Fairchild tankers arrive in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - Tuesday marked the arrival of a series of Fairchild KC-135 Stratotankers at Grant County International Airport as part of the base's temporary move to Moses Lake.

The first aircraft touched down Tuesday afternoon in Moses Lake, said Fairchild Air Force Base Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski.

"The plane that's up now took off this morning and is flying around doing local training," he commented. 

The remaining airplanes follow during the next week. 

He thought there was a total of three or four jets expected to land in Moses Lake.

The last jet should arrive on Tuesday.

He explained the airmen's families are not accompanying them to Moses Lake.

Airmen work a variety of shifts, including stints for one week, two weeks or two months. 

"It all depends on the job they're doing," Buzanowski said. "It's a lot easier and a lot safer if airmen stay in Moses Lake after a 12- to 14-hour shift."

Shuttles will bring airmen home to Spokane for the weekend.

Already, about 200 airmen were in Moses Lake this week.

They stay at Big Bend Community College dorms and at local hotels.

"Airmen will be looking to keep themselves occupied," he said. "They will be enjoying what Moses Lake and the surrounding area has to offer."

He doesn't expect traffic congestion issues, as everyone is centrally located and using shuttles for transportation.

"Hopefully, our footprint is as small as possible when we're there," he said. "We don't want to have a negative impact. We're just happy to have a place to be able to operate out of."

The move is due to the reconstruction of Fairchild's runway, a $42.8 million project.

Fairchild's runway lasted more than 50 years, but an average flightline's life is about 25 years.

The project is likely done in November. 

"We still have missions that have to get done," he said. "Being able to operate out of Moses Lake is a benefit for the base."

During much of this year, most of Fairchild's refueling tankers operate out of Moses Lake, while eight planes are located at Spokane International Airport.

"This is a huge project involving many agencies across the base and in Moses Lake," stated Lt. Col. Jim O'Connell, the detachment commander at Grant County International Airport. "The Moses Lake community has embraced this idea and has been working very closely with us to make this move seamless and effective."

Craig Baldwin, executive manager of the Port of Moses Lake, said the port wasn't hiring extra people to accommodate Fairchild.