MEDIA ADVISORY - Exercise to bring increased air activity March 2

Published Feb. 28, 2011
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Luke Air Force Base's maintainers and student pilots from the 308th Fighter Squadron will undergo an exercise March 2. The exercise includes consecutive launches of approximately 46 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Luke.

The day will see more flights than normal with jets scheduled to take off from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The surrounding community may notice more aircraft noise during that time. The event is named Cactus Starfighter and is part of Luke's Basic Pilot Course, which trains pilots to fly the F-16.

The 308th's flights mark the last large scale flying exercise at Luke prior to the 2011 Open House and Air Show, "70 Years of Thunder" March 19 and 20.

For more information on the March 2 events, contact 1st Lt. Ryan DeCamp, 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, at (623) 856-7033 or by e-mail at 56fw.pa@luke.af.mil. For more on the Open House and Air Show, visit http://www.luke.af.mil/library/lukedays.asp.