Ramstein Air Base sees historic taxiway landing

For the first time in its history, an aircraft touched down at Ramstein Air Base without ever using the runway. On Aug. 18, a 37th Airlift Squadron aircrew of the United States Air Force landed a C-130J on a taxiway during a wing exercise, marking the first time an airplane has landed at Ramstein without using a runway.

A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft lands on a taxiway at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 18, 2026. The training ensured airfield personnel maintain the proficiency required to execute precision landings on short, narrow and unmarked strips of land.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Curzi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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U.S. Air Force retires last T-1A Jayhawk, closing out three decades of pilot training

The U.S. Air Force retired the T-1A Jayhawk on Aug. 20, quietly ending more than three decades of service for the twin-engine jet that trained generations of pilots bound for the airlift and tanker fleet. The last operational aircraft departed Vance Air Force Base for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where it will be received into the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, known widely as the boneyard.

Team Vance commemorates the Air Force’s 75th anniversary, Sept. 18. The heritage T-1A Jayhawk plays a vital role remembering our history in delivering world-class pilots. (U.S. Air Force photos by Airman 1st Class Kathy Duran)

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Media, airmen held at gunpoint while covering event at Vandenberg

Vandenberg Space Force Base’s public affairs office spent this week addressing fallout from an incident that left invited journalists and two of the base’s own service members held at gunpoint, disrupting coverage of a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Sentinel missile training facility.


Photo: USAF
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Whiteman AFB case signals shift in how USAF polices base security

A Chinese national who returned to photograph Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the U.S. Air Force’s fleet of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, after being warned to stop has been sentenced to six months in federal custody, in a case that Air Force officials say reflects a broader shift in how the service is policing activity around its most sensitive installations. Whiteman is located in west-central Missouri, roughly 65 miles southeast of Kansas City, and is the only base in the country that hosts the B-2.

Spirit Vigilance 2024 (8346255)
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Hailey Farrell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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When no vendor would build the part, the U.S. Air Force built it themselves

A U.S. Air Force C-17 grounded after a severe storm drove two private jets into its fuselage returned to service Jul. 30, thanks to a repair process that Air Force officials say cut what could have been a two-year fix down to about five months.


U.S. Air Force courtesy image
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