SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Gov. Peter Shumlin and the mayors of Burlington and Winooski are heading to Florida to see a controversial fighter jet in action.
The group will get a firsthand look and listen to the F-35 at Eglin Air Force Base on Florida's panhandle.
The Air Force is considering Burlington as a top option for basing a new batch of the military's newest fighter planes, but some worry whether sound levels will have a negative effect on areas surrounding the airport.
Sen. Bernie Sanders says it doesn't make sense to oppose a plane that's already paid for.
"If it does not come to Vermont I can absolutely assure you this, folks in Florida and other states would welcome it with open arms. They would want it," said Sanders, I-Vermont.
Sanders says refusal to accept the new plane could lead to a deterioration of the Vermont National Guard's standing if the current crop of F-16s are phased out as planned.
We have a team in Florida and will have reports beginning Wednesday on the Channel 3 News.
