Living near an airbase

Jim,
Hill AFB is about 50 miles north of me so get to see F-16's, C-17's and the occasional C-130. The Air Guard unit is based at Salt Lake International so the KC-135A's get in the pattern with the commercial aircraft. I also have an Army Guard unit about 2 miles from home and see a lot of Apache's and Blackhawks.
It is a lot different from when I used to live on base (AF Brat) and could take my bike down to the flight line and watch all kinds of planes come in.

Well, I remember when CFB Edmonton was still an air base, a number of years ago, its an army base now, but CH-146 Griffon helicopters still fly out of there.

Back in the air force days, the usual birds flying over town were C-130s, Twin Otters, Twin Hueys, Kiowas and Chinooks.

We also saw quite a bit of other air traffic as it was a transport base. C-141s were frequent sights, the odd C-5 came in. I remember one day being at the base and seing a couple of Apaches come in along with a trio of HH-3s.

Well, I am about a half hour to forty five minute drive away from Mirimar. We went to the airshow this year, and just had a ball. Even my little girs (4.5 years) enjoyed herself. We don't usually see too many jets flying over, but quite often some helos will be buzzing by. Blackhawks and the like. I'v only been in CA for a couple of years now, so and I'm guessing there are airshows pretty regularly because some saturday afternoons I will be in the garage, and a mitchell or mustang will go buzzing by, almost turning around for another pass wherever they came from. The sound of a twin engine warbird will really get your attention!

Well,
I live about 4 miles from Saber Army Heliport at Ft. Campbell Ky. In addition to that about 9 miles away is the actual Campbell Army Airfield. Until August of last year I was stationed on CAA as a Flight Operations Specialist.
I have dealt with and seen OH-5's, OH-58's, UH-1's, UH-60's, AH-1's, AH-64's, CH-47's, all in various models.
The Air Force uses Campbell Army Airfield also, so flying in and out at any given time you can see just about anything. On a regular basis, you see C-5's, C-130's, A-10's and many others. It's pretty neat really, you never know what is going in and out of there. Ive seen everything from Air Force One to the Space Shuttle piggy-backing on its Jumbo 747. You see alot of NASA aircraft pass through out there.
I've had a chance to fly in most of these things, and the ones I didnt get to fly in, I could usually atleast get into to get a look around.
If anyone ever needs detail shots of some of this stuff (the helicopters especially) let me know. Once the 101st is finished redeploying back from Iraq and their equipment gets back, I'll do what I can to get them for you.

when i was growing up there was RAF finningly and RAF church fenton near by (both training bases) where i am now is underneath a rout followed by tornados from RAF leeming (i think) also i am directly underneath the flight path for Leeds Bradford airport and we get some military air traffic going into there.
Greg

I live 15 miles away from Langley AFB, where I believe the 1st TFS will be getting the first fleet of F22s....,I've seen Delta Darts and T80s fly from there back in the early 70s, then switch to F15s and 16s. C5s , 141s, C130s used to be regular flyovers and warbirds fly overhead when there is a show. Oceana Naval Station is 25 miles away and when I'm on that side I watch the F14s make some thunder. Ft. Eustis, the Army transport base is 15 miles away. There I see OH58s, Blackhawks, and MH53s fly frequently. Ft. Monroe is 20 miles away .....that is a TRADOC HQ base; but they have the Casemate Museum which is interesting...

Regards, Dan

Shaw AFB is about 8 miles from my home and I am on the base at least 2 to 3 times a week. Their primary mission is F-16s and they are over my home almost every hour of every day. The neat thing about Shaw is they have static displays of some of the aircraft that they used to have. P-47, 0-2, RB-66 and F-4 and there is one more that I haven't identified yet. It probably would be possible for me to get photos of these planes. If anyone is interested in close ups I will check it out for you would like.

