Dear editor,In last week's question of the week concerning the Snowbirds, et al, you noted that it is clear from the replies to your question that airplane noise "irks a significant portion of the population" of the Valley!Excuse me, but what part of "active air force base"/civilian airport, did they not understand when they moved into their houses?I have just about had it with people who move here, to a virtual paradise, and then can do nothing but complain about anything and everything not to their liking!I enjoy the Snowbirds and the F-18 Hornets, as I have always like airplane noise. It is only for a couple of weeks, and only at the times the planes are actually in the air, not a 24/7 operation we are talking about!These planes are training the military pilots who will be called upon to defend all of us when next we go to war. I am thankful every time I hear our military planes at work, that they are not dropping bombs on us, as is happening in so many other countries. I am thankful that they are protecting the freedom that we all take for granted, but that none of the current generation seems willing to fight for!I am thankful that at least some of the population have jobs to pay taxes that in turn pay our pensions! Way to go, Snowbirds, F-18s, and air cadets!I am the daughter and granddaughter of British military men who faced the world wars with courage and distinction, some in planes, and others on the ground, and I am currently married to a man who proudly served in the Canadian Air Force for some 34 years. A man who attended several active war zones during that time, including the two Gulf Wars, and Bosnia.So, while I feel sorry for the folks who feel they are so hard done by for a few minutes a day, a couple of weeks a year, I wish they would stop their complaining about some thing so apparently trivial as a little noise.Or, are you just gearing up for the annual complaint parade attendant upon the air cadets' training school, which will be with us in a few short weeks? If the noise bothers you that much, buy a house further away from the water, and get on with your life, please.Jean Morgan,Comox Valley
