Rudd letter: F-35s

F-35s at Gowen field? Pure lunacy.

Some facts:

1. I flew the F9F-6 Cougar jet off the USS Midway in 1953-54 in the Korean war. The F9F-6 had a P&W J-48 engine with 8,000 pounds of thrust, and was supersonic going straight down in a power dive.

2. The planes we flew were toys compared to the F-35, which has 43,000 pounds of thrust and is the most powerful fighter jet in the world. It will go supersonic going straight up. With full armaments. Can you imagine the amount of power it takes to propel a 5,000-pound jet at supersonic speeds? Straight up? The noise is deafening.

Tell you what, bring in a couple of F-35s and have them practice touch-and-go landings for a few hours, with Gov. Butch Otter and Mayor Dave Bieter in the viewing stands, without ear protectors, and see how anxious they are to bring these planes into their downtown airport.

I love the military, in all its forms, and am very proud of my service. But believe me, it’s pure lunacy to put the most powerful fighter in the world in a virtual downtown airport.

This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Rudd letter: F-35s."