You may hear more fighter jets above Fresno for a couple of weeks. Don’t worry, here’s why

Residents can expect to see increased fighter jet activity in the skies above Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley region for the next two weeks, but there is no cause for alarm.

Fresno’s 144th Fighter Wing and the 194th Fighter Squadron announced that they will be hosting a training exercise called Valley Thunder, with pilots from various branches of the military and countries involved.

It began Monday and lasts until Friday, Feb. 12. Exercise hours are expected to run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The Fresno Air National Guard base is being used due to its central location to the participating units and a proximity to the required training airspace,” Capt. Ben Hale, a 194th Fighter Squadron F-15 pilot, said in a video posted on the wing’s Facebook page.

“Valley Thunder is a two-week military flying exercise that will be conducted in various training airspaces throughout the region.”

Residents can expect increased military aircraft activity, as jets take off from Fresno Yosemite International Airport, head to the training airspace through the region, then land back in Fresno.

Aircraft taking part in “multiple war-fighting scenarios” include F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, F-22s and T38s.

This story was originally published January 31, 2021 at 3:53 PM.