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Air Force asking for more training airspace over eastern Georgia

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SUMTER, S.C. (AP) - Officials at Augusta-area airports say they fear civilian pilots will lose access at the facilities if pilots at South Carolina's Shaw Air Force Base are granted more training airspace over eastern Georgia.

The proposal is under consideration by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Air Force says the inconveniences for civilians will be minor and new training is essential.

From distances of almost 100 miles, "smart bombs" launched from military aircraft can hit targets with pinpoint accuracy. Shaw pilots increasingly undertake missions - called DEAD for destruction of enemy air defenses - to learn how to take out the opposition from longer distances.

The aircraft equipment is finally available. So are the weapons for firing. But what Shaw officials say they're now sorely lacking is the proper amount of airspace for training.

"We're getting to weapons that we can drop much, much farther," said Lt. Col. Mike Tepley, one of the commanders of Shaw's 20th Fighter Wing. "But in order to do that you have to train to it, and to train to it you need to have more airspace. Now instead of flying right over, you can fly 30 or more miles from the target and practice taking it out through various means."

A decision is still months away.

One fear of residents in neighboring areas is that the loud roar of low-flying F-16s will prove disruptive.

As for gripes from local airports, such as Augusta Regional, that the airspace initiative would restrict access to their facilities, Lt. Col. Hedgpeth says he is more than willing to establish written procedures so that civilian aircraft can be cleared to land and take off as needed.

"We're not trying to grab all the airspace," Hedgpeth said. "We want to establish a happy medium where we're able to meet our needs while meeting the needs of other customers."

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Information from: The Augusta Chronicle, http://www.augustachronicle.com/