1661 N. Swan Rd. Suite 238 Tucson, Az 85712 Dear Senator Kelly, I realize that due to both your career and training as a pilot your preferences towards the Air Force and your wish to keep safe our air personnel and equipment is paramount. I wonder, however, if you realize the danger you are placing your constituents in with the proposed modified flight zones. I am a 39 year resident of Cave Creek Canyon in Arizona. My business and home are located at 5,390’, approximately 5 miles S.W. from the town of Portal in the Coronado National Forest. It is part of an inholding from the 1800s. I wish you to understand our objections to the Air Force’s proposed flight zones and your statements that our area is suitable for the training of any jet fighters, especially the F35 fighters. (One example: April 5, 2023 Ms. Lyda Longa) I have experienced A10 fighters flying low in the canyon - below my windows so I could look down on the pilot - and then turning and accelerating as they travel NE out over the town of Portal. The effects were: 1. to almost blow me off a ladder as I attempted to install a window and 2. by flying so low presenting dangerous actions to our livestock, including spooking a horse which nearly flipped over backwards with my wife sitting on it. The F35 aircraft is, according to your own statistics is 5 to 10Xs as loud as the A10. This would definitely be a safety hazard in our canyon. The idea of a Tombstone MAO to create a military training flight zone over the Chiricahua mountains with jets descending down to 100 feet, with supersonic flight at 5,000 feet, authorizing the use of chaff, and lowering the release of flares to 2,000 feet will endanger our forests which for most of the year are dry and easily ignitable. This could affect many species of critical wildlife and rare species that are present in the area and as a result would negatively affect the birding and nature tour industries that are another important source of income for our area. To dramatically increases the size of the Tombstone MOA by 1/3 adding almost 1,000 square miles and “squaring" off the northern side of the MOA is a bad judgement call. Encompassing both the town of Portal and surrounding areas and the critical birding habitat of Cave Creek Recreation Area is unacceptable. The military has tens of thousands of acres and several historic mountain ranges already dedicated to use for the testing of munitions and aircraft. The Air Force’s own comments are: “The Air Force has conducted faster-than-sound test flights since 1947, and today most Air Force fighter aircraft are capable of supersonic speed. Consequently, supersonic training flights that simulate actual combat conditions are necessary to ensure the success and survival of aircrews during wartime. However, Air Force procedures require that, whenever possible, flights be over open water, above 10,000 feet and no closer than 15 miles from shore. Supersonic operations over land must be conducted above 30,000 feet or, when below 30,000 feet, in specially designated areas approved by Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, D.C., and the Federal Aviation Administration.” Furthermore, as the former VP to Portal’s Fire and Rescue organization, I must advise your proposed expansion will conflict directly over the route (and altitude) that all our medical helicopters take to get from trauma 1 hospitals to the Portal Rescue helipad where we do all our evacuations. We have been informed that helicopter service will turn around or not come due to hazards created by your training. This would mean that we can only send our patient off for a long journey via ambulance by way of Douglas. Timely air transport means the difference between life or death for our stroke, cardiac, and some trauma cases. We fly 30% of our calls. When we told the airmen at the Animas, NM, “meeting” that their proposed expansion completely covered this critical Medevac route, the airmen stated the Air Force had no idea we even had a helipad and seemed at a loss for a response besides “well the helicopters could listen for us on the radio.” This comment matches the level of response from the flight officer when I called to ask about the A10 flying low under my window, “Did you get the serial number?” These are unacceptable responses from a branch of the service that is suppose to protect its citizens. Also sending uneducated or poorly trained personal as the air force representatives to Animas for a town meeting was less than stellar. When I questioned one of your representatives he said, “Oh I am actually a lawyer and don’t know anything of the damage done by jets.” So instead of well informed officers to our meeting last year the air force sent place holders leaving us feeling less than safe in your care and totally frustrated from your lack of genuine interest in our welfare. Have no doubt that I totally support that in today’s world we need to protect our country. But developing testing areas for these planes, whose very sound level is a weapon, needs to be well considered. Once again in the rush you have put the cart before the horse. I strongly oppose your MOA and the comments you have made for the efficacy of such plans. We are not the enemy to have you cavalierly act so as to put our lives and livelihood in peril. What we are sir is voters, who helped put you in office. Sincerely yours, [signature]