Regards,
Richard

I live six miles from Tyndall AFB Florida, new home of the F/A-22 and three F-15 sguadrons. I do not live near the flight path but I do make several trips to the base each week. I have seen many AF and Navy aircraft as well as aircraft from foreign countries fly in and out of the base.

While in the Corps I have lived at MCAS Cherry Point, Bouge Field, El Toro, Futema, Iwakuni. Seen F-8's,F-4's, RF-4's, A-4E, A-6A ect. This was from 1971 when Navy and Marine birds were still wearing Gull Gray and White paint jobs with colorful markings. Now retired (1992), I'm about 30 minutes north of Davis Mothan AFB, well out of the flight path of the A-10's, F-16's and C-130's. My 3 yr old granddaughter just loves walking around and touching the various aircraft the base have on static display.

I live about 10 miles away from what used to be Glenview Naval Airbase outside of Chicago. It was primarily a Coast Guard station for Lake Michigan in the 70s and early 80s. I remember a French test plane (or something like that) crashing in the landfill across Willow Rd. from that base. The base is now a compilation of a golf course (as is the landfill ), a few strip malls with a Super Target and name a dozen chain family restaurants, and a few housing developments.

I live near the flight path for Los Alamitos Armed Forces Reserve Base in Orange Co. Calif.
Best sight was Air Force One on landing approach. Man, they use a lot of metal polish on that bird!
I used to work near El Toro M.C. A. F. About 20 yrs ago, some Soviet sub was dumb enough to get detected off the So. Calif. coast. A flight of Marine Corps F-18,s was scrambled. They went over low and bit the burners. What a sight and sound!! Hoorah!!
Tony Ryan.

Hey Jim,
I live about 20minutes away from our local joint AFRES/ANG base located at the Niagara Falls Int'l Airport. So I see a lot of air activity throughout the day.
My folks and I are about a 5 minute drive from each other but anywho when the a/c departed out of left traffic, they came right overhead. HOW sweet is that.
Now I know whay I had a sore next while I was growing up.
The main group is the 107th ARW. They got their start back in WWII as the 339th Bombardment Group (Dive) then they were redesignated 339th Fighter-Bomber Group in Aug 1943. These bad boys relocated to Niagara Falls in 1948 and started out flying sports cars. Around the mid 90s(cant remember the exact date right now) they transitioned from F-16 ADF to station wagens. Yup we recieved KC-135Rs.
It was sad when the unit went from a fighter grp to a refueling grp but now we see a variety of a/c coming in from all the different branches.
Lets see here we had F-51s, F-47s, F-84s, F-86Hs, F-100Cs, F-101s, F-4C/Ds and the F-16 as mentioned above. In all the tankers are cool even if they do pass gas a lot.
Then theres the reserve unit which is the 914thAW. The unit started out flying C-47s in the CBI theater. Then they went to the C-119s then worked their way through the different variants of the C-130.
When the unit was called to duty for the first Gulf War, this unit flew more missions/carried more cargo then the allied forces did in WWII. Now thats a job well done..!!!!
Our airstrip is in the top 5 for its size in the North East and is #3 on the list for the emergency landings for the Space Shuttle.
As you can tell I'm proud to have an air base basically right in my backyard





Heres a breif history of the 914thAW
www.afrc.af.mil/914aw/

Flaps up, Mike

I live about twelve miles from Andrews AFB, so every once in a while, we see Air Force One. Lots of C-130s, C-141s. C-17s, F-16s, F-15s, all sorts of stuff. Lots of fun when they do airshows, we get to see the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels from our front yard!

You guys are fortunate. I used to get to see a fighter now and then myself as well as P3 Orion's when Alameda NAS and Moffett Field NAS were open in my area. Thanks to Bill Clinton they are now closed. There is still Travis AFB north of us but we rarely see a C-5 or C-141 around these parts.

