EGLIN AFB - Four dozen F-35's that seemed a sure bet for Eglin Air Force Base are no longer a guarantee.

In fact, there's a good chance those planes won't come at all.

The BRAC Commission recommended Eglin receive 107 of the new Joint Strike Fighters.

Now, only 59 of them are guaranteed to come here.

The Air Force has decided to hold off on where all of the planes will go and could decide to send 48 of them to another base.

Some people living and working nearby say the reduction is bad news.

What goes on here, effects what happens here.

"This is absolutely the slowest it's ever been."

Don Oldroyd's auto shop is hurting from the slow economy.

He says the rest of the community is too.

The restaurants are so two of them have closed.

Oldroyd says many business owners in Valparaiso were looking to the sky for an answer.

Fifty-nine F-35's will be an economic boom to the area and construction is already underway to accommodate those.

"There money going to be coming into town they'll be spending it and doing maintenance on their cars.

But the thought of not getting another 48 of the planes does not sit well here.

This business owner believes a lawsuit filed by the city of Valparaiso against the Air Force over the F-35's noise is responsible for reduction in the number.

"The Air Force is probably saying we've had enough of this why should we bring our people here there are other places in the country we could go.

Colonel Arnie Bunch says the lawsuit did not play a role in the recommendation.

"Were looking at it from an overall Air Force perspective, where is the best place to base our trainers to get training done based on airspace available, weather.

Bunch says the F-35's should arrive at Eglin in the middle of next year.

He says the government could still bring the rest of the F-35's to Eglin, but that decision is still at least a year away.

Don Oldroyd says the more planes the better.

"I wish they would come here cause that would definitely bring more people and taxes to the area. Everybody would prosper from it.

The Air Force is talking to the community about the F-35's.

There is a public meeting going on right now here at this hotel in Navarre.

That's because some of the new options for runways and flight-paths for the F-35 include Duke Field in Okaloosa County and Choctaw field near Milton.

That could bring the planes, and their noise right over here.

Two more meetings will be held this week on the future of the F-35.

Tomorrow, it'll be in Niceville at Northwest Florida State College in the Performing Arts Center.

On Thursday, it will be at the First Baptist Church in Valparaiso.

Both meetings start at 5:30.Future of F35s Coming To Eglin Still Undertermined