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  • The instructors behind virtual take off

    Over the past decade, anyone with a computer and a copy of flight simulator software has had the experience of flying over the virtual skies.The United States Air Force takes this concept to a whole new level and the simulators they use to train student pilots at Laughlin Air Force Base dwarf the

  • 8/5 day the start of a new tradition

    A new tradition has been introduced into the rich mythos of Laughlin Air Force Base. August 5th will now be known as 8/5 day to celebrate our very own 85th Flying Training Squadron (FTS) more commonly called “The Tigers”. This new tradition will live on in Laughlin for as long as the historic

  • Flying through the viewfinder

    An Adrenalin infusing rush, like jumping head-first into icy cold water, that creates an overwhelming sense of nervousness in the pit of my stomach. This is what it felt like the first time I flew in a T-6 Texan II. I soon realized I might have one of the best jobs and office views in the Air Force.

  • Deputy commander meets with Laughlin teammates, experiences Team XL

    Maj. Gen. William Spangenthal, deputy commander of Air Education and Training Command, visited the 47th Flying Training Wing this month to witness how Team XL is furthering an environment of excellence for Airmen stationed here.Cultivating an environment of excellence includes ensuring Airmen and

  • Community wins $4M grant for Laughlin

    Val Verde County government was awarded two grants on Laughlin Air Force Base’s behalf Monday morning. The grant will fund $2,465,447 for new airfield lighting, making the airfield safer. The T-1 fleet will get a dozen new sunshades, creating a better work environment for maintainers, and protecting

  • 2020 Airman of the year chosen from RAWS

    Laughlin's very own Senior Airman Jacqueline Beckett, a 47th Operations Support Squadron radar airfield weather systems (RAWS) electronic technician, won the 2020 RAWS Airman of the year award in the Air Education and Training Command. While working on the Air Force's 6th busiest airfield.

  • XL Is: A Great Place to Learn

    Part two of the "XL Is" video series. On this episode, we introduce newcomers to Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas to schooling options for dependents in the local San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated School District.

  • Experiencing the chamber: first steps before take off

    Walking into the main lobby of the aerospace physiology building and seeing the chamber for the first time, I didn't know what to expect. But thinking this is the first place future pilots come to start their training, I was excited to get a chance to experience a taste of their world.

  • 89th Airlift Wing visits Laughlin Air Force Base

    A C-40B from the 89th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Andrews, Md., lands at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, on Nov. 18, 2020. Officer and enlisted Airmen from the 89th AW traveled here to recruit personnel for positions at their wing including pilots, navigators, flight engineers, flight attendants,

  • A new way of fueling begins at Laughlin

    Laughlin’s own Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (fuels) maintenance teams volunteered to conduct a 90-day beta test from October 2020 to January 2021 to evaluate new fueling capabilities to help the Air Force improve its fueling processes.In the test, they use smaller, more compact commercial refuelers