The frequent and unusual sights and sounds of combat jet aircraft streaking overhead have been present throughout the week in south Riverside, Moreno Valley and surrounding locations in connection with an exercise involving U.S. and foreign air forces temporarily situated at March Air Reserve Base.
March ARB officials posted a brief notice via Facebook on Jan. 26 regarding the operation, stating only that March would be “hosting a readiness exercise” and the public should expect “an increase in aircraft … noise within the area during the exercise.”
After several attempts to reach the base’s public affairs unit with questions, leading to a request for information from U.S. Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon, the unit finally responded Friday afternoon, telling City News Service “the exercise happening on the base … is not permanent and will be concluding soon.”
Combat jet traffic volume increased significantly beginning Jan. 27, with formations of two, four and six fighters departing March, generally on northbound and eastbound flight paths, multiple times daily and sometimes at night. The only pause was Thursday morning when storm cells swept through the Inland Empire.