Why is That? Military Flyovers and Emergency Response Training at Lake James
Visitors to Lake James State Park often train their eyes up in hopes of spotting a bird in flight. Sightings of soaring hawks and eagles are especially prized, and spying a kingfisher divebomb the lake motivates birders and fishermen alike. Some visitors may wish to get a birds-eye view of the park, but according to state law, “park visitors are prohibited from ascending or taking off within or upon any state park area or state park water surface, of any airplane, flying machine (including drones) …. or other apparatus for aviation.” Still, one park happenstance combines a bird’s gravity defying ability with the expertise of aeronautical engineers: flights of manned aircraft!
Lake James lies along the path of several Military Training Routes (MTRs), so at unexpected moments, park visitors may witness flights piloted by the nation’s armed forces. These operate under instrument flight rules (1500 feet in the air or higher), but compared to silent contrails, the roar can seem startlingly close. Staff report having seen F-15 fighter jets out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, a vertical landing Harrier Jet from Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, and a C-17 cargo and troop transport based at the Air National Guard’s Charlotte field. The highlight, however, was in 2021 when a B-52 heavy bomber, far from its station at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, flew droningly overhead, all eight Pratt & Whitney turbofans pushing it across the sky.
While flights of military planes create heart-pounding excitement, park staff can become downright giddy when staging a landing zone for the other master of vertical landings: the helicopter. The pilots and crew of these aircraft conduct rescue training exercises and firefighting operations in the park, and depending on need, staff may even get to climb aboard to convey local expertise or role-play victims. Visitors may have seen the NC Forest Service’s Huey or the NC Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team’s Black Hawk parked at the Paddy’s Creek day-use area, and watching them in flight over a prescribed burn or mock boating accident greatly inspires staff in their own efforts.
Whether checking off a species on a birding life list, hearing the scream of a fighter jet, or leaning into a helicopter’s prop wash, visitors and staff can experience a variety of serendipitous moments at Lake James State Park. In the future, staff will stay alert for scheduled rescue trainings and prime prescribed burn conditions, and visitors can glance upwards and listen hard— the next bald eagle, B-52, or Black Hawk sighting may be theirs!
