Some 25 airmen from the 85th Flying Training Squadron at Laughlin AFB, Tex., decided that the highway area outside the base’s main gate could use a new landmark—for pilots approaching the training base. After securing the necessary approval from civil entities, the airmen painted a median section of Highway 90 near the main gate with the squadron patch and the words: “CHECK HANDLE DOWN THREE GREEN FLAPS TAKEOFF.”
New B-52 Radar Makes First Flight
Dec. 12, 2025
The Air Force’s radar modernization effort for the B-52 Stratofortress entered flight testing recently, a “milestone” for the once over-budget system that senior leaders call the start of a new era for the Cold War bomber.

