Training flights at a west Fort Worth military base have temporarily doubled, leading to increased complaints about the noise -- and an explanation from commanders.
"I feel like this is a communication issue for us to proactively inform the public about what we're doing (and) about the importance of the mission,” said Capt. T.D. Smyers, commanding officer of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base.
He said a squadron of Marine pilots from California is training at the base until Oct. 20. Some of their practice flights include low-level landings.
Jessica Masic, who lives a few miles south of the base, said the noise from the jets is so loud it sometimes wakes up her 4-month-old daughter.
"They fly pretty low to the house, and you can see the shadow on the ground sometimes," she said.
Jordan McElroy, 21, has lived in the same neighborhood since he was a young boy. He said he has noticed an increase in the flights lately.
"Way more than past years -- it's just been going on. It's crazy right now," he said.
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Smyers said the training squadron adds an extra 20 to 30 flights a day at the base. While most of the practice flights take place during the day, some of the maneuvers next week will occur at night, he said.
Some of the neighbors said they have come to accept the noise and don’t let it bother them.
"I don't have any problem with it,” McElroy said. “It's just noise. Everybody makes noise."
"They have to do their jobs, and we chose to live here, so that's OK," Masic said.
