148th Fighter Wing Conducting Night Flying Operations This Week

I had to laugh the other day when my mother was visiting from out of town and had a startled look on her face. "What's that growling noise?" she asked. It's the fighter jets, Mom. We get so used to hearing the F-16s training in and around Duluth that, as locals, we sometimes don't even notice it.

However, when they happen at night, they stand out. It's not often, but periodically the 148th Fighter Wing out of Duluth conducts night flying operations. Hearing them fly after dark can make you wonder if there's something else going on. When my kids were little, and they were having a hard time falling asleep, they'd come downstairs and ask if we were going to war. They could also have been just trying to postpone bedtime.

The 148th Fighter Wing alerted the community on Monday morning that they would be conducting night flying operations as part of their regularly scheduled training. They're giving us a heads-up that residents in Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the UP could hear the rumble of F-16 fighters after dark.

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The training is necessary to maintain pilot proficiency in night and low-visibility conditions, ensuring the pilots are mission-ready around the clock.

The good news is the training should wrap up by 10:30 pm each night. The flights are scheduled for October 26-29.