Representatives of the Massachusetts Air National Guard apparently got an earful at the July 11 public meeting on its plan to lower the level at which fighter aircraft can fly training missions over western Maine. The Kennebec Journal reports that residents of Franklin County in Maine “expressed sound opposition” to the proposal. It still must pass muster with the FAA, too, after the Air Guard completes a required environmental assessment. The Massachusetts ANG’s 102nd Fighter Wing has the lead, but ANG units in New York and Vermont use the airspace, as well.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…