Final stop in our spotterstrip this summer was Ramstein AFB home to 86th Airlift Wing. We arrived in the afternoon around 5 o'clock and the field was still buzzing with activity. We settled ourselves near the beginning of the runway close to the crashgate where you have an exellent view over the airfield and is a great spot for taking pictures once the sun has passed the centreline of the runway and the sun will be in our back again. The only problem is that it only happens during summer when the sun is high up in the sky.

After little more than an hour traffic died out and we started to look for a place to stay and after that grab a bite at the truckstop where they serve good food. After dinner we went back for some dusk shots of landing aircraft and try to take some pictures of departing planes only problem this time were the musquitos which kept on stinging even with deterrant on to protect myself against them.

The next day activities started very early again with the first aircraft leaving before 7 in the morning and taking off in the wrong direction so we had to travel to the other side of the airfield. After a few aircraft had landed they switched runways and we had to hurry up to the other side of the field again not to miss the aircraft already in the circuit for landing at Ramstein AFB. We made it just in time to catch a C17 on final and after that the first C5 of the day came in. Unfortunately we couldn't stay all day and we left for home around 1 in the afternoon.

  
   
   
   
   
   
           
               
     

Jan Eenling 2009©