A plan that could replace the Vermont Air National Guard’s aging fighter planes is running into fierce opposition from people who feel the new plane, the F-35, is just too loud.
The South Burlington airport is the Air Force’s "preferred alternative" as the Air National Guard base to host the first batch of F-35s that would be ready for use in combat.
Plans call for different versions of the F-35, the nation’s newest fighter plane, to be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marines. In many locations where the Department of Defense has considered basing or flying the planes – from San Diego to Maine – there have been noise concerns.
But Air Force Spokeswoman Ann Stefanek says Vermont’s opposition has been the most vocal.