Chaumont AB Alumni

04/06/2026

5 juillet 2026 · Aéroport de Dole-Tavaux · 11h → 18h. Rafale, A400M, parachutistes Phœnix, DC3 et bien d'autres.

04/06/2026

On Oct. 9, 1955, the arrival of the 420th Air Refueling Squadron, Fighter-Bomber, at Royal Air Force Sculthorpe marked a turning point in U.S. Air Forces in Europe history. For the first time, USAFE possessed its own organic air refueling capability, one that extended the reach of fighter and bomber aircraft across a rapidly intensifying Cold War theater.

Originally reassigned from Tactical Air Command, the 420th ARS relocated from England Air Force Base, Louisiana, to the United Kingdom to directly support USAFE’s Third Air Force. Its Airmen operated the KB-29P, a modified B-29 Superfortress equipped with the innovative rigid flying boom system. This technology allowed faster, more reliable refueling than earlier hose-and-drogue and grappled-line systems, significantly increasing sortie efficiency and operational range.

During its years in Europe, the 420th ARS primarily supported the 47th Bombardment Wing at RAF Sculthorpe. The squadron’s arrival helped expand Third Air Force’s ability to sustain fighter-bomber operations, a critical mission as USAFE continued its Cold War buildup to deter Soviet aggression and bolster NATO’s defense posture.

The 420th’s time under USAFE was brief but transformative. In 1964, the squadron was inactivated when Strategic Air Command assumed responsibility for global air refueling operations. For nearly three decades, USAFE would rely on stateside tanker support until the activation of the 100th Air Refueling Wing in 1992 restored in-theater capability.

Today, USAFE-AFAFRICA continues to rely heavily on aerial refueling as a cornerstone of its forward-based combat power. With the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall at the center of European tanker operations, KC-135 Stratotankers routinely enable long-range bomber task forces, fighter deployments, NATO exercises, and operations across both the European and African theaters. For example, during Exercise Ocean Sky, the 100th ARW provided critical aerial refueling support, extending the reach of F-16 Fighting Falcons and enabling them to practice integrated air and missile defense with allied nations, enhancing the collective defense capabilities of the region.

Modern operations highlight the mission’s evolution from Cold War endurance to global agility. Recent multinational exercises showcased air-to-air refueling integration with NATO Allies and African partners, strengthening interoperability and enhancing rapid power projection. These missions ensure that U.S. and allied aircraft can operate across vast distances, whether supporting training in Morocco, air defense operations in Eastern Europe, or agile combat employment hubs across the continent.

Eight decades after its earliest tanker operations, USAFE-AFAFRICA continues the legacy established by the 420th ARS: extending reach, strengthening alliances, and enabling U.S. airpower to respond anytime, anywhere.
USAFE’s first air refueling squadron and the evolution of aerial refueling in Europe

Published Dec. 2, 2025
By By Tech. Sgt. Alexandra M. Longfellow
USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs and USAFE-AFAFRICA History Office

04/06/2026

🤨
RIP Daniel
ses reportages ont berce ma jeunesse et surtout ses émissions et documentaires sur l histoire de l aviation !!
Je suis triste .......Merci pour ttes ses heures si bien commentées et documentees !

01/06/2026

"Tarmac pour l'enfer" est dans les starting blocks : sa sortie est prévue le 1er juin prochain.

Mon quatrième roman (tout comme les trois premiers), sera disponible directement sur le site de mon éditeur, les Editions Douro avec possibilité de récupérer l'exemplaire au showroom à Chaumont.

Vous pourrez aussi le trouver à la Librairie À LA UNE - Chaumont et à la Librairie Le Pythagore.

01/06/2026

Vengeance s'écrit avec Deux Ailes (IMPRESSION A LA DEMANDE)
Thierry Focone
Douro 1 Mars 2022
Littérature > Romans & Nouvelles
Résumé
Six mois après avoir mis un terme aux crimes des membres de la confrérie des chevaliers du Corgebin, Chaumont, cité préfecture de la Haute-Marne, a retrouvé une certaine quiétude. Mais cette tranquillité est à nouveau mise à mal lorsque le cadavre d'un militaire américain, disparu quarante-six années auparavant, est découvert sur une des sépultures du cimetière de Chaumont. Dès lors, l'agente du FBI Helen Borowitz et le capitaine de police Lucien Demarini entameront une course contre la montre pour espérer stopper un énigmatique meurtrier, qui abandonne sur chaque scène de crime un indice bien particulier : une marguerite. Après « une seule croix par cadavre », notre duo de choc et de charme devra mener cette nouvelle enquête tambour battant, avec en toile de fond leur passé parfois douloureux, qui saura se rappeler à leur bon souvenir.

01/06/2026

History of the Statue de la Liberté 48th Fighter Wing
Video by Tech. Sgt. Emili Koonce

31/05/2026

Serial Code Type Act. Unit Squadron Station Date Lostto Status Pict
Info 52-5390 F-86F GC 048-FBW CHAUMONT AB, FR 17-12-1953 NR
Info F-86F GB 1603-ATW 431-FIS WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 7-3-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 316-AD 045-FIS SIDI SLIMANE AB, MOR 8-9-1954 CC
Info F-86F GM 316-AD 045-FDS SIDI SLIMANE AB, MOR 8-10-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 7280-MAIG NOUASSEUR AB, MOR 23-8-1955 RF
Info F-86F GB 3150-MAIG NOUASSEUR AB, MOR 1-10-1955 DW
Info F-86F GB 316-AD 045-FDS SIDI SLIMANE AB, MOR 3-12-1955 CC
Info F-86F GB 7272-FTW 7235-SS WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 1-4-1956 CC
Info F-86F GB FIATI TORINO, IT 10-2-1958 CW
Info F-86F LI FIATI TORINO, IT 21-4-1960 TO MAP

31/05/2026

Info 52-5385 F-86F GC 048-FBW CHAUMONT AB, FR 24-11-1953 NR
Info F-86F GL 048-FBW CHAUMONT AB, FR 17-12-1953 CC
Info F-86F GB 048-FBW WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 20-4-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 048-FBW CHAUMONT AB, FR 28-5-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 316-AD 045-FIS SIDI SLIMANE AB, MOR 1-8-1954 CC
Info F-86F GM 316-AD 045-FDS SIDI SLIMANE AB, MOR 8-10-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB SALPS PRESTWICK AB, UK 16-3-1955 CW
Info F-86F LB SALPS PRESTWICK AB, UK 30-6-1956 TO USA CW
Info F-86F G 036-FDW 032-FDS CAMP NEW AMSTERDAM, NL __-__-2000

Aircraft photo of 52-5385 / 525385 / FU-385 - North American F-86F Sabre - USA - Air Force (32 FDS / 36 FDW), taken by Joop de Groot at Soesterberg / Kamp Zeist [ Off-Airport, gone ] in Netherlands on 11 August 1981 at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum - MLM. This former Portuguese Sabre, serial 5307,...

31/05/2026

4888 F-86F GC 050-FBW HAHN AB, GE 3-8-1953 NR
Info F-86F GL 050-FBW HAHN AB, GE 17-8-1953 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 11-8-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW HAHN AB, GE 11-9-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 23-11-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW HAHN AB, GE 13-12-1954 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW WHEELUS AB, LIBYA 13-2-1955 CC
Info F-86F GB 050-FBW HAHN AB, GE 13-3-1955 CC
Info F-86F GB 3131-MAIG CHATEAUROUX AB, FR 26-4-1956 DW
Info F-86F LB 3131-MAIG CHATEAUROUX AB, FR 21-5-1958 TO MAP

This video was digitized from a reel of 8mm film with no markings. It did have a processing date of July 1960 and the accompanying footage was from Paris. So...