Mike

I live about 6 or 7 miles away from the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing, which is in Tulsa (their web site --- http://www.oktuls.ang.af.mil/). Currently they fly F-16s (not sure what variants off hand). If I ever catch them when they are out they are usually in pairs and I've only seen 2 pairs fly at one time. They are pretty loud and you can hear them scream pretty good when they get going. They used to fly F-4s back in the 80s, and at one time or another I think they flew A-6 or A-7s, can't remember which though. When McDonnel Douglas was still up and running here I used to see all kinds of fighters and bombers, but now it's just the National Guard F-16s that I see any more.

Grew up in the flight path to Plattsburgh AFB where FB 111's and KC-135s were regularly flying overhead....I remember well not getting too much sleep the first 2 weeks of air strikes in Desert Storm as air traffic was constant....but sadly the base closed a while back. While I am not close to any bases now, I usually see a formation of 2-3 A-10's fly over my house every day-- I believe their base is somewhere in the Adirondacks.

Boybuddho, I used to live in Grafton. I grew up there and graduated from Tabb High. I was stationed at Langley for 4 years so I saw plenty of F-15c's up close. That is where I developed my love of the Eagle!
As to the question, I live now about 30 miles from Tinker and I work at Will Rogers Air National Guard base. I see C-130's and C-23's everyday. Also see AWACS and 135's, B-1's, B-52's and other heavies on a regular basis. I used to work for a local contractor and we were doing grade work at a new housing addition in the Tinker flight path. It was nothing to see a B-1 or a B-52 or an AWACS fly over at a coupla hundred feet. You could hear them over the heavy construction equipment we were running!
HOORAH AIR FORCE!!!!!!!

Wade

Hey thenothing,
The 138th is currently flying the Charlie and Delta models. Thanks for posting their link, I want to do a Viper in their markings. I have a few after market decal sheets that are from Super Scale that give this group as a choice.
Flaps up, Mike

I'm 20 minutes away from MCAS Miramar, where I was stationed working on CH-53E's......ten minutes away from Palomar airport, which is a civilian airport, and 45 minutes from where I work at Ramona Airport, home of the CDF Firetankers,as an avionics tech.....AHHH to live the dream, eh!!? Believe me, everywhere I go I'm followed by jets, planes, and helicopters!!!!

Sixteen miles from Tyndall AFB, two miles from Navel Coastal Systems Station.

The closest airbase for me would be in Germany. These are the airbases Wittmund,where they fly the F-4f with the Richthoven squadron (JG71),and Jever where they fly Tornado's (IDS) with JBG 38 (Friesland squadron). Both of theses bases are about 45-50 miles away. The closest airbase in the Netherlands is Leeuwarden, where they fly two F-16 squadrons and one SAR squadron with the AB412SP "Tweety". Leeuwarden is about 80 miles away.

Lets see i live 10 miles from a military proving ground. Live within 50 miles from Dover Air Force base, Patuxent Naval Air Station, Maryland Air National Guard base at Martin State Airport, Andrews Air Force base. Where i work on Aberdeen Proving Grounds near the airport you can have on A-10s, C-5s, C-17s, C-141s, F-16s, F-18s, AH-1Ws, Blackhawks in any version, and some of the Presidents planes doing touch and goes. So needless to say I have plenty of planes flying around lol.

I grew up in Great Falls MT. Had Malmstrom AFB on one side of the house with KC 135s flying in and out, then the MANG base at the airport had F102's then F106's, then F-16's. It's hard to believe all the people I know today that have never heard a sonic boom. With the 102 and 106 based next door, it was like a daily ritual. The majority of our model club were airforce personel from the base. We never were deprived of getting to look around a KC135 or F106. It was great. The base was very supportive of our club and allowed us to do a lot of displays, however, this was the cold war and they did not allow models of Soviet or communist aircraft on the base.
Scott

I'm about a mile from the 104th TFW (MA ANG) who fly A-10's. Just a few miles south is the 103rd TFW (CT ANG), also A-10's. Also just a few miles east is Westover AFB. A few more miles east is Otis AFB who fly F-15's. Quite a bit around here. Open houses and airshows annually.

