Some Honolulu residents complained that Air Force F-22A Raptor fighters not-so-stealthily buzzed Waikiki at 3 a.m. yesterday, jolting sleeping people out of bed.

"It's not a good way to build community good will," said Makiki resident Laura Fink.

Four of the Air Force's latest-generation stealth fighters took off about 3 a.m. from Hickam Air Force Base en route to Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Another four of the jets left a half-hour later.

Hickam spokeswoman Betty Kalohi said the fighters were fitted with external fuel tanks and had orders to be back in Virginia before sunset. The extra weight required a "maximum thrust takeoff" with full afterburners, Kalohi said.

"They were here and did the same thing in February and nobody complained," she said. Kalohi said weather conditions with low cloud cover could have amplified the noise.

The Air Force did not return follow-up phone calls yesterday to see if the fighters in the first wave — which seemed to create more noise — strayed unnecessarily over land.

After almost three months in the Pacific, 12 of the Raptors are completing the first overseas deployment of the Air Force's newest aircraft.

The aircraft left Japan for Guam Wednesday Hawai'i time. Two aircraft yesterday were still in Guam awaiting tanker escort to fly to Hickam. Those two F-22As and two more still here will leave Hawai'i in the coming days for the East Coast, officials said.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.