Officials Deny Rumors of Transfers

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 issued from Edwards said rumors about a sweeping transfer were not true. Col. Perry Lamy, quoted in the release, said 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.

The rumor started, according to base spokeswoman Carol Ann Keck, 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 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 a good deal of nervousness.

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