353rd CTS brief community leaders on range altitude changes

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shawn Nickel
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FAIRBANKS, Alaska --  Lt. Col. Dennis Lincoln, the 353rd Combat Training Squadron director of operations, briefed the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee in Fairbanks April 9 about upcoming Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex changes.

The changes include altitude limits for aircraft training on the range during routine missions and during RED FLAG-Alaska.

Currently the flight levels in the FOX 3 and PAXON portions of the JPARC limit low-level flying. Military jets in FOX 3 can fly between 5,000 feet and 18,000 feet for low-level flying with a proposed change to 500 feet.

The PAXON airspace, which is sometimes used for larger combat exercises involving 60 jets or more, is currently limited to 18,000 feet elevations, but is proposed to change to 500 to 18,000 foot levels. The PAXON military operations area low altitude airspace would only be used during RED FLAG or other Major Flying Exercises.

Proposed changes are part of a 2013 JPARC Modernization and Enhancement DoD Record of Decision in an effort to accommodate newer 5th Generation fighters such as the F-22 Raptor, based out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska and the F-35  Lightning II, which may be based at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska in the future.

"This will allow relevant training for pilots who will eventually employ these skills downrange in support of future air operations," Lincoln said.

Members of the committee offered questions and concerns along with experience as long time aviators who use the JPARC recreationally.

One of those concerns is communications with private and commercial pilots who often transit through FOX 3 and PAXON. Lincoln explained a proposed plan to improve radio communications and the process by which emergency medical transport take to travel through the complex.

"Improvements to communication systems would be marvelous," explained Tom George, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association regional manager. "Our current practice is 'see and avoid,' but a lot of that goes out the window when you are comparing a prop aircraft going 80 knots to a jet flying much faster."

George, whose family has been flying in Alaska for generations, said the military has been improving the use of the JPARC and communication has been a huge part of that. He takes the already expansive effort of educating local pilots on use procedures beyond Alaska residents.

"This is not a national program, yet you will see thousands of aviation enthusiasts from outside the state flying here every year," he said. "Education for outsiders coming to Alaska is a big part of what I do, so information such as this is key."

Although other parts of the range have lower flying levels than the areas up for change, Lincoln stressed that the logistics to use range areas further from JBER must involve refueling support, longer flight times and higher cost.

Public comments on changes to the JPARC are welcomed and can be submitted by May 10 to 7-ANM0OSG0Public-Notice-Inbox@faa.gov. For more information visit http://www.jber.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-150226-039.pdf.