Arctic Thunder 2026
Story and photos by Shawn Byers Welcome to the top of the world. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), known verbally as “Jay Bear”, welcomed the public to the bi-annual air show on the 8th and 9th of August 2026. For...
Category: Air National Guard
142nd Wing / Oregon Air National Guard F-15EX Eagle II’s at Nellis Air Force Base for Live Munitions Training
Story and photos by Ken Middleton 142nd Wing / Oregon Air National Guard F-15EX Eagle II’s at Nellis Air Force Base for Live Munitions Training 31 August / 1-2 September 2026 When I heard the F15EX Eagle II’s of...
KC-135 LIBERTY!
The 186th Air Refueling Wing unveiled new tail design artwork on one of the KC-135R aircraft assigned to the Wing on September 22, 2026. The artwork showcases the Wing’s Mississippi roots and Meridian’s aviation heritage. Tail art traces its...
MISS DOLLY
In 2004 The 134th Air Refueling Wing unveiled “Miss Dolly”—a KC-135 featuring Dolly Parton in stars and stripes, with the words “For God and Country.” Dolly herself attended the unveiling, signed the artwork, and performed for the airmen and...
Special Military Aircraft Color Schemes Vol #3
VRC-40 Grumman C-2A Photos by Scott Zeno and Scott Jankowski Iowa Air National Guard F-16C Oklahoma Air National Guard F-16C Texas Air National Guard F-16C Vermont Air National Guard F-16C Oregon Air National Guard F-15C Oregon Air National Guard...
Report: Sunday Arrival Day at the 2026 EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh
Grumman F8F Bearcat Photos by Ken Kula Here we are, on the day before AirVenture 2026 begins… just a sampling of the awesome collectionn of aircraft present in Oshkosh, Wisconsin: PBY Catalina National Airplane and Motor Company Bluebird Sikorsky...
Duluth Air and Aviation Expo 2026
Story and photos by Del Laughery Saturday, July 11, 2026, dawned brilliantly over Duluth International Airport. Skies were clear, visibility reasonable for a mid-summer day (unlike last year’s show which was heavily fogged in through late morning), and expectations...
USAF Flying Unit Markings Scrapbook
T-37 of the 89th Flying Training Squadron Photos by Scott Zeno, Scott Jankowski, Bob Finch and Ken Kula There’s a tradition in the US Air Force that one of each unit’s aircraft can be specially marked with the owning...
Military Tail Art Photo Collection
VF-11 “Red Rippers” F-14 Tomcat tail art on display, the CAG Bird is in the foreground. Photos by Scott Zeno and Ken Kula VF-41 F-14A Tomcat Tomcat tail… Fighter Wing Atlantic Tomcat Tail, pride of the Swordsmen, VF-32 F-14...
Military Nose Art Photo Collection
Nose art on a F-15E Strike Eagle. Photos by Scott Zeno and Ken Kula Personalization of an aircraft can represent aircrew, maintenance personnel, or an entire Squadron, Group or Wing. Some artwork is purely ceremonial, but many examples can...
F-35A Lightning II Arrival at the 104th Fighter Wing
F-35A Lightning II Arrival at the 104th Fighter Wing 11 June 2026 1:04 PM Story and photos by Ken Middleton At exactly 1:04 PM on 11 June 2026, 4 F-35A Lightning II’s in formation roared over Barnes Air National...
FLYING WITH THE 128TH AIR REFUELING WING PART 2
TITLE PHOTO:8064 Story and photos by Scott Jankowski except where noted The 128th Air Refueling Wing has operated the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker since 1977 after operating another Boeing product the KC-97L Stratofreighter from 1965 to 1977. The unit would...
