Two F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets performed unscheduled practice approaches at Davis-Monthan Air Force base Wednesday, D-M officials confirmed.
D-M could not immediately confirm the origins of the two F-35s that buzzed the base around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The pair of so-called "transient" aircraft didn't land and left the area immediately after practicing, following standard protocol, a D-M official said.
"Transient military aircraft are permitted to accomplish practice approaches at D-M for proficiency training but if they are not landing at DM, they have to leave D-M airspace immediately afterwards,"Â Staff Sgt. Courtney Richardson said.
F-35s are significantly louder than aircraft based at D-M, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack jet, and some neighborhood activists oppose basing any of the next-generation fighters here because of noise and safety concerns.
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As of midday Friday, the overflight had resulted in eight complaints and queries, Richardson said, adding that D-M doesn't track home-base locations of such transient aircraft.
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