Basevissit Ramstein Airbase

On Wednesday, May 5 I went to Ramstein Airbase for a basevissit. Ramstein Airbase is a airbase in Germany about 80 km southeast of Luxemburg country. It’s the transport airbase of the USAF in Europe. The aircraft of the USAFE which are based on Ramstein are the C-130J-30 Hercules and C-21 from the 86^th Airlift Wing. The C-17 Globemaster and C-5 Galaxy are most common seen guests. Another unit based on Ramstein is the NATO headquarter Air Component Command Ramstein.

For this visit I would drive whit some other persons to Ramstein, we assembled early in the morning near Eindhoven. After some coffee we drive to Ramstein Airbase. When we arrived we drove immediately to the fence to spot some aircraft. Before we went to the meeting point we had seen only 1 Hercules who was flying patterns around the airbase. When arrived on the meeting point our passports where checked and we could go to the bus. We had to go in a bus to the airbase because personal cars of us were not allowed on the airbase. The first point on the airbase we went to was the NATO for the lunch, which was perfect. After lunch we went back to the bus, first a group photo before a old Dutch F-16. In the bus the guide told us the rules of the airbase, what we could do and what not. First we drive over a part of the airbase to see some buildings, the office’s of the airbase. After this we went to the flight line, we drove over the platform for where we had no permission to take photo’s to the fire-brigade. Here we had a good view of al the aircraft which we could not take pictures of.

After the flight line we went to one of the C-130J-30 Hercules aircraft to see the inside. On the inside we could take photo’s, there were a lot of photos taken. After some discussion we could also take photos of the outside, but no markings. This means that the nose and tail of the aircraft wasn’t allowed to photograph. After this we went to see the living place of the airbase, all the houses where the same except from the houses of the generals. Also we had seen the mall and hotel of the airbase. In the bus we get some information of the rules on the airbase, because it’s still German ground, they have to follow the German law. Everything is based on the German rules.

After the basevissit we went to outside the base to stand at the fence to take photos of the aircraft, this time we could take the markings, so the whole aircraft could be taken on the photo. There was not much flying, so I couldn’t take much photos. After all it was a nice day, good information but not so much to photograph.