F-15S.JPG

F-15 Eagle fighter jets from the Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing, based at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, shown in a 2010 file photo. F-15s from other U.S. bases have been stopping at Westover in recent weeks and departing on early morning flights for missions overseas.

(The Republican file photo)

CHICOPEE -- Officials at Westover Air Reserve Base said they have been flooded with complaints about fighter jets flying overhead and waking residents up at 5 a.m. and earlier.

Officials apologized for the inconvenience and are warning residents the early morning flights will continue this week and possibly other times in the near future.

"These are not practice, they are in the fight," Lt. Col. James Bishop, chief of public affairs for Westover, said. "They are supporting operations overseas."

For security reasons, Bishop could not say where the F-15 fighter jets are heading, but he said Westover is simply a stop-over spot for them. The crews are also coming from different bases, including Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, and some may be returning from Europe as well.

Bishop said he has not received a schedule beyond this week and could not release specifics on when the jets will be flying overhead this week for security reasons.

Westover is the closest base in the United States to Europe, so crews are stopping at the base to refuel and allow pilots to get some sleep. The base is a common location for stopovers of a wide variety of planes because of its location, Bishop said.

Westover is not involved with the mission, and officials have limited information about it. The base is really just serving as a "garage" for the planes, he said.

The complaints are mainly because of the 5 a.m. takeoffs that are waking people up and have also frightened people because they are so loud and atypical. The actual flight paths vary depending on wind conditions and many other factors, Bishop said.

Pilots are taking off so early because of the time difference between here and Europe. When they leave at 5 a.m., it is already 10 a.m. in England, Bishop said.

"I've gotten more complaints than I've ever gotten in my career of any plane ever," he said. "I've had upwards of two dozen, but some of it is questions and inquiries."

Bishop said he also got one compliment from someone with a young child who was excited to see and hear the planes and hopes they come back. That was a first of his career as well.

The planes do not have the fuel capacity to reach Europe without refueling, so a tanker jet is also accompanying the F-15s, Bishop said.

Westover was also selected as a landing spot because it has a huge runway and plenty of space to park the planes. It also has housing so the crews can stay overnight, he said.