"Big John" wrote in message
news

Jay

Seems like there was a subdivision problem or Luke was encroaching on
something? Been so long ago.

It would seem everyting old is new again as development near Luke is
something that is often in the news these days.

When Korea started and after, they had to cut a path through the
airway going west from Phoenix to let the birds get to the gunnery
ranges down toward Yuma (think the ranges are now named for
Goldwater?).

Correct, the ranges down along the Mexican border are the Barry Goldwater
range(s.)

Remember some finger pointing between FAA and USAF before
things were settled.

Final agreement was (as I recall) they cut a low altitude gate (below
4000 ft) across the airway and the jets had to stay low going out and
let down and come back in at low altitude to get home.

I think things have sort of flip flopped these days. They seem to prefer to
send the F16s down to the Goldwater range at 7500' and higher and want GA
down lower. I always make sure I'm talking to Luke Approach whenever I head
southwest of Phoenix and I tend to delay my climb to the usual 8500' and
stay down at 4500-6500' until I'm west or northwest of the Gila Bend VORTAC.

Willie was out in the boon docks at that time so that was probably why
it was first choice to keep open unless it was a political decision
which we didn't know about.

We're quickly running out of "boondocks" out here. Good thing businesses
and ASU jumped on Willie quickly or some developer would have snapped that
land up in a heartbeat.

I keep reading about things moving into Willie and flying activities
there now. Was sorry to see the USAF give it up (

Did some T&Gs there when I was training for my private ... 10,000' runways
look awfully big when you're in a spam can and they take forever to fly the
downwind leg!

Regards,

Jay Beckman