Operation Snowbird Updates

The United Kingdom and Belgium will deploy flying units to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for intermittent periods from September through November as part of Operation Snowbird.

* Nine British Army AH-60 helicopters will operate for two weeks in late September and early October.

* Two British Puma helicopters will operate for two weeks in early October.

* Twelve F-16s from Belgium will operate at Snowbird for four and half weeks from late October until mid November.

During their brief stay, the units will take off toward and land from the southeast of the base as winds permit.

On arrival and departure, pilots will comply with all of the base's traffic patterns and noise-abatement procedures.

Visiting units will use this training in preparation for upcoming deployments later this year. Davis-Monthan and surrounding training sites offer visiting aircrews similar conditions they would face in deployed environments, making the base and its assets ideal for combat training.

Operation Snowbird provides support for visiting flying units from U.S.
military installations and allied partners needing to train in the optimal weather conditions and ample ranges of Southern Arizona.