BURLINGTON, Vt. -
On Wednesday, there was a big protest against basing F-35's at the Vermont Air National Guard.
At the same time, a group of Vermonters was at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to hear the jets for themselves. That group included Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.
Weinberger says he listened near the end of the runway to hear the difference between the F-35 and the F-16, the jet the guard currently flies.
"I think they are comparable. There will not be a dramatic difference," says Weinberger.
But some people want to hear the jet in Vermont. The Air Force says right now the F-35's are in a testing phase and must stay close to the bases where they are stationed.
Also on Wednesday, dozens of people against the F-35 protested outside the office of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy in Burlington.
Opponents hoped the senator would hear their concerns. But a staffer told them no meeting would happen.
"This is outrageous. This is not how democracy is supposed to work," says James Marc Leas, Stop the F-35 Coalition.
The senator's office says there have been plenty of public meetings about the F-35's.
And they say the decision whether to base the jets in Burlington is up to the Department of Defense.
