Air Force considers more C-17 flights in Moses Lake

GRANT COUNTY — The Air Force hopes to establish an interim landing zone for C-17 aircraft at Moses Lake-based Grant County International Airport.

Headquarters Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois proposed to establish a landing zone in Moses Lake, allowing aircraft predominantly from California-based Travis Air Force Base and March Air Reserve Base to conduct required day and night training.

Grant County International Airport would serve as the landing zone until late 2009 or early 2010, Allbright said, until a permanent landing zone can be constructed at Travis Air Force Base.

"Grant County was chosen because it already serves as a military-civilian air tactic and general aviation base now," said Air Force environmental engineer Doug Allbright. "You have five runways there, one of which really is the only one on the West Coast for short-field assault landings for C-17 aircraft. Consequently, we do our tactical landings there because we are required to maintain our pilot proficiencies to be able to do that."

McChord Air Force Base outside of Tacoma uses the airport for short-field landing assault training, lights out training, general training and parachute training for its C-17 aircraft, Port of Moses Lake Industrial Development Manager Albert Anderson said.

"It's kind of a short-term operation, really," he said of the interim landing zone. "Another C-17 squadron is starting operations down in California and they don't have a short-field assault landing strip down there yet, so they need some place to train for about a year, as we understand it. Since we're already set up and operational for C-17s out of McChord, it makes a lot of sense."

A team from McChord and a team from Spokane-based Fairchild Air Force Base also used the site earlier in July to train for participation in a military training "rodeo" going on at McChord.

The Port of Moses Lake provided documentation as part of interagency coordination required by the National Environmental Protection Act process, Allbright said.

Allbright does not anticipate huge increases in air congestion. Of the aircraft from McChord which would normally use the Moses Lake airport, he said, only half are usually on the site because they're flying missions around the world.

There would be no construction requirements or additional fueling requirements.

"All the lighting systems and everything else associated with operating these C-17s, the infrastructure is already in place," Allbright said.

Additional noise, exhaust and particulate have been figured into the numbers to support McChord, Allbright said.

"We see no increases above what has already been approved and analyzed there for Grant County," he said.

Anderson said the port district's analysis is C-17 traffic would increase by 16 percent.

"We see it as having a minimal impact," he said.

Under the proposed action, C-17s from the Travis and March Air bases would accomplish as many as 36 daily operations on an existing landing zone at the Moses Lake-based airport.

But Allbright said people shouldn't expect to see 36 aircraft suddenly descend upon Grant County.

"It's sort of a misnomer; what that equates to is only about 1.8 aircraft over Grant County over the course of a day additional to what you currently have," he explained. "So when you see an aircraft coming in and taking off, that's actually two operations, arrival and departure. So you can see our aircraft in a closed pattern over Grant County for a two- or three-hour training period, which they would be as they do touch and goes, is clocking up two operations every time they approach and depart. It's not going to increase your traffic; it's not like 36 aircraft there; we're talking two aircraft."

A C-17 landing zone is critical for air crews to obtain training in order to support the war on terror or any humanitarian support or relief requiring short-field capabilities, Allbright added.

"This type of training is critical for our air crews to have on their records in order for them to be ready to deploy at any given point and time," he said.

"We think it's important to remember these are our kids out here flying these aircraft," Anderson said. "They are risking their lives in doing what they do. It's very important to have good, safe, friendly places to practice, because their next landing might not be in such a safe, friendly place."

As part of the Air Force's environmental impact analysis process, the headquarters is preparing an environmental assessment. The draft assessment is available at the Moses Lake Public Library and at http://public.travis.amc.af.mil/enviro/, amongst other locations.

After the public comment period is completed, Allbright said, it typically takes another 30 to 60 days to go through staff paperwork, publish the environmental assessment and empower air crews to use the airport.

All written comment letters must be postmarked by Monday. Written comments may be mailed to the Department of the Air Force, attention Doug Allbright, HQ AMC/A7CP, 507 Symington Drive; Scott AFB, IL 62225-5022.

Faxed comments may be sent to the attention of Allbright at 618-256-8624, but must be received by the close of business Monday.

For questions, contact Allbright at 618-229-0846 or Rudy Pontemayor at 707-424-7517 for Travis Air Force Base issues.