From Diane Ahern, UCCA’s representative to Miramar’s Community Leaders Forum: University City community leaders representing the planning group (UCPG), the community association (UCCA), and our local aviation safety group (CASA) attended the Thursday, June 6, Community Leaders Forum at MCAS Miramar. Community leaders from Clairemont and Scripps Ranch were also in attendance as well as elected leader representatives from Scott Peters’ and Kristin Gaspar’s offices. In addition to the community leaders, representatives of the MTAC group and the SDMAC groups were among those in the audience.
Commanding Officer Colonel Charles Dockery, a Naval Flight Officer, began his brief with a history of modern warfare from World War I to the present day. He also spoke of the strategic importance of MCAS Miramar to both onshore and offshore training areas. Colonel Dockery answered questions about the relationship between the FAA and the Miramar air traffic controllers, Miramar’s feedback mechanism in response to safety and noise complaints, and the “climbing right turn” of standard instrument departure procedures.
In response to a comment about the number of safety and noise complaints submitted by University City residents, Colonel Dockery indicated that some aircraft are instructed to fly over University City by FAA air traffic control because of operational issues. When a resident promised that safety and noise complaints from University City would drop to zero if Colonel Dockery would promise that all aircraft departing Miramar airport would follow one of the three standard instrument departures and make a climbing right turn to keep them east of the 805, he said he was not able to make that promise.
In response to a question about Class B airspace, Colonel Dockery explained that Class B airspace is highly regulated and among the most complicated in the world and that the Miramar airport is one of the few military airports that operates under Class B airspace.
He also spoke of the F-35 single engine aircraft which are scheduled to begin operation at MCAS Miramar in late 2019 or early 2020. Colonel Dockery also responded to a question related to best practices. Since there are other military bases in the US and throughout the world, he was asked if there any best practices that could be instituted at Miramar that haven’t already been looked yet? Colonel Dockery indicated that he would look into it and seemed to be open to the idea of studying what works in other facilities that could be instituted at Miramar.
Note: Diane Ahern will provide a more complete update at the UCCA community association meeting on Wednesday, June 12, at the University Community Library at 4155 Governor Drive. Networking begins at 5:30 PM; meeting is called to order at 6 PM.
From KUSI, 06/06/2019: Fleet of new fighter jets coming to MCAS Miramar. At this town hall style briefing for community members, Miramar’s Commander, Colonel Chuck Dockery told a group of community members that F-35 fighter jets will be replacing Miramar’s F-18s. Dockery talked about the new infrastructure and hangars being built for the F-35s and about other operations at the base. For the full report from KUSI, visit https://www.kusi.com/fleet-of-new-fighter-jets-coming-to-mcas-miramar/
For related information about MCAS Miramar, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/miramar/
