Military representatives from the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Dyess Air Force Base, and Fort Hood held a meeting in Brownwood on Monday to educate the public about aircraft training flying the skies in the area for several years.
The Brownwood Military Operating Area (MOA) covers parts of Brown, Comanche, Coleman, Mills, San Saba, Runnels, Concho and McCulloch Counties with Brownwood very near the center of the area.
Representatives said that location was a key point regarding the Brownwood MOA as it is centrally located to several Air Force bases making it a desirable location for flight maneuvers and training.
“The key is that it is centrally located, that’s a benefit for us, for San Antonio, Dyess and some other folks,” said Captain Robert Bennett, NAS Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base Commanding Officer. “Remember, an installation isn’t anything without its training area. They are not making any new training areas so we have to preserve what we have.”
Most of the Brownwood MOA was established in 1976 with some additional airspace designated in 1988 authorizing military air operations at 7000 feet and above. Although the Brownwood MOA is used by several different bases, officials said the majority of those originate from the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.
“Eighty to ninety percent of the time it is going to be airplanes from Fort Worth that will by flying over town,” said Commander Daryl Lierman, NAS Fort Worth Operations Officer. “Our squadrons keep this pretty well utilized every day of the week, and a lot of weekends because of reserve pilots.”
Commercial airlines are not allowed to fly in the MOA making a safe place for training, Lierman said
“It’s airspace that’s scheduled for training missions,” Lierman said. “It keeps them out of the way of airliners.”
Military aircraft will perform training maneuvers such as high speed training and aerobatics along with air to air and air to ground training.
Weather in the area is also a key element that makes central Texas a desirable location for air training.
“Nevada, Arizona and Texas – it’s great flying weather,” Bennett said. “We get 300 plus good flying days a year and that’s key.”
Although training in the air has been going on for several years, sonic booms have been reported in recent months and have been reported to local law enforcement and city officials. Many residents don’t realize what they are hearing and misreport them as something else.
“There won’t be any intentional sonic booms for the foreseeable future,” Bennett said. “We want to make sure we are being good neighbors and are doing the right thing.”
“A lot of the sonic booms are accidents, they are supposed to keep the speed limit down, but things happen,” Lierman said.
Much of the air training is preparing pilots who are getting set to be deployed to possibly dangerous situations.
“There is a lot of preparation that is going on to deploy,” Lierman said “These squadrons are getting ready to go to fight in Afghanistan so there is more of an operational tempo, there is more going on.”
Pictured at top – Early City Administrator Ken Thomas and Hilary Stegemoller from Congressman Mike Conaway’s office (both right) are briefed on flight training being held in the area during Monday’s meeting held at the Depot Civic and Cultural Center.