i spent 7.5 years in the usaf security police (law enforcement). when i started out i went to andrews afb, md and was on presidental support. i have seen air force 1 and had a tour of tail number 28000. i have seen and been on numerous airforce 2 planes vc 137, worked the airshows and definately seen a lot of different aircraft. i love the ww2 birds. c-5's, 141's and numerous other planes in support of af1 were constantly coming in. i especially loved the 2 f-111 afterburner airshow put on (unauthorized) just before af1 was to arrive. i spent some time overseas where we had army blackhawks land because only helo's could get in. from there i went to davis-monthan afb in tucson and spent 3 years there. being in law enforcement, i spent a lot of time in the boneyard. i went on all the aircraft i could seeing as how most of them were sealed up. i especially went on the ones in the fuel pit, p-3's f-14's, f-15's, f-16's, 135's, 141's, etc. i loved going to the hangar where they were taking all the components out and seeing where everything went. i don't have any pictures of those aircraft but i wish i had now. oh well. i have a few, bomb bay on b-2 spirit of az, and cockpit shots (through the canopy) that are clear. i have seen awacs on approach to psab saudia arabia (hence the u-2 shots). i have seen a lot with little to show for it. (the story of my life). oh well, it was a great tour. thanks for letting me share this with everybody. i do not live near a military air base now but the local airport has an old i believe polish kinda big bi-plane.

I live 500yds from a WWII USAAF base in England.

Not much flying except the crows now though!

Anyone know how I might be able to get in touch with US airmen who served there during WWII as I'm doing a project on the base?

TIA

As a kid I lived on Selfridge AFB near Detroit, MI and NAS Glynnco in Brunswick, Georgia. Saw all kinds of good stuff! I remember the amazingly easy access us kids had to an aircraft "junkyard"...used to climb in and around A-4s, A-7s, Seasprites, Constellations...security was pretty lax in those days, I reckon!

I live in Salina. KS, home of the former Schilling AFB. The main runway is 13,000ft+ and alot of military aircraft do touch-and-goes on that long strip. Also, Salina is just about half way between the East coast and the West coast so alot of business jets stop here for refueling. also, Kansas State University-Salina has their pilot training school here. Salina has about 325 flying days/year so there's always something in there air around town.
A couple times in the past 5 years the US Navy has brought in a group of T-45's for air-to-ground training at the ANG bombing range 10 miles west of town.
Speaking of the bombing range, in the 18+ years I've been here, I've got to see alot of aircraft over the range. Way back, I would see F-4's and A-7's. Later, F-16's started showing up along with A-10's. Wow, have you ever heard or seen that 30mm cannon going off. Even from my vantage point, about 5 miles from the gunnery range, the sight and the noise are incredible.
Lately, I've seen B-1's and B-2's doing low level practice bombings. Occasionally I'll see C130's and C-17's over the range but I'm not sure what their doing.
Lastly, Wichita, KS, the air capital of the world, is 90 miles south of here. Boeing, Raytheon and Bombardier all have large operations there and do alot of touch nd goes with there new builds. In fact, in the late '80's the two 747's that eventually became the new Air Force One's were doing touch and goes all the time. This was before the planes had been painted and were sporting bare-metal and green primer paint schemes.
I try to get out to the airport as often as I can. You never know what might be out there refueling or doing touch and goes.

Rich

I live maybe 20 mins. from Fort Bliss and Biggs Airfield but they closed down Biggs a while back so anything coming or going (military) goes out of Fort Bliss. You see the occasional F-18, F-15, F-16, C-130, the Hien trains at Fort Bliss, etc. And I also live about 2hr. away from Holoman AFB home of the F-117A Stealth Fighter and the german Tornado. So I get fly overs every so often by F-117A and you can g out there and see Tornadoes in dog fights and F-117a in the back doing touch and goes. Holoman AFB has a lot of other bases in that area. There is for example White Sands Missle Range where the FIRST patriot was launched, and there are others.