during an interview last week, the use of afterburners will be limited to approximately 5 percent of takeoffs.
Critics have seized on higher afterburner usage at other bases as evidence that Burlington, which has a shorter runway than many other bases, would likely see higher afterburner usage here than the U.S. Air Force and the guard have predicted and studied.
But Smith explained that while the F-35 is heavier, it also has a far more powerful engine, which has no problem taking off in regular power, known as military power. The lighter F-16, when fully loaded, needed more than half of the 8,319-foot runway when taking off in military power, so safety regulations required the planes to use afterburners, he said.
In warm weather, the F-35 can take off in just 3,310 feet, Smith said.
“The engine generates far more thrust so you don’t need afterburner,” said Smith, a former F-16 pilot and commander of the Air Guard. “So, a military power take off, even with the additional gross weight, is very sufficient — plenty — to take off.”
Marek said on Thursday that he used afterburners whenever necessary while training at Edwards Air Force base in California, but that was because the jets were undergoing testing, not because they needed the additional thrust to take off, he said.
Afterburner or no, the jets are expected to be louder for more people than were the F-16s. Recently released maps show that the number of dwelling units affected by high noise will nearly triple, to 2,640, by 2023. The number of people in the zone will rise to about 6,125.
Thursday’s pomp and circumstance wasn’t focused on all that. Allison Crowley, a lobbyist from Burlington whose father served in the Air National Guard and whose teenage son is training to be a Marine aviator, said it was an honor to witness the plane’s arrival and for the base to have been the first selected for such a mission.
“I think this is a proud day for the state of Vermont,” she said.
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The trillion-dollar, jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none-ultimate “golden fleece” albatross, the F-35, arrives. . .
That is to say nothing of the actual local politics or impact on the inner core of Chittenden County and the lives of tens of thousands in Winooski, South Burlington, Burlington, and Williston.
To be clear, the F16 did not originally need afterburner nearly as much, back in the 80’s and 90’s. They redesigned the fuel tanks at some point, which then necessitated increased afterburner. Yes, as Col Smith alludes to, F35 has enormous single engine – it needs it to lift that weight. . .thus, why it is estimated 4X louder.
Tragic career arc for Senator Patrick Leahy, elected in 1974, in large part, based on his opposition to the military-industrial excesses that had led to the Vietnam War and Texas-based LBJ’s massive expansion of same. . . pressure from Texas contractors (where Lockheed & its predecessors once were based), that knew a nice gravy train when they saw it. . . At least the F35 has not yet been involved in a budget-busting war of choice versus a country that never attacked US soil, leading to the deaths of 58,000 plus Americans and several million Vietnamese. . .
If anyone’s career is an argument in favor of term limits, it may well be Patrick Leahy.
Great to finally see them here. All the fear mongers who claim nuclear weapons, loud noises that will kill our children, exploding planes and more BS that the average person can digest. In a period of time they will be the norm, just a passing noise. Next time they cry about the noise, just remember that war makes more noise and these folks are her to protect our country from that possibility of harm.
Vermont is now a target for foreign adversaries. Good job, idiots.
Basically heres my two cents, that airport (and airbase) were built in the country. The houses came later and crowded the outer fences. So, boo hoo if its loud. This same type of issue happened with dairy farms too, noobies moved in and then complained about the smell. Fortunately Vermont lawmakers were smarter than the average bear and told the whiners to shove off. I hope this will be the case as well. As far as being a target Burlington is no more a target than when Plattsburgh had B-52s flying out of it. Yeah, fighters are a real target. Not.
Like Donald Trump, the F-35 is the symptom of a dying empire and a failing democracy. At $89,000,000 per aircraft they are a tremendous waste and are nothing more than corporate welfare, which is just another term for socialism, which the Flat Earth Righties supposedly despise. Now take that $89 million and direct it towards helping those at the bottom of society and the White Power Trumpsters blow a gasket. Gotta love those “Christian, conservative family values”.
@ Chris in S. Burlington
“At least the F35 has not yet been involved in a budget-busting war of choice versus a country that never attacked US soil, leading to the deaths of 58,000 plus Americans and several million Vietnamese. . .”
Are you serious? What about 9/11 our Air Guard were sent to NYC they were in the sky over NYC in 30 mins when our soil was attacked. .
As for Vietnam, guess you only believe what you read from the left. The United States always help our Allies, we were asked to help South Vietnam. As for the several million Vietnamese, The Viet Cong were killing their own people. They made kids put bombs on themselves and go up to a bunch of GI’s and then set off the bomb killing our men and himself. if the boy didn’t want to do it the Viet Cong killed him.
I’m glad the F-35 is here. I watched them fly over and cheered loudly waving my flag. . I’m proud of our Vt Green Mt Boys. They can fly over my house anytime they want..
I don’t care for Leahy but getting these F-35 here is the only thing he’s done right. I hope I will be there each month when the other F-35’s touch down.
Donna, always appreciate your comments and healthy dialogue. Recommending your comment. It is not “left” or “right.” Vermont’s own Republican Senator George Aiken, he called it as early as 1966: “Declare victory and get out.” Yes, it is one thing to help allies. That is how US involvement in Vietnam began under Eisenhower and Kennedy. Another thing to fight their war for them, what happened under LBJ disaster. Like Iraq under other Texas president, GW Bush, Vietnam never attacked US soil.
F-35, it is not a “left” or “right” thing. Republican Senator John McCain, chair of Armed Services Committee, he called the F-35 a “tragedy.” It was supposed to save $ and has turned into the biggest golden fleece of the taxpayer. Supposed to serve each branch well and with precision. Based on reports from pilots, instead, with exception of radar evasion, it is regression – not advance – over prior equipment. So, yes, I agree with people like deceased Senator McCain and Republican Senator Rand Paul that military-industrial complex is out-of-control.
Leahy, totally tragic. Everyone human but he should have retired two terms ago. Been slurring his words for at least 10 years. Often seems confused. Most senior Democratic Senator and he cannot secure $50 or $60 million to find a “win-win” for VTANG and Chittenden County and get VTANG their own dedicated base and 9,000 foot run-way, as this jet deserves? Democrats in Montpelier, Shumlin, Shap Smith, they can throw over $100 million of real, hard-earned tax dollars down the toilet hole in their ill-fated pursuit of universal health care that everyone told them would never work? But can’t find $ for VTANG & a real base elsewhere in Vermont?
It is not VTANG’s fault. VTANG doing what they can to be responsible with equipment they are handed.
@Chris in S. Burlington
You named 1 of the most corrupt, lying Republican there ever was, McCain . The traitor of the Vietnam War. He gave info to the Vietnamese. He came back and turned against our own Troops. My husband was in Nam as well as other relatives and friends. Some never came back. My son was in Iraq. My son and husband are both gone now. Both volunteered to join the service. When 9/11 happened my son rejoined up.
Stop the fake bullshit news. McCain served his country and was tortured as a POW for 5 years and turned down the opportunity to get out of POW camp early because his fellow POWs werent being released.
Lying, corrupt, sleazebag in the White House got fake bone spurs so he could avoid serving his country and spend the next 45 years hanging out with prostitutes and publicly lusting after his own daughter. Sick, disgusting excuse for a human being.
The world will celebrate when the fake president is convicted and goes to prison. His fans are the extreme minority and will weep like children when that happens, much like the poor South Koreans did when Kim Jong Il died.
Donna, very sorry to hear that.