ASU East Provost Chuck Backus said he is against the idea of having F-16 fighter planes next door to campus.
The planes are the focus of a possible future proposal to Williams Gateway Airport by privately owned Advanced Training Systems Internation-al. The deal would bring 12 to 16 F-16 fighter planes from the Netherlands to the airport for training purposes.
Backus said he would approach the community to rally against the idea of having loud fighter planes at the Williams Gateway Airport, which is located east of ASU East.
"I have no authority over the airport, but we do have a presence in the community," Backus said. "If it's necessary we will use whatever political means to influence this decision."
Fighter planes are noisier than commercial aircraft. F-16 planes are louder than the A-4 fighter planes that are housed at the airport for practice purposes.
Lynn Kusy, executive director of the Williams Gateway Airport Authority, said, "A-4s are noisy, but F-16s are noisier."
Brian Sexton, an airport spokesman, said that only 5.4 percent of the airport's operations are military, but those operations cause 60 percent of the noise complaints to the airport.
And like the University, the airport isn't done growing. Sexton said the airport's master plan shows that the number of military aircraft there could increase from 6 percent of the total planes to 10 percent by the year 2020.
Backus said he is in a difficult situation because even if he could draw a line with the airport, he would have a difficult time defining it. The airport is not legally obligated to the University.
"They've been [allowing] it two to three years with the A-4s; if there was a line it would be artificial," Backus said. "I don't know how to do that. "
Backus pointed out that ASU East's concerns are different from residents' in the growing adjacent communities.
"The issues are different for residents than for students and classes," he said. "It is a matter of where does it [the noise] cross over from being a distraction to being a disruption?"
Advanced Training Systems International leases a hangar and office space at the airport. Ken Jensen, a representative for ATSI said the company received a request by the Royal Netherlands Air force to move up to 16 F-16 aircraft to the airport. Jensen added that discussions had taken place about the request, but a proposal is not on the table.
Kusy said if ATSI were to submit a proposal, it would have to include the number and type of planes, the operation, and economic impact on the airport - specifically benefits and costs.
Regardless of whether the F-16s are moved to the airport, Jensen said ATSI is awaiting approval from the government to expand the current project with the A-4s. The expansion would increase the number of that aircraft from the current 12 planes to 20 planes.
Reach the reporter at erika.camardella@asu.edu.
