Green River Launch Complex 1973

Green River Meeting Held to Resolve Practice Flights Problem

2 The Times-Independent Moab, Utah 84532 Thursday, August 23, 1973 The Times-Independent Green River Meeting Held to Resolve Practice fiiqhts Problem By Pearl Baker On Wednesday the USAF, FAA and supervisory personnel from the Missile Base met with Green River Airport Manager Jim Hurst to iron out some misunderstandings that had cropped up. Mr. Hurst was protesting the route of the simulated bombing runs of the F-lll fighter-bomber into this area, as well as inadequate communication between the Radar Base and the Airtport. Pilots of the F-lll fighter-bombers from Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, Mt. Home AFB in Idaho and other bases are being trained by coming in at an entrance point close to Kite, flying a predetermined couse on an approved flight line, and making a simulated bomb drop east of Green River. This bomb crop is an electronic signal, which is recorded and the data put through a computer to ten whether or not the drop would have been a hit. The flights are low level, 500 to 1500 feet ! above the terrain, and are at subsonic speeds. According to current notices posted at the Airport speeds are from 460 MPH to 690 MPH. After the bomb drop signal, the planes break off to the right and fly a race-track pattern back to entry point and make another run. Sometimes three or four runs are made to complete the missior. These flights are made late in the afternoon to give the pilots some of their required night flying time in returning to their bases. All over the country the Armed Forces are flying low-level missions approved by the FAA. When a program is first proposed, the Air Force puts in an application to FAA outlining the proposal and the restraints that will be placed on the pilots. This information is published in the Federal Register so that anyone who might be affected can make a reply or objection. "This is ineffective notice," reports Mr. Hurst. After clearing through the Federal Register, the plans for runs are then published on 'flip charts' which are P^ted,at airports in thef ;ftet: This complies with all regulations and becomes an approved program. Locally, only the F-lll's are involved, and the flights have been going on for about a year. The schedule is not a 24-hour a day, 7-days-a-week program; it is set up for three or four afternoons a week for a specified period. The projected times are given to the FAA at least a week in advance, and the FAA from Grand Junction is then supposed to notify pilots in the area. In addition, the Base has been calling Hurst and giving him the schedule so that he has it directly. In the case of cancella- tion of a run, this would also be relayed to him. The Green River Missile Base has the most sophisticated radar equipment in the country to track the Athena and other missiles. An air - plane can be spotted and its exact location pinpointed in a matter of seconds. There are four radar scopes at the base. The surveillance radar continuously sweeps the entire area and picks up any plane in the air. One of the other three radars is then put on this plane and follows it exclusively. Other radars are tracking other planes in the field, and in the case of a projected collision course, the data is scanned by a computer and altitude and course are immediately open to correction before there is any danger. In addition to the radar scanners, there is a closed ciruit TV which takes pictures of what the radar is observing. On a hazy day, the planes can be seen, -but ordinarily they can be readily identified by their relative size. Also there are optical trackers - 20 power binoculars manned to watch the field. Any one of these three different devices can position radar or pick up and track, as well as identigy familiar local planes by colors, particularly noted when the F-lll runs are scheduled. There is continuous voice contact with the F-lll's. Regardless of I where the commf rcial plane is flying, the Base can alert the bomber pi- I lots and extra care can thus be exerted. Attending the meeting on Wednesday were Colonel Cray craft of Cannon Air Force Base, Chief of the F-lll program; Lt. Col. SmathersofHol-oman AFB, liaison officer Between White Sands ' and the FAA; Lt. Col. Knight, Executive Officer of the National Range Operations of White Sands; Mr. George Bat-chelder of the FAA; Director A. Muray Maughan j of the Missile Base with some of his supervisory force; Mayor Rev Lloyd Hatt and Airport Manager Jim Hurst. After discussion at the airport, it was decided to relocate the Entry Point approximately ten miles east to get away from the air strip at Kite, and not to fly F-lll missions .orr F r iday, afternoons until aftejr.,the 1st of October.' The Base and FAA will continue to notify Hurst on the tinjes-and days the runs, will be made.