Senator John McCain was in Tucson to help give a military boost to southern Arizona.

        He's working to bring the new F-35 fighter to the Arizona Air National Guard base at Tucson International Airport. 

        For about 40 years, the 162nd Fighter Wing has been training Air National Guard pilots, and pilots who fly for our allies.

       Right now, the wing flies F-16s...but it's a candidate to train pilots in the newest warplane in the arsenal....the F-35---but the Pentagon must still be convinced T-I-A is better than other places vying for the new planes.

        Sen McCain says, "There are some land issues that we need to acquire to enhance the training capability.  There is also a DOD requirement to move where munitions are stored in light of new regulations as a result of 9-11."

        Keeping the fighter wing here and active is very important to the local economy. The current training wing set up where they're training on F-16s brings about 280 million dollars to the area.

     The Senator says good flying weather and the nearby Goldwater training range are good arguments to base the new plane here.

      But there are concerns the F-35 will be much noisier than other warplanes based here.

      Mayor Bob Walkup thinks the new plane will be no louder than the newest versions of the F-16 already flying from T-I-A.

     Since this base is all about training, former Navy pilot John McCain tried out the training facilities...

        "Since any bad thing that I do, the information is always leaked, I will be the first to confess that in the F-16 trainer, I crashed (laughter) It's not the first airplane I've crashed.  I am guilty of still not being the best pilot in the world.  Thanks you very much." Craig Smith asked: "This was a physical trainer, or a simulator? McCain: "This was a simulator, so the amount of loss of taxpayer dollars was minimal..(laughter) "

        A task force of local officials will work to improve Tucson's chances of getting the new plane. 

        Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix is also in the running but both bases could get the F-35 because Luke is regular Air Force and the base at TIA is Arizona Air National Guard.