Legislative hearing held for Air Force low level flights in NM & Colo.

Opponents of an Air Force plan for low level night flying missions over northern New Mexico said they were wrongfully left out of a legislative hearing at the State Capitol Wednesday. The Military and Veterans Affairs Committee did not hear any public testimony, listening only to officers from Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis, home base for the proposed training missions. The Air Force has already held 17 public meetings across the state to listen to civilian concerns about the plan. The idea is to fly V-22 Ospreys and C-130 airplanes at altitudes as low as 300 feet over rugged mountain and desert country that looks a lot like Afghanistan. The Air Force said the training flights would not have a significant impact on the environment or the people living down on the ground. Outside the capitol, opponents of the plan rallied in protest of the training flights and the rules for today's hearing. "A one hour, no questions asked public relations opportunity to this proposal makes me sit here and wonder exactly how civilians have their control over the military, or have we lost that as a country," said Carol Miller of the Peaceful Skies Coalition...more