Reporter-News Archives

Thursday, February 19, 1998

Crash may heighten opposition to training proposal

By BRENT TAYLOR / Abilene Reporter-News Correspondent

SNYDER -- The crash of a B-1B Lancer Wednesday in Kentucky may heighten opposition to a proposed site in West Texas for a bomber training area.

"I hope the crash brings into focus what the Air Force is wanting to do," said Buster Welch, chairman of Citizens Against Lancer. "Clearly, the citizens of our area need to know a lot more about the danger and the scope of these training missions before we're stuck with them for the rest of our lives."

"It looked like on TV that the land where the bomber went down is very productive land and I sure would have hated to (have) been working cattle when it crashed," said the Fisher County rancher.

Citizens Against Lancer was formed after the Air Force announced it was considering a site near here for its Realistic Bomber Training Initiative. The site, which includes parts of the Big Country counties of Scurry, Fisher Kent and Stonewall, is one of three being considered in Texas and New Mexico.

RBTI is a proposal by the Air Force to improve B-1 and B-52 aircraft crew training. Under combat conditions, aircraft crews must find their targets by flying through various weather conditions, past enemy defenses and at changing altitudes.

Aircraft crews must coordinate their activities among themselves as well as with other aircraft. Electronic equipment would be placed along the route to simulate enemy sites and equipment would be placed to score how aircraft do.

The Air Force's plan calls for B-1 bombers from Dyess and B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base to fly training routes closer to home bases. Now, both bases must fly their planes to Utah and South Dakota to practice bombing missions.

At a public hearing in Snyder in mid-December, citizens showed their support for the Air Force plan. However, at a later public hearing, opponents voiced concerns about local airplane traffic being hindered by the military flights and cattle being frightened by noise from the aircraft.

A group calling themselves the Trans-Pecos Protection Group has also come out against the plans.

Setting up the new sites is no quick and simple task. The Air Force must conduct lengthy studies to assess how its proposal will affect the environment with public input playing an important role in the determination.

A formal scoping period by the Air Force came to an end Tuesday. Welch said more than 200 letters opposing RBTI were delivered to the Air Force.