Air Force Denies Plans to Transfer Flight Testing Units

The Air Force on Wednesday denied a rumor circulating in the Antelope Valley that its F-15 and F-16 flight testing units were being transferred, along with 600 personnel, to a base in Florida.

A statement quoted Col. Perry Lamy as saying the Air Force was considering the transfer of a small part of the program--concerning flight software programs--to Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Fla. “But this is, so far, only a study,” Lamy said about the software programs.

According to base spokeswoman Carol Ann Keck, the rumor started with a woman who was selling her house to a man who worked at Edwards. “The man canceled the contract because he claimed he might not have a job because of a transfer,” said Keck, who did not know the identity of the seller or the buyer.

Worried about a possible dip in property values, the seller called several local officials and newspapers, and the rumor began to spread. It came up at a recent meeting of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade.

Keck said she could understand why the rumor could cause nervousness.

“In the Antelope Valley there have been some hard economic times because of cutbacks to the aerospace industry, Keck